Elizabeth Line - A

Elizabeth Line - A

The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid urban–suburban rail service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London from the Great Western Main Line west of Paddington station to Abbey Wood and via Whitechapel to the Great Eastern Main Line near Stratford, along the Great Western Main Line to Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west and along the Great Eastern Main Line to Shenfield in the east.

The service is named after Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the line on 17 May 2022 during her Platinum Jubilee year; passenger services started on 24 May 2022.

Under the project name of Crossrail, the system was approved in 2007, and construction began in 2009. Originally planned to open in 2018, the project was repeatedly delayed, including for several months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2015, existing commuter services on a section of one of the eastern branches, between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, were transferred to TfL Rail; this precursor service also took control of Heathrow Connect in May 2018, and some local services on the Paddington to Reading line in December 2019.

These services were augmented by a new central section in May 2022, and rebranded as the Elizabeth line. The outer services were connected to the central section in November 2022. Since May 2023, the central section has up to 24 nine-carriage Class 345 trains per hour in each direction. Elizabeth line services are operated by MTR Elizabeth line.

Elizabeth Line History

In 2001, Cross London Rail Links (CLRL), a 50/50 joint-venture between Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT), was formed to develop and promote the Crossrail scheme, and also a Wimbledon–Hackney scheme, Crossrail 2. In 2003 and 2004, over 50 days of exhibitions were held to explain the proposals at over 30 different locations.

Elizabeth Line Overview

Elizabeth Line Service Type: Hybrid urban-suburban rail

Elizabeth Line System: National Rail

Elizabeth Line Locale:

Greater London

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

Essex

Elizabeth Line First Service: 24 May 2022; 13 months ago

Elizabeth Line Current Operator(s): MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Ltd

Elizabeth Line Termini West: Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5 and Reading

Elizabeth Line Termini East: Abbey Wood and Shenfield

Elizabeth Line Stops: 41

Elizabeth Line Rolling Stock: Class 345

Elizabeth Line Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Elizabeth Line Electrification: 25 kV 50 Hz AC (overhead lines)

Elizabeth Line Operating Speed:

Crossrail: 60 mph (95 km/h)

GWML, Heathrow and GEML: 90 mph (145 km/h)

Elizabeth Line Track Owner(s):

Transport for London (Old Oak Common to Abbey Wood and Stratford)

Network Rail (Pudding Mill Lane to Shenfield and Old Oak Common to Reading)

Heathrow Airport Holdings (Heathrow branch)

Elizabeth line Route Legend

Reading

Twyford

Maidenhead

River Thames

Taplow

Burnham

Slough

Heathrow T5 Langley

Heathrow T4 Iver

M25 motorway

Heathrow T2&3 Greater London boundary

West Drayton

Heathrow Rail Link Great Western Main Line

Hayes & Harlington

Southall

River Brent

Hanwell

West Ealing

Ealing Broadway

Acton Main Line

Old Oak Common Old Oak Common Depot

(under construction)

Crossrail Great Western Main Line

Royal Oak portal

Paddington London Paddington

Bond Street

Tottenham Ct Rd

Farringdon Barbican

Moorgate

Liverpool St

Whitechapel

Crossrail Great Eastern Main Line

Pudding Mill Lane

Canary Wharf Stratford

Victoria Dock portal Maryland

DocklandsCustom House Forest Gate

Connaught tunnel Manor Park

under Royal Docks

River Thames

Ilford

Woolwich Seven Kings

Abbey Wood Goodmayes

Safeguarded route

to Gravesend Chadwell Heath

Romford Control Centre and depot

Romford

Gidea Park

Harold Wood

Greater London boundary

M25 motorway

Brentwood

Shenfield

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