Crossrail - Construction updates and progress towards opening (now expected 24 May 2022)

[matt_world2004]

Where did you get that time from?

Thats the time the first train to heathrow leaves paddington?

 

[subk2010]

Enjoy this PDF then https://content.tfl.gov.uk/elizabeth-line-car-line-diagram-may-2022.pdf

How do you find that! That's nice.

 

[matt_world2004]

But I assume that wifi will be using 4G/5G to backhaul from the trains via the tunnels? So the equipment must be all installed if there is going to be Wifi (assuming this on day 1, or will it be enabled later?).

I am assuming there is wifi in the tunnels because the trains currently have on board wifi and they are currently in the process of making changes to it so it works in the tunnels. Or at least that is what the announcements at Hayes are saying.

 

[fgwrich]

The same Grant Shapps that Tweeted this? https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1521816090774577152



(Image shows Elizabeth line opening date poster with the Conservatives logo rather than TfL logo)

Has anyone else just noticed that they've just shot themselves in the foot (well, a little anyway) by creating a poster with a unit advertising "Welcome aboard your new train, part of the Elizabeth Line from December 2018"

 

[ijmad]

But it doesn't need to be there on day one. Ironically the time spent in the underground core is hardly long enough to be an issue for a few months. Better to have a functioning railway without it for the time being.

How am I going to livestream my first ride without wifi? I need those likes to pay the rent!

 

[Basil Jet]

Enjoy this PDF then https://content.tfl.gov.uk/elizabeth-line-car-line-diagram-may-2022.pdf

Thanks. No wheelchair symbol on Ilford!

 

[mrmartin]

But it doesn't need to be there on day one. Ironically the time spent in the underground core is hardly long enough to be an issue for a few months. Better to have a functioning railway without it for the time being.

I don't disagree - I'm trying to clarify what matt_world2004 meant, is there going to be wifi in the tunnels on day one, or is the wifi a later addition (and 4G even later?).

 

[Taunton]

How would Stratford to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street be quicker than DLR to Poplar, walk to Canary Wharf Elizabeth?

It's a bit of a hike from DLR Poplar, need to walk around the construction site where (one day) the direct connection will be. Stay on one more stop to West India Quay, which is much nearer the Canary Wharf Crossrail entrance.

I wonder how many DLR stations will have an OSI with Canary Wharf Crossrail. Poplar, West India Quay and Canary Wharf DLR at least, possibly Heron Quay as well (as it does to Canary Wharf Jubilee Line).

 

[matt_world2004]

I don't disagree - I'm trying to clarify what matt_world2004 meant, is there going to be wifi in the tunnels on day one, or is the wifi a later addition (and 4G even later?).

There is currently wifi on the class 345 trains , even in the heathrow tunnels. It would be a very inconsistent experiance if that wifi went off as soon as it entered the royal oak portal. I believe also the Platform information screens on the trains use a data connection to download information like service disruption and updated calling patterns

 

[JaJaWa]

Thanks. No wheelchair symbol on Ilford!

From the new TfL page Everything you need to know about the Elizabeth line:

All Elizabeth line stations will be step free from street to platform when the line opens, apart from Ilford. Network Rail expects to make that station step free in summer 2022.

 

[181]

I’d question how much demand for carrying bikes through the core there would be. Unless there are loonies who just drag bikes round everywhere for the sake of it, surely the point of having a bike in London is to ride it to get from A to B. London may be big, but Zone 1 is small enough that getting around by bike is feasible.

No, the easily manageable demand, which would seem not to interfere with the smooth running of the system, would be on through journeys , say from Shenfield/Abbey Wood [and via changes from further east] to Reading and beyond. Do you enjoy cycling between Liverpool Street or London Bridge and Paddington?

Not being able to make use of the new line if you have a bike with you is one thing, but losing a facility that you've always had would be worse. I'm quite used to the fairly straightforward cycle ride from Paddington to Kings Cross, and Paddington-Liverpool Street is, although more awkward, still feasible, but getting to Paddington in the first place would be much less convenient if most of the trains arriving there either ran into the tunnels where bikes will be banned, or were 80x units where the small number of bike spaces must be booked in advance. Fortunately there will (at least for the time being) still be some 387s (serving my local station) into the main part of Paddington, but there seem to be plenty of people on other threads on these forums who would like the railway to tidy things up by keeping non-Crossrail passenger trains off the relief lines.

 

[Kite159]

.

Indeed - Is Canary Wharf DLR station even the closest?

West India Quay is probably closer, depending which exit you use at Canary Wharf Crossrail.

 

[Sean Emmett]

Just amazed that with Crossrail finally about to open, some peeps seem more worried about the lack of wifi. For heaven's sake!

I can do without wifi underground, and the noise it brings with it, thank you.

Not a Maggie T fan by any stretch of the imagination, but just "rejoice at that news".

Edit: I regularly travel from office between Moorgate and Barbican to Paddington. So toss up whether crossrail from Faringdon will be quicker than Hammersmith & City from Barbican. Crossrail will mean longer walk at the start, but quicker journey. Albeit potentially longer wait for a train. Clincher could be Crossrail will deliver me closer to the Bishop & Bear...

 

[popeter45]

i get the feeling the Westbourne Reversing is gonna become the new kennington loop, any idea what the plan is if people dont get off a terminating Paddington service?

 

[Horizon22]

Thats the time the first train to heathrow leaves paddington?

Yes but as mentioned above, the very start of service is often slightly different from earlier on. Such as the first service from West into London starting at Maidenhead not Reading due to the sidings.

I imagine first services going West will continue to start from Paddington c.0445 - now whether that’s Paddington High or Low Level remains to be seen. I’ll add there’s often possessions blocking the relief lines in the morning, which would interestingly prevent them running into the Low Level and those early morning services would have to run via the E&C line over into the mainline station.

 

[higthomas]

I regularly travel from office between Moorgate and Barbican to Paddington. So toss up whether crossrail from Faringdon will be quicker than Hammersmith & City from Barbican. Crossrail will mean longer walk at the start, but quicker journey. Albeit potentially longer wait for a train. Clincher could be Crossrail will deliver me closer to the Bishop & Bear...

Farringdon crossrail station has an entrance at Barbican, so I suspect crossrail!

 

[su31]

Thanks. No wheelchair symbol on Ilford!

Network Rail haven't finished the lifts yet. There's been a big delay with that station.

 

[Acton1991]

I wonder whether the western & eastern station announcements will be updated to reflect ‘Elizabeth line’ - will be strange to hear that after so long!

 

[popeter45]

I wonder whether the western & eastern station announcements will be updated to reflect ‘Elizabeth line’ - will be strange to hear that after so long!

On eastern side at least it's now just "the train to X" this morning

 

[59CosG95]

On eastern side at least it's now just "the train to X" this morning

So not "the TfL Rail service to ______", just "the train to _____"?

 

[popeter45]

So not "the TfL Rail service to ______", just "the train to _____"?

Correct, yea feels strange but I assume temporary till rebranding is done

 

[matt_world2004]

Yes but as mentioned above, the very start of service is often slightly different from earlier on. Such as the first service from West into London starting at Maidenhead not Reading due to the sidings.

I imagine first services going West will continue to start from Paddington c.0445 - now whether that’s Paddington High or Low Level remains to be seen. I’ll add there’s often possessions blocking the relief lines in the morning, which would interestingly prevent them running into the Low Level and those early morning services would have to run via the E&C line over into the mainline station.

As long as the possession is west of Ladbroke grove Crossrail can run from the core to the fast lines

I would imagine for consistency at least even if starting from paddington it would be from the low level

 

[Acton1991]

Correct, yea feels strange but I assume temporary till rebranding is done

Do you mean on the train or on the platform?

 

[pelli]

I would imagine for consistency at least even if starting from paddington it would be from the low level

On Thameslink, the Peterborough/Cambridge services that don't go through the core start/terminate at King's Cross instead of using the usual platforms at St Pancras "Low Level" (as can be seen by searching for Thameslink departures at Finsbury Park to/from Stevenage) so no consistency there, but perhaps there are operational reasons precluding terminating inside the Thameslink core (especially with other services passing through throughout the night) that don't apply to Crossrail. (On the other Thameslink branches it looks like trains that don't run end to end run always run through the core before terminating/after starting, instead of terminating/starting short of the core.)

 

[Sean Emmett]

Farringdon crossrail station has an entrance at Barbican, so I suspect crossrail!

Yes, have watched it being built. But it looks a bit of a hike to the platforms? Yet the Crossrail platforms at PAD look to be much more convenient than H&C platforms, if using the station facilties. I usually have a pint or two until the off peak period arrives...

 

[LUYMun]

Does anyone know if the Crossrail timetable, whether public or the Working Timetable, has been published yet?

 

[reddragon]

Does anyone know if the Crossrail timetable, whether public or the Working Timetable, has been published yet?

It's on RTT if you check

 

[Snow1964]

Correct, yea feels strange but I assume temporary till rebranding is done

Presumably, there are always few passengers that get nervous about boarding a train which is branded for something else, in case it takes them somewhere else. So better to not have any brand than 2 different ones

 

[Evarg]

The first trains in public service will be the 06:30 and 06:33 from Abbey Wood and Paddington respectively. All earlier trains will run ECS for testing/stock movements.

 

[rd749249]

Yes after I posted it did occur to me that there are two separate tracks most of the way from Westboune park to Old Oak Depot. I checked the line on google maps and I agree, that there would not be a huge change required to fix that conflict.

Sunday just gone whilst driving to West Ealing sidings, the signaller was routing us from the Westbound to line 5; a not very utilised line that side of Portobello Jct. It's an inevitable conflict for any non-XR trains using the Up Relief and one that I think could only be fixed by either utilising the main lines from Southall West Jct (requiring a stop on the mains at Ealing Broadway) or something new. There is a first opportunity move near Kensal Green to the Down Relief (Up) and line 4 but that's only at 25 mph, still conflicts with down direction movements but then steers you clear of lines 5 & 6 for XR moves. I suspect a fair few GWR's may get caught-up in any XR disruption.