Commuters will be able to make longer journeys on the Elizabeth line from November – almost four years after direct links between Berkshire, Heathrow and east London were due to begin.
Transport for London (TfL) has announced the next stages in the staggered opening of what was previously known as the Crossrail project. Services beneath central London opened in May, running between London Paddington and Abbey Wood in southeast London.
On 6 November, links from Heathrow airport and Reading will run via Paddington to Abbey Wood, eliminating the need to change.
In addition, trains from Shenfield in Essex will run as far as Paddington.
But because those links are not yet extended to Heathrow and Reading, passengers may face waits outside Paddington for a free platform.
In addition, there is no certainty about when the remaining yet-to-open station, Bond Street in the West End, may finally be ready. Transport for London says only that it will “open ahead of the next phase in November … giving another boost to London’s recovery from the pandemic”.
At present passengers from Heathrow and Reading must change at Paddington for Abbey Wood – and, if they are aiming for Essex, additionally at Liverpool Street. Effectively, from Sunday 6 November, three lines become two.
The target travel time from Heathrow to Canary Wharf is estimated at 45-51 minutes – about half the current journey duration by Tube.
In addition, the current Sunday closures will end on 6 November.
The final timetable, which will see 24 trains per hour during the peak between Paddington and Whitechapel, is on track to be in place by May 2023.
The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “From November, even more passengers will be able to benefit from this fantastic line with the introduction of Sunday services, direct journeys to Berkshire and Essex and a brand new station at Bond Street.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The opening of the new Elizabeth line has been a landmark moment, not just for London but for the entire country, helping to contribute £42bn to the national economy.
“This enhanced capacity on the Elizabeth line will play a crucial role in encouraging people to make the most of the capital and will help support businesses in the heart of our city.”
Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, said: “I am excited to see the Elizabeth line unlock quicker and better journey options, greater accessibility, and further connectivity to jobs and leisure for even more people.”
The botched £19bn Crossrail project is currently about 30 per cent over budget. It opened 41 months later than planned, and teething problems continue.
TfL says: “To regulate services coming into Paddington some trains may be held outside Paddington station for a few minutes before being routed into the tunnels. This is factored into timetables and will be announced to customers.
“A small number of services will not run directly through into the Elizabeth line tunnels and some customers may need to change at Paddington or Liverpool Street main line stations.”
In addition, no sooner does the seven-day-a-week operation begin than the line between Shenfield and Liverpool Street is closed for several days at weekends: 12, 19 and 20 November.
