London’s £ 18.9 billion new Elizabeth line is finally open after numerous delays and setbacks, having first been signed in 2007 by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Transport enthusiasts praised the “momentous occasion” when hundreds of people lined up in the early hours of the morning on the first train in central London.
The Elizabeth line, built by the Crossrail project, runs from Reading in Berkshire and Heathrow Airport in west London to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in Essex.
But how much do the fees cost?
How much does Crossrail cost compared to the subway
Elizabeth Line fares match Tube prices in most of London, with journeys within Zones 1-6 cost the same as Tube charges.
Heathrow trips are the exception, with the Paddington fare costing £ 10.70 during peak hours and £ 12.70 during peak hours. However, this is less than half the cost of the current £ 27 standard 15-minute Heathrow Express fare.
TfL fare limits can be paid up to £ 14.10 per day, so any additional costs incurred after your transfer from Heathrow will be limited.
According to the London Council website, Freedom Pass holders will be able to use their season tickets from 9am on weekdays and on weekends and public holidays on the entire Elizabeth to Reading line included.
Holders of season tickets for the disabled will also be able to use their season tickets for the entire Elizabeth to Reading line included.
Where does the Elizabeth line go?
The Crossrail line will run from Paddington to Abbey Road at the beginning before extending into the autumn (Image: TfL)
TfL has released an official map showing the route of the Elizabeth line. For a full high-resolution map, click here.
The new ten-station central section passes through tunnels from Paddington in west London to Abbey Wood.
It will initially be closed on Sundays, except during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, to allow for more software testing and updates.
The ten new stations are:
- Paddington
- Bond Street (opening later this year)
- Tottenham Court Road
- Farringdon
- Liverpool Street
- Whitechapel
- Canary Wharf
- Custom house
- Woolwich
- Abbey Wood
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Travel time
- The Elizabeth line will reduce travel times from Abbey Wood, south-east London to Paddington by almost half to 29 minutes.
- Travel between Liverpool Street and Woolwich will also be halved to 15 minutes.
- Travel between Farringdon and Canary Wharf will take 10 minutes, instead of 24 minutes.
Other examples of travel time:
- From Bond Street to Liverpool Street: seven minutes
- Woolwich to Farringdon: 14 minutes
- Paddington to Canary Wharf: 17 minutes
Travel time of the east section (autumn 2022)
- Stratford to Bond Street: 15 minutes
- Romford on Liverpool Street: 27 minutes
Travel time of the western section (autumn 2022)
- Tottenham Court Road to Ealing Broadway: 13 minutes
- Paddington to Slough: 26 minutes
Where to change trains
There are a total of 41 stations on the Elizabeth Line, which currently operates on three separate railways: Reading in Paddington, Paddington in Abbey Wood and Liverpool Street in Shenfield.
The Paddington section at Abbey Wood has opened today, meaning all parts of the network are up and running but not yet connected.
By switching to Paddington or Liverpool Street, you can transfer between different parts of the line and access all stations.
TfL says the three sections should be directly linked in the fall of 2022.