Late and over budget but an absolute game changer in terms of London travel. The Elizabeth Line has gone live and immediately taken to the hearts of the capital’s rail travellers.
Work will now be intensified to ensure that the Heathrow link is opened on schedule and will ultimately bring a new dimension to the transport mix serving the airport. There will be six trains per hour linking the airport with central London once it’s operational.
The inaugural train out of Paddington at 6.30am was crammed full of enthusiasts and dignitaries but by the time we had stepped on board in mid afternoon it had slipped into workaday use and was just part of of the normal travel environment.
But what an improvement. Beautiful, fast, air conditioned trains, running every few minutes out of huge cavernous stations.
There were so many trains, about one every five minutes and plenty of space even in the busy periods. Good wifi and comfortable seats, the journey was almost pleasurable. And of course light years away from the turgid Circle and Bakerloo lines out of Paddington.
It’s due to be extended to Heathrow “sometime in Autumn” and will offer a significant improvement for business travellers flying into Heathrow and heading for the West End, the City or Docklands. The real question is exactly how will the hugely expensive Heathrow Express fit into the mix.
Our journey was from Paddington to Liverpool Street and it took us a little over ten minutes.
