Elizabeth line

The Elizabeth line is a special railway line that helps people travel across Greater London and nearby towns. It connects important places like Paddington station in the west all the way to Abbey Wood in the east, passing through places such as Whitechapel and Stratford. It also links to Reading and Heathrow Airport.

This railway line was part of a big project called Crossrail. Plans for it were approved in 2007, and building started in 2009. It was supposed to open in 2018, but it took longer than expected, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the line was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 May 2022, and people could start using it for trips on 24 May 2022.

The Elizabeth line is run by a company called GTS Rail Operations, with help from Transport for London. It is a special service, not part of the London Underground. The line is very busy, carrying more than 200 million trips in its second year alone, which is a big part of all the train travel in the United Kingdom.

History

Main articles: History of the Crossrail project, Crossrail, and TfL Rail

In 2001, a group called Cross London Rail Links was created to help plan a new train route called Crossrail. Many people learned about the plan at meetings in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, planners decided the route would go to Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west, and to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.

The project was approved in 2008 and work started in May 2009. Building the tunnels finished in June 2015, and the tracks were put in place by September 2017. There were some delays, but testing began in May 2021. The line officially opened on 17 May 2022, with Queen Elizabeth II celebrating the event for her Platinum Jubilee.

Route

See also: Crossrail § Route

The Elizabeth line runs across London from east to west. It has branches that end at Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east, and at Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5, and Reading in the west. There are 41 stations on the line. In the middle part of the line, you can switch to the London Underground, National Rail, and Docklands Light Railway services.

The Elizabeth line in the London transport network

Geographical map

Schematic map (interactive)

Routes of the Elizabeth line (in purple, from middle of left edge to right edge), shown with London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway connections

Design and infrastructure

The Elizabeth line is a new train service in London. It is named after Queen Elizabeth II and is often called the "Lizzie line". The line’s trains are purple with blue details, just like other London train services.

The Elizabeth line has many new and improved stations. Ten new stations were built, and 31 existing ones were upgraded. All stations are easy to access, and trains are very long. Some stations have special doors to help keep everyone safe. Trains on the Elizabeth line are very comfortable, with air-conditioning, space for wheelchairs, and announcements to help passengers.

The line uses special technology to keep trains running safely and on time. There are train stations and maintenance buildings in different parts of London to support the service.

Service pattern

In May 2015, train services on part of one of the eastern branches, between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, were taken over by TfL Rail. This service also took over Heathrow Connect in May 2018, and some local services on the line from Paddington to Reading in December 2019. These services were added to a new central section in May 2022, and the whole system was renamed the Elizabeth line. The outer services were linked to the central section in November 2022. Since May 2023, the central part of the line has had up to 24 nine-carriage Class 345 trains each hour in both directions.

When the line first opened, it operated as three separate services: between Reading or Heathrow Airport and Paddington in the west; from Paddington through Liverpool Street to Abbey Wood in the middle; and between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in the east. To travel between these services, passengers needed to walk between separate stations at Paddington or Liverpool Street. At first, the line only operated on weekdays and had limited hours, to allow for more testing and updates. When through-running started in November 2022, there were two main service groups that shared the central part of the line: from Reading or Heathrow Airport to Abbey Wood; and from Paddington to Shenfield.

As of December 2024, the regular weekday service looks like this:

Some early morning and late night trains go to Paddington station instead of going through central London. Also, some early, peak-direction, and late trains run between Liverpool Street station and Gidea Park, skipping Whitechapel.

Operations

The Elizabeth line is run by GTS Rail Operations, a group owned by Go-Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation. They began operating the line in May 2025, taking over from MTR Elizabeth line. Transport for London (TfL) decides on ticket prices, the trains used, and service levels.

Tickets for the Elizabeth line work with other London transport. However, you can't use Oyster cards between West Drayton and Reading; only contactless cards work there. The line connects with the London Underground, TfL networks, and National Rail services, and appears on the standard Tube map.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the line was expected to have over 200 million passengers each year. Even after changes in travel habits, the Elizabeth line has been very popular. In its first year, it had over 150 million passengers, and by its second anniversary, more than 350 million trips were made. In the year ending March 2025, the line carried 243 million passengers, which was 10% more than the year before.

Further proposals

Main article: Crossrail § Further proposals

People have ideas for new train stops and longer train lines. One idea is a new stop near London City Airport. There are also ideas to make the line longer toward Ebbsfleet in the southeast, Milton Keynes in the northwest, Staines in the southwest, and Southend Airport in the east.

Train services on the Elizabeth line now have fast mobile internet between Liverpool Street and Paddington stations. This is part of a big plan to add better internet to all the train lines in London.

Honours and awards

In 2024, the Elizabeth line received two big awards: the RIBA London Building of the Year and the Stirling Prize. Muyiwa Oki, who leads the group giving out the awards, said the Elizabeth line did a great job making travel easy and comfortable for everyone.