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

[CapitalStar378]

The first outing of the new Tube map. I see Barons Court now has a connector blob and there’s what looks like a printing error north of Rayners Lane with the Met and Piccadilly lines being separated. Anyone spot anything else?

The Moorgate/Liverpool Street blobs and connectors look very messy. Thameslink survived which wasn't certain with CR being added in.

 

[Basil Jet]

The first outing of the new Tube map. I see Barons Court now has a connector blob and there’s what looks like a printing error north of Rayners Lane with the Met and Piccadilly lines being separated. Anyone spot anything else?

There's no Arrow Of Indecision on Sudbury Hill. I wonder why? The Chiltern service is bad by London standards, but it's not that bad.

 

[AM9]

The Moorgate/Liverpool Street blobs and connectors look very messy. Thameslink survived which wasn't certain with CR being added in.

Trivial I know but the new underground map shows Thameslink much straighter and direct than the EL.

 

[JonathanH]

If travelling from the Elizabeth Line core to Heathrow, the most practical way to avoid the Heathrow surcharge would be to get off at Hayes & Harlington and take the bus, as it's simply the standard £1.65 Hopper fare. Obviously this only really makes sense if you're flying from Terminals 2/3 - as you'd have to change again for the inter terminal transfer to get to Terminal 4/5.

278 or X140 from Hayes & Harlington to Terminal 2/3
350 from West Drayton to Terminal 5

But obviously the frequency to West Drayton on Crossrail is less

 

[Acton1991]

Trivial I know but the new underground map shows Thameslink much straighter and direct than the EL.

Surprised Thameslink survived, it looks so messy!

 

[TFN]

The Moorgate/Liverpool Street blobs and connectors look very messy.

Moorgate, Liverpool St, Bank and Monument and Paddington is an absolute mess. I'm struggling to understand it myself.

 

[Dstock7080]

and there’s what looks like a printing error north of Rayners Lane with the Met and Piccadilly lines being separated. Anyone spot anything else?

the deliberate colour separation has been on Tube maps since May 2019

 

[LLivery]

Elizabeth line: London unveils new Tube line, 10 stories underground​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/12/elizabeth-line-tube-london/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter

The sooner TfL stop insisting on this as a separate mode the better, very few will not see the Elizabeth line as part of the Underground

BBC London's transport correspondent did a Twitter poll yesterday asking whether Londoners considered it a 'train' or 'tube'. With 900 votes in the poll, 'train' won by 73%. Not very scientific, but living along the ELL, I've yet to hear anyone call that 'the tube' in the 12 years since opening.

Spotted some of the new route maps going up on some of the 345s.

Surprised, but glad Thameslink has remained. Very messy map, mind.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Can anyone clear up a confusion. I seem to recall when tfl rail took over from Heathrow connect that non daily travelcards and concessions such as freedom passes were valid to Heathrow. Is this not the case with the Elizabeth lime?

 

[Watershed]

Can anyone clear up a confusion. I seem to recall when tfl rail took over from Heathrow connect that non daily travelcards and concessions such as freedom passes were valid to Heathrow. Is this not the case with the Elizabeth lime?

Heathrow Airport was 'moved' into Zone 6 when TfL Rail took over the service, so Travelcards and other TfL products are now valid there (except on the Heathrow Express, which has never participated in the Travelcard scheme). The rebranding from TfL Rail to Elizabeth Line only affects the branding; everything else is staying the same fares-wise.

As with the Heathrow Express, there are higher single fares than normal when travelling to/from Heathrow, however they the relevant daily/weekly caps still apply.

 

[stuu]

Moorgate, Liverpool St, Bank and Monument and Paddington is an absolute mess. I'm struggling to understand it myself.

One of those at Liverpool St and Paddington should disappear once the segments are all connected. Bank could be better if City Thameslink was moved to the south of the Central line and the kink in that removed. There's quite a few little things which could easily be better

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Heathrow Airport was 'moved' into Zone 6 when TfL Rail took over the service, so Travelcards and other TfL products are now valid there (except on the Heathrow Express, which has never participated in the Travelcard scheme). The rebranding from TfL Rail to Elizabeth Line only affects the branding; everything else is staying the same fares-wise.

As with the Heathrow Express, there are higher single fares than normal when travelling to/from Heathrow, however they the relevant daily/weekly caps still apply.

Thanks, that's what I thought. It was the discussion of Heathrow premium that made me doubt myself. I didn't want to risk getting a penalty

 

[ijmad]

My thoughts on the map:

• Paddington's blobs are far too spaced out and fail to convey that the EL/Bakerloo line interchange will be reasonably convenient whereas the EL/H&C change will be much less so
• Farringdon has no link to Barbican, which was shown on some earlier maps. Although given there's no link directly to Barbican as was planned in the earlier days, that's probably for the best. Surprised it's not shown with a dotted walking line, though.
• Liverpool Street will obviously benefit from losing the TfL Rail part of the line when that goes into the tunnel
• I like what they've done with Canary Wharf, it reflects reality
• Given how prominent the Elizabeth Line is supposed to be for London's transport infrastructure, surprised it's still shown diving behind other tube lines, not over the top. I see it does go over the top of Overground lines though
• I appreciate it's a different mode and all, but I don't think it benefits from being shown as a double line instead of a solid line. Why not use the same line style as Thameslink? They are pretty much the same thing!

 

[Watershed]

Liverpool Street will obviously benefit from losing the TfL Rail part of the line when that goes into the tunnel

There will still be peak services to the High Level station, similarly at Paddington. So I don't think it's possible to entirely remove it; it could be dashed as with Kensington Olympia, I suppose.

 

[ijmad]

There will still be peak services to the High Level station, similarly at Paddington. So I don't think it's possible to entirely remove it; it could be dashed as with Kensington Olympia, I suppose.

Good point, although I wouldn't be surprised if that bit does go. Once we have full service, it won't convey much more for the average punter at Liverpool Street if they're going east or west, since they won't go wrong if they head to the low level platforms, aside from a minute or two's extra walk/wait. Coming in from the East all you have to do is announce on the train that it's skipping Whitechapel and terminating at Liverpool Street, change at Straford for any stations beyond. I bet they'll just stay as the city commuter's little secret.

 

[Mikey C]

Heathrow Airport was 'moved' into Zone 6 when TfL Rail took over the service, so Travelcards and other TfL products are now valid there (except on the Heathrow Express, which has never participated in the Travelcard scheme). The rebranding from TfL Rail to Elizabeth Line only affects the branding; everything else is staying the same fares-wise.

As with the Heathrow Express, there are higher single fares than normal when travelling to/from Heathrow, however they the relevant daily/weekly caps still apply.

Which is quite confusing, especially in a world where fewer people will have season tickets due to the reduction of 5 days a week travel to work.

It feel inconsistent that for ST purposes Heathrow counts as a normal Z6 station, but not for PAYG customers.

 

[Basil Jet]

There will still be peak services to the High Level station, similarly at Paddington. So I don't think it's possible to entirely remove it; it could be dashed as with Kensington Olympia, I suppose.

Since the tube map makes no attempt to show that some peak Met services skip various stations, they will feel no need to show that some peak Elizabeth services skip Whitechapel.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2022 ==

Since the tube map makes no attempt to show that some peak Met services skip various stations, they will feel no need to show that some peak Elizabeth services skip Whitechapel, or Acton Main Line either.

 

[kevin_roche]

BBC Breakfast has a short item this morning on the opening of the Elizabeth Line. Was between 06:35 to 06:39 if you want to watch it by winding back on BBC iPlayer.

 

[Dstock7080]

BBC Breakfast has a short item this morning on the opening of the Elizabeth Line. Was between 06:35 to 06:39 if you want to watch it by winding back on BBC iPlayer.

at approx-0830 there will be an interview with TfL Commissioner Andy Byford at Liverpool Street

 

[InOban]

Ian Visits has posted that the ORR has now authorised operations

Elizabeth line gets final authorisation to open

The Office of Rail and Road, the railway regulator, has formally authorised the Elizabeth line (nee Crossrail) to open on Tuesday 24th May.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

The Office of Rail and Road, the railway regulator, has formally authorised the Elizabeth line (nee Crossrail) to open on Tuesday 24th May. When TfL announced the opening date, they did add a small caveat that it was subject to final regulatory approvals, which have now been granted....

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Ian Visits has posted that the ORR has now authorised operations

And on mainstream media, see BBC story

Crossrail: Elizabeth line confirmed to open on 24 May

The Office of Rail and Road grants approval for the railway to begin running on 24 May.

www.bbc.co.uk

The Elizabeth line has received final authorisation from the rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
All of the stations - apart from Bond Street, which will open later - have been approved as suitable for full passenger use.
The ORR has also authorised the overall routeway for the line's track and tunnel infrastructure.
The Abbey Wood to Paddington section will open to passengers on 24 May, although initially trains will not run on Sundays or call at Bond Street...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've just had this e-mail from Transport for London which says:

"The Elizabeth line will open on Tuesday 24 May 2022, subject to final safety approvals.

The line will operate in London as three separate railways, in the east, west and through central London. When the final stage is complete, customers will be able to travel seamlessly from Abbey Wood to Heathrow and Reading, and from Shenfield to Heathrow.

From 24 May 2022: The central section opens, adding nine new stations to the TfL network (Bond Street will open to Elizabeth line customers soon) Service will start with a train every 5 minutes running between Paddington and Abbey Wood from 06:30-23:00, Monday to Saturday. Between now and launch day we will be sending you more detailed information about the Elizabeth line, including service information, opening hours and accessibility information." Yours sincerely, Julie Dixon Interim Customer & Revenue Director

 

[Mojo]

It’s also been confirmed in a TfL press release today that whilst services won’t ordinarily be running on Sundays for the time being, a special service will run on Crossrail (Central operating section) on Sunday 5th June (Jubilee weekend) between approx 0800 and 2200

 

[Acton1991]

I wonder if the icons on Google/Apple maps will be updated to roundels, like the Overground stations. Or whether they'll stick to the double arrow.

 

[InOban]

I've just had this e-mail from Transport for London which says:

"The Elizabeth line will open on Tuesday 24 May 2022, subject to final safety approvals.

The line will operate in London as three separate railways, in the east, west and through central London. When the final stage is complete, customers will be able to travel seamlessly from Abbey Wood to Heathrow and Reading, and from Shenfield to Heathrow.
View attachment 114584

From 24 May 2022: The central section opens, adding nine new stations to the TfL network (Bond Street will open to Elizabeth line customers soon) Service will start with a train every 5 minutes running between Paddington and Abbey Wood from 06:30-23:00, Monday to Saturday. Between now and launch day we will be sending you more detailed information about the Elizabeth line, including service information, opening hours and accessibility information." Yours sincerely, Julie Dixon Interim Customer & Revenue Director

That's the information released last week. It's the 'final safety approvals' (line 2) which have now been given by the ORR.

 

[JaJaWa]

I wonder if the icons on Google/Apple maps will be updated to roundels, like the Overground stations. Or whether they'll stick to the double arrow.

Will be purple roundels on Apple Maps and whatever the ‘random symbol generator’ decides on Google Maps

 

[DC1989]

I've just had this e-mail from Transport for London which says:

"The Elizabeth line will open on Tuesday 24 May 2022, subject to final safety approvals.

The line will operate in London as three separate railways, in the east, west and through central London. When the final stage is complete, customers will be able to travel seamlessly from Abbey Wood to Heathrow and Reading, and from Shenfield to Heathrow.

This is surely a mistake isn't it. I thought 10tph of the trains from the east would go towards reading with 2tph going to Heathrow

 

[stuu]

Most trains from Shenfield will terminate at Paddington. I think (but it might have changed) that the two to T5 will come from Shenfield and that's it

 

[gabrielhj07]

Most trains from Shenfield will terminate at Paddington. I think (but it might have changed) that the two to T5 will come from Shenfield and that's it

So no Shenfield - Reading services? What about Abbey Wood - Heathrow?

 

[kevin_roche]

So no Shenfield - Reading services? What about Abbey Wood - Heathrow?

Yes, Abbey Wood - Heathrow, is mentioned above.