Happy third anniversary, Transport for London (TfL) Elizabeth line! I took these photographs on Tuesday, 24 May 2022, when it opened to the public.

by HighburyAndIslington

4 comments

  1. Three years ago today, on 24 May 2022, Transport for London (TfL) opened the Elizabeth line to the public, revolutionising travel in the city. With trains running between Abbey Wood and Paddington in a brand new set of tunnels and existing services that had run under the TfL Rail brand between Liverpool Street and Shenfield and between Paddington and Heathrow or Reading also re-branded and incorporated into the Elizabeth line, Londoners experienced a new level of convenience. The new railway between Paddington and Abbey Wood provided a much better connection to Canary Wharf, central London and the West End, relieving the stress of commuting for many.

    On 6 November 2022, through-running on the Elizabeth line commenced, combining the three operationally separate services into a single line. Services ran from Abbey Wood to Heathrow, Maidenhead and Reading and between Paddington and Shenfield. As a result, people no longer had to change trains at Paddington or Liverpool Street; a one-seat ride was much more convenient and straightforward.

    The third and final phase of the line came on 21 May 2023, with the introduction of a new timetable, which introduced direct services between Shenfield and Heathrow. As a result, people in places such as Stratford, Ilford, and Romford now finally have direct services to Heathrow. The timetable also increased peak hour frequencies to 24 trains per hour, with the auto-reverse function’s help, allowing westbound trains terminating at Paddington to reverse and re-enter service heading eastbound quickly.

    The line has not just been successful; it has also been a game-changer. More than 600 million journeys have been made on the Elizabeth line since opening, a testament to its popularity and efficiency. The Elizabeth line has plenty of room to grow further; we are proud to be part of this journey. A new station at Old Oak Common will be built, connecting with HS2 services. Proposals call for the Elizabeth line to be extended into Kent towards Dartford and Gravesend. Train frequencies could be increased to 30 trains per hour in the peak. The trains themselves could be lengthened to eleven coaches from the current nine. Here’s to the future and the continued success and growth of the Elizabeth line. As the Elizabeth line enters its fourth year, GTS Rail Operations, a joint venture between Go-Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro, and Sumitomo Corporation, will take over operations from MTR on Sunday.

    This post showcases photos documenting the Elizabeth line’s opening day on 24 May 2022.

  3. Appreciate the line, but I wish they could make the Liverpool St station less smelly

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