The Elizabeth Line (aka Crossrail) is go!

[skyscraper101]

You know when the HEX and GEX really made sense. Was in the days where you could check your hold luggage in with the airline at the station, get your paper boarding pass (in the days before QR ones), jump on the train and walk straight through to departures with no faffing about and your luggage would all be taken care of right through to your destination.

To me that was the biggest selling point and it no longer exists.

 

[kalmatthew]

You know when the HEX and GEX really made sense. Was in the days where you could check your hold luggage in with the airline at the station, get your paper boarding pass (in the days before QR ones), jump on the train and walk straight through to departures with no faffing about and your luggage would all be taken care of right through to your destination.

To me that was the biggest selling point and it no longer exists.

I did this a few times in Kuala Lumpur checkin at the main city station I agree it was great

 

[Winot]

You know when the HEX and GEX really made sense. Was in the days where you could check your hold luggage in with the airline at the station, get your paper boarding pass (in the days before QR ones), jump on the train and walk straight through to departures with no faffing about and your luggage would all be taken care of right through to your destination.

To me that was the biggest selling point and it no longer exists.

Yes it was great when you could check in at Paddington. Now the space is just a crap shopping centre. It’s a real bonus to be able to do this in Hong Kong. You can check luggage in at the beginning of the day for a night flight and spend the day in the city unencumbered.

 

[skyscraper101]

Most of the hoardings have been removed from around the Elizabeth line entrance at Bond Street station.

 

[Crispy]

Next phase of opening is November 6th. Sunday trains will run, Bond Street will be open, all Abbey Wood trains will go through to Heathrow or Reading, and all Shenfield trains will go through to Paddington.

That's today! No longer can you be put off from a day out in Hayes by a long walk at Paddington.

 

[hash tag]

Pha, I "drove" it on Thursday

I've just driven an Elizabeth Line "train" from Reading to Stratford through the as yet unopened lower level at Paddington. Amazing.
View attachment 350069

 

[rubbershoes]

I hope this is going to be renamed the Charlie line

 

[alex_]

I hope this is going to be renamed the Charlie line

White line on a white background isn’t going to look great on the tube map.

 

[pbsmooth]

Tottenham Court Road station isn't particularly close to Tottenham Court Road station. If you know what I mean.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I have been loving the Lizard Line this week. It hasn't taken much time off my awkward commute but it's made the interchange so pleasant and I get to get a seat all the way (avoiding the crowds and barging at canada water and stratford by taking overground to whitechapel and lizard line to maryland)

 

[Crispy]

Lizard Line

 

[Sue]

I have been loving the Lizard Line this week. It hasn't taken much time off my awkward commute but it's made the interchange so pleasant and I get to get a seat all the way (avoiding the crowds and barging at canada water and stratford by taking overground to whitechapel and lizard line to maryland)

 

[platinumsage]

Tottenham Court Road station isn't particularly close to Tottenham Court Road station. If you know what I mean.

Are Bond Sreet, Farringdon or Liverpool Street any better? Looking at the tube map it seems most of the central interchanges will involve a lot of walking.

 

[marty21]

I'm going to use this line for the 1st time tomorrow - haven't needed to use it before - but as I'm getting a train to Bath from Paddington - I will use it from Liverpool St - looking forward to it - even though it will be a relatively brief trip on it.

 

[Crispy]

Are Bond Sreet, Farringdon or Liverpool Street any better? Looking at the tube map it seems most of the central interchanges will involve a lot of walking.

It matters which end of the train you're at. 240m is a fair way to walk. For the below, when I say the end of the train, I mean the very end if you use the lift, 2 cars in from the end if you want the escalator.

At Bond Street, if you want to change to the tube, be at the West end of the train. There's an intermediate-level tunnel with a bit of a walk to the tube station; the Lizard Line (love that) is one block South of Oxford Street while the tube station is on the North side. The East end is nearly as close to Oxford Circus if you want the Vic/Bakerloo. It counts as an interchange so you won't get charged extra.

At TCR, be at the East end for the tube.

At Farringdon, if you want the tube or Thameslink, be at the West end of the train. It's no walk at all. You emerge at the Thameslink station and have to cross the road outside to get to the circle line (or you could go via the Thameslink platforms and overbridge inside the station). The East end is just round the corner from Barbican station. There is technically a link to Barbican station, but it's only a lift to the Eastbound circle line platform so pretty useless.

Be at the west end of the train to exit at Moorgate, and at the East for Liverpool Street. At both ends, changing to the tube means going all the way up and all the way back down again; no intermediate-level tunnels.

For completeness, at Paddington if you want Bakerloo be at the mid-West of the train. There's escallators down from the Lizard Line platforms. For circle line, you have to go all the way up and then through the main station. Marginally quicker to be at the East end of the train for this. There should have been a direct tunnel from the concourse level but it was removed to cut costs.

 

[platinumsage]

Thanks Crispy, very useful.

 

[souljacker]

It matters which end of the train you're at. 240m is a fair way to walk. For the below, when I say the end of the train, I mean the very end if you use the lift, 2 cars in from the end if you want the escalator.

At Bond Street, if you want to change to the tube, be at the West end of the train. There's an intermediate-level tunnel with a bit of a walk to the tube station; the Lizard Line (love that) is one block South of Oxford Street while the tube station is on the North side. The East end is nearly as close to Oxford Circus if you want the Vic/Bakerloo. It counts as an interchange so you won't get charged extra.

At TCR, be at the East end for the tube.

At Farringdon, if you want the tube or Thameslink, be at the West end of the train. It's no walk at all. You emerge at the Thameslink station and have to cross the road outside to get to the circle line (or you could go via the Thameslink platforms and overbridge inside the station). The East end is just round the corner from Barbican station. There is technically a link to Barbican station, but it's only a lift to the Eastbound circle line platform so pretty useless.

Be at the west end of the train to exit at Moorgate, and at the East for Liverpool Street. At both ends, changing to the tube means going all the way up and all the way back down again; no intermediate-level tunnels.

For completeness, at Paddington if you want Bakerloo be at the mid-West of the train. There's escallators down from the Lizard Line platforms. For circle line, you have to go all the way up and then through the main station. Marginally quicker to be at the East end of the train for this. There should have been a direct tunnel from the concourse level but it was removed to cut costs.

If you use the citymapper app, it tells you where on the train you should be for your connection. I assume that now works for lizard trains but I've not tested it yet.

 

[Pickman's model]

It matters which end of the train you're at. 240m is a fair way to walk. For the below, when I say the end of the train, I mean the very end if you use the lift, 2 cars in from the end if you want the escalator.

At Bond Street, if you want to change to the tube, be at the West end of the train. There's an intermediate-level tunnel with a bit of a walk to the tube station; the Lizard Line (love that) is one block South of Oxford Street while the tube station is on the North side. The East end is nearly as close to Oxford Circus if you want the Vic/Bakerloo. It counts as an interchange so you won't get charged extra.

At TCR, be at the East end for the tube.

At Farringdon, if you want the tube or Thameslink, be at the West end of the train. It's no walk at all. You emerge at the Thameslink station and have to cross the road outside to get to the circle line (or you could go via the Thameslink platforms and overbridge inside the station). The East end is just round the corner from Barbican station. There is technically a link to Barbican station, but it's only a lift to the Eastbound circle line platform so pretty useless.

Be at the west end of the train to exit at Moorgate, and at the East for Liverpool Street. At both ends, changing to the tube means going all the way up and all the way back down again; no intermediate-level tunnels.

For completeness, at Paddington if you want Bakerloo be at the mid-West of the train. There's escallators down from the Lizard Line platforms. For circle line, you have to go all the way up and then through the main station. Marginally quicker to be at the East end of the train for this. There should have been a direct tunnel from the concourse level but it was removed to cut costs.

there is i think a tube map you can buy at eg stanfords which while now out of date as published before overground or elizabeth lines joined the network still shows approximately where you should board to alight by station exits

 

[Puddy_Tat]

just departing abbey wood on my first journey on the lizard line

 

[Puddy_Tat]

lineside scenery is a bit boring for much of it

 

[hash tag]

lineside scenery is a bit boring for much of it

Probably a little dark I shouldn't wonder.

 

[marty21]

Just did my 1st Liz Journey , Liverpool St to Paddington , over in a whoosh! Massive stations though

 

[Santino]

Have we had 'Lizard Line' yet?

Can't believe I haven't received credit for this.

 

[cesare]

I've particularly loved the Lizzie line this week. I have noticed one thing though - trains now seem to be 6-7 minutes apart now it's opened up. Prior to this, they were every 5 minutes (Abbey Wood section).

 

[Brainaddict]

Can't believe I haven't received credit for this.

Ahem: New Crossrail / Elizabeth line tube map released

 

[Crispy]

I've particularly loved the Lizzie line this week. I have noticed one thing though - trains now seem to be 6-7 minutes apart now it's opened up. Prior to this, they were every 5 minutes (Abbey Wood section).

It's because the central section has to take the Shenfield trains as well now, so there aren't as many paths to spare for Abbey Wood. Used to be 12 trains/hour (every 5m) but now it's 11 to Abbey Wood and 11 to Shenfield. In May, it'll go back to 12 trains/hour on both branches.

 

[cesare]

It's because the central section has to take the Shenfield trains as well now, so there aren't as many paths to spare for Abbey Wood. Used to be 12 trains/hour (every 5m) but now it's 11 to Abbey Wood and 11 to Shenfield. In May, it'll go back to 12 trains/hour on both branches.

Thanks Crispy. Good info. But there are definitely more Shenfield trains in the central section, it's not an even distribution.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

I wish there were 12 trains an hour on the overground from West Croydon to Highbury - there's still parts of south and south east london that could do with more transport options per hour

 

[hash tag]

I wish there were 12 trains an hour on the overground from West Croydon to Highbury - there's still parts of south and south east london that could do with more transport options per hour

Tell this to the people of Bradford or Preston or Durham....Croydon is brilliantly connected.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Tell this to the people of Bradford or Preston or Durham....Croydon is brilliantly connected.

I agree that public transport outside of Greater London is woeful to a different degree and is not part of the comparison

Not all of Croydon is brilliantly connected compared with greater London
my nearest station has 2 trains per hour to Victoria and 2 trains per hour to London Bridge
factor in cancellations due to TOC inability to address staffing levels and it makes a less frequent service compared with some other parts of London that access tubes, overground and rail lines in close proximity

I can walk 20 minutes to Norwood Junction and pick up the overground. Which is great. But if I were starting at any station after Sydenham, I'd have double the choice of overground trains per hour picking up the West Croydon and Crystal Palace services