London’s brand-new Elizabeth line opened its doors to the public for the first time today. This is a landmark moment in the history of our public transport system and a game-changer for Londoners and visitors to our capital.
The Elizabeth line will revolutionise travel across London — reducing journey times, improving accessibility with spacious new stations and state-of-the-art, air-conditioned trains, and boosting rail capacity in central London by 10 per cent — the largest single increase for more than 70 years.
About 62 miles (100km) long, the line will connect 41 stations and bring an additional 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London. It will provide a crucial spur to our economy as we continue to recover from the pandemic — tempting more people back to offices and businesses in the heart of our city. And it will help to improve people’s lives — unlocking much-needed affordable housing and expanding access to jobs, opportunities and prosperity just as households face a severe squeeze on their finances due to the cost of living crisis.
It’s not been easy, but I’m extremely proud that my administration has been able to get this mammoth infrastructure project over the line. I’ve long been aware of the huge potential of this project and the positive difference it will make to Londoners’ lives. I was a transport minister in the last Labour government, which introduced the legislation paving the way for Crossrail, and I vividly remember when ground was first broken on the project at Canary Wharf.
Credit should go to Ken Livingstone for lobbying so hard for it as mayor, to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for giving the scheme the green light, and to successive governments, mayors and business leaders for continuing to provide the required funding, support and leadership to get the job done.
London government and London’s businesses have funded 70 per cent of the whole project, making sure we could bring this spectacular feat of engineering to fruition. But it should be acknowledged that it would not have been possible without sustained national investment for over a decade. A key lesson we must learn is that the Elizabeth line shows the progress that can be achieved when politicians of all stripes — and the public sector and private sector — work together and take long-term decisions in the national interest.
Not only will the Elizabeth line help us build a better and greener London for everyone, but it will also help ensure that we can play our part in powering the national recovery from the pandemic. Crossrail has already supported tens of thousands of jobs across the country, with more than 60 per cent of contracts for the project awarded to firms outside London. In total, it is estimated that it will add up to £42 billion to the UK economy. This is levelling up in action — an investment that supports employment, growth and supply chains nationwide.
The same is true for investment in London’s transport system as a whole. For every £1 invested on the London Underground, 55p is paid to workforces located outside London, with TfL contracts contributing about £7 billion to the UK economy. That’s why it’s so important for the Government to stop playing politics and to finally agree to a fair, long-term funding deal that will protect London’s transport network after the devastating impact of the pandemic on TfL’s finances.
I would particularly like to thank TfL’s commissioner Andy Byford, Crossrail CEO Mark Wild and senior colleagues at TfL, as well as the engineers, technicians and construction crews who’ve worked day and night for many years to deliver this fiendishly complex project. Their efforts will leave an enduring legacy — one that benefits communities in London and right across our country for generations.
The Elizabeth line is a prime example of the energy, ambition and boundary-breaking spirit that defines our incredible city. But it’s also a symbol of British excellence and I’m in no doubt it will be a source of pride and prosperity for our country for many decades to come.
