The Elizabeth line will run 24 trains an hour and start direct services from Essex to Heathrow from 21 May, Transport for London has confirmed, in the “last milestone” of the Crossrail project.
Trains will run roughly every two and a half minutes under central London in both directions at peak times, TfL said, with more through services and quicker journeys as the full timetable comes into effect.
Peak hours will be extended and frequencies increase from 22 to 24 trains an hour between Paddington and Whitechapel, with 16 trains an hour off-peak. There will be two services an hour directly connecting Shenfield in Essex and Heathrow airport, with no need to change trains.
The capacity increase comes amid ever more journeys on the line, reaching a record 662,000 last Thursday. On an average weekday there are now about 600,000 journeys on it, according to Transport for London, with 140m trips so far since its opening on 24 May last year.
The line, originally developed as Crossrail, has increased the capacity of the capital’s tube and rail network by about 10%.
The complete planned service should now arrive on schedule, a year after the much-delayed opening of its central underground section.
While the construction phase was marred by problems and budget overruns, the line has operated largely successfully. TfL’s commissioner, Andy Lord, said it had “transformed the experience” of Londoners and visitors using public transport.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also said the project had been transformational for the city. “The introduction of the final timetable next month marks the last milestone of the Crossrail project and will enable the Elizabeth line to provide even more frequent, speedier journeys and better connect the capital,” he said.
While the May timetable change marks the completion of the original plans, capacity could feasibly be added, with trains lengthened from nine to 11 carriages should patronage continue to grow, although average weekday passenger numbers across TfL remain below pre-Covid levels.
The line is expected to grow substantially busier if and when HS2 starts running high-speed rail services from Birmingham to London, terminating at a new Elizabeth line station at Old Oak Common.
