Elizabeth Line train welcomes first passengers

The Elizabeth Line train welcomed its first passengers taking them from Liverpool Street Main Line to Shenfield.

The first Elizabeth Line train went into service taking the passengers from Liverpool Street to Shenfield. Customers were today given their first chance to travel on the state-of-the-art trains that will serve the Elizabeth line when the new rail tunnels open through central London in December next year.

“I’m delighted that our first state-of-the-art Elizabeth line train has entered service on the TfL Rail service. It gives Londoners a first look at a new service that will transform travel across London and the south east when the line opens”, said Mayor Sadiq Khan.” The Crossrail programme remains on time and on budget, and the huge success of this project shows how vital it is for the whole of the country that we also push ahead with Crossrail 2.”

According to Crossrail, the train just made its first passenger journey since construction begun some eight years ago. It is part of 66 feet that will operate on the new line.

Eleven trains will be introduced on the route by the autumn and will initially be 160 metres long and made up of seven carriages. They will later be extended to nine carriages and the full length of 200 metres to carry up to 1,500 people.

The trains come with air conditioning, walk-through carriages, dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, and additional multi-use spaces for buggies and luggage. Also, they come equipped with smart lighting and temperature control while the CCTV has been put in place to boost passenger safety.

“This is an important day for rail travel and for the millions of passengers who will use the Elizabeth line when services start in December next year,” said Mike Brown, London’s Transport Commissioner.”The trains are a great showcase of British design and manufacturing with air-conditioning, interconnected carriages, improved customer information and dedicated space for wheelchairs. The introduction of this first train gives customers a feel for the huge improvements that are to come when the Elizabeth line opens.”

The trains are being built at Bombardier Transportation’s UK site, showcasing British design and manufacture and helping to support 760 UK jobs and 80 apprenticeships in Derby, according to Crossrail.

“It gives me great pride that the team at Bombardier has been involved from the design stage to the building and testing of a train as technically advanced as this, within record timescales”, said Joe Bednall, Bombardier’s Project Director.”It is a truly magnificent achievement for UK engineering, our world-class manufacturing and assembly facility in Derby as well as our supply chain.”

The Elizabeth line will serve the West End, the City and Docklands and run from Reading and Heathrow in the west across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, through 40 accessible stations. When fully open in 2019, the Elizabeth line will increase central London’s rail capacity by ten per cent, carrying over half a million passengers per day.