My First ride on Crossrail (The Elizabeth Line)
I think of this as Crossrail but I will try to use its proper title!
At 9:47pm on May 26th my journey started at the Elizabeth Line entrance at Paddington. Clive & Cynthia accompanied me onto the platform. As with the Jubilee Line extension when it first opened to Stratford (1999), I was blown away by the grandeur and quality. There are just a couple of pictures below because you can find far better ones on the World Wide Web.
The train departed at 9:52pm and took 11 minutes to reach Liverpool Street (though, presumably, this will take a bit longer in future once Bond Street is open and trains stop there). Until sometime this autumn, to get to Stratford, one has to change trains at Liverpool Street. My guess is November. Here, the option is to get the Central Line or any of the many Overground trains which go to Stratford (including the Elizabeth Line).
For this first journey, I thought it appropriate to continue on an Elizabeth Line train. The change at Liverpool Street is a long way and, from alighting to departing (on a very full train) took 11 minutes. Another 7 minutes to arrival at Stratford at 10:21.
From there, it took 12 minutes to walk to my front door (going via the Stratford Shopping Centre), arriving at 10:33pm.
Overall 46 minutes. This isn't much quicker than my normal route - Jubilee to Baker Street and then Bakerloo to Paddington but, of course, will get much faster once the Elizabeth Line runs directly from Paddington to Stratford For my return journey, I shall try Central to Liverpool Street and then Elizabeth Line. (Result here on Monday - which was, using the Central Line to Liverpool Street and then Crosdsrail. Flat door to inside Paddington Station - 39 minutes).
The train through the centre of London is fantastic in that it quiet, accelerates really quickly and doesn't go round corners. As is becoming the standard, one can walk through the train. It has a/c and, currently, no mobile phone signal, but coming soon.
This project has been very much delayed - originally it should have been open in December 2018. I had thought that Margaret would have made at least one trip on it. Hey, ho, such is life!
At 9:47pm on May 26th my journey started at the Elizabeth Line entrance at Paddington. Clive & Cynthia accompanied me onto the platform. As with the Jubilee Line extension when it first opened to Stratford (1999), I was blown away by the grandeur and quality. There are just a couple of pictures below because you can find far better ones on the World Wide Web.
The train departed at 9:52pm and took 11 minutes to reach Liverpool Street (though, presumably, this will take a bit longer in future once Bond Street is open and trains stop there). Until sometime this autumn, to get to Stratford, one has to change trains at Liverpool Street. My guess is November. Here, the option is to get the Central Line or any of the many Overground trains which go to Stratford (including the Elizabeth Line).
For this first journey, I thought it appropriate to continue on an Elizabeth Line train. The change at Liverpool Street is a long way and, from alighting to departing (on a very full train) took 11 minutes. Another 7 minutes to arrival at Stratford at 10:21.
From there, it took 12 minutes to walk to my front door (going via the Stratford Shopping Centre), arriving at 10:33pm.
Overall 46 minutes. This isn't much quicker than my normal route - Jubilee to Baker Street and then Bakerloo to Paddington but, of course, will get much faster once the Elizabeth Line runs directly from Paddington to Stratford For my return journey, I shall try Central to Liverpool Street and then Elizabeth Line. (Result here on Monday - which was, using the Central Line to Liverpool Street and then Crosdsrail. Flat door to inside Paddington Station - 39 minutes).
The train through the centre of London is fantastic in that it quiet, accelerates really quickly and doesn't go round corners. As is becoming the standard, one can walk through the train. It has a/c and, currently, no mobile phone signal, but coming soon.
This project has been very much delayed - originally it should have been open in December 2018. I had thought that Margaret would have made at least one trip on it. Hey, ho, such is life!
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