Elizabeth line

Elizabeth line
An Elizabeth line train (British Rail Class 345) at Abbey Wood in May 2022
Overview
SystemNational Rail
Locale
PredecessorTfL Rail
First service24 May 2022 (2022-05-24)
Current operator(s)GTS Rail Operations (under concession from TfL)[1]
Annual ridership243 million 10% (2024/2025)[2] passenger journeys
Websitetfl.gov.uk/modes/elizabeth-line/
Route
TerminiWest: Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow Terminal 5 and Reading
East: Abbey Wood and Shenfield
Stops41
Distance travelled117 km (73 mi)[3]
Technical
Rolling stockClass 345[4]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed
  • Core section: 95 km/h (60 mph)
  • GWML, Heathrow and GEML: 145 km/h (90 mph)
Track owner(s)
  • Transport for London (Old Oak Common–Abbey Wood and Stratford)
  • Network Rail (Pudding Mill Lane–Shenfield, and Old Oak Common–Reading)
  • Heathrow Airport Holdings (Heathrow branch)

The Elizabeth line is a railway line that runs across Greater London and nearby towns, operating similarly to the RER in Paris and the S-Bahn systems of German-speaking countries.[5] It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London from the Great Western Main Line west of Paddington station to Abbey Wood and via Whitechapel to the Great Eastern Main Line near Stratford; along the Great Western Main Line to Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west; and along the Great Eastern Main Line to Shenfield in the east.

Under the project name of Crossrail, the system was approved in 2007, and construction began in 2009. Originally planned to open in 2018, the project was repeatedly delayed, including for several months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service is now named after Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the line on 17 May 2022 during her Platinum Jubilee year; passenger services started on 24 May 2022.

Elizabeth line services are operated by GTS Rail Operations under a concession from Transport for London (TfL). TfL considers the line to be a distinct service, rather than part of the London Underground. It is considered to be in a class of its own and TfL's Oyster card is not valid for journeys to stations outside the TfL fare zones,[6][7] whilst a premium fare is charged to passengers travelling to or from Heathrow Airport, in line with that charged on the Heathrow Connect service which it replaced.

The line reached over 200 million trips annually in its second year of operation and carries one seventh of all trips by rail in the United Kingdom.

  1. ^ "GTS Rail Operations Limited announced as new operator for the Elizabeth line". Transport for London (Press release). 19 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Passenger journeys by operator". Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  3. ^ Moore, Rowan (13 March 2022). "A megalopolis of engineering: the verdict on London's £18bn new Elizabeth line". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference rgi20140206 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ https://learninglegacy.crossrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Crossrail-project-to-Elizabeth-line-operations-Operational-approach-and-lessons-learned.pdf
  6. ^ Lydall, Ross (10 October 2023), "Is it a Tube or a train? TfL admits 'confusing' Elizabeth line fares", Evening Standard
  7. ^ Matters, Transport for London | Every Journey. "GTS Rail Operations Limited announced as new operator for the Elizabeth line". Transport for London. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
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