When completed, the new Elizabeth Line subway line will be a whopping 113 kilometers long. Heathrow and Stansted airports will then be linked. The first sections of the line went into operation on Tuesday.
The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways, with services from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield connecting to the central tunnels from autumn this year.
The new line will be vital to London's recovery from the pandemic as it will help avoid a car-centric recovery by offering new travel options, supporting recovery across the capital and benefiting the UK economy an estimated £42 billion pounds feeds.
The Elizabeth Line will operate 06 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood Monday to Saturday between 30:23 and 00:12. Work will also continue during operating hours and on Sundays to allow for a series of tests and software updates to allow for more intensive operations from the autumn.
All Reading and Heathrow to Paddington and Shenfield to Liverpool Street trains currently operating under the TfL Rail name will be renamed the Elizabeth Line. Customers traveling to London from Reading or Heathrow will need to change trains at Paddington to reach the central section of the route, and customers traveling to London from Shenfield will need to change trains at Liverpool Street. Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield trains will be connected to the central tunnels in the autumn. At this time the frequency will also be increased to 22 peak trains per hour between Paddington and Whitechapel.
In the final phase, passengers will be able to switch between Stansted and Heathrow airports with the help of the Elizabeth Line. In view of the enormous length and the many intermediate stops that are planned, it is questionable whether this will also be the fastest option.