The Elizabeth Line (aka Crossrail) is go!

[T & P]

Not that I need to go to LHR in the foreseeable future, but I've just planned a journey on the TFL website from Tulse Hill to the airport to see how long it might now take thanks to the Lizard Line (Tulse Hill to Farringdon BR, then Lizard...), and it didn't suggest that route it at all.

Indeed, I've just done another search for a journey from Farringdon to LHR, and it is still telling me I ought to change at Paddington and take the Heathrow Express.

I thought direct trains to LHR are now running? Or is Heathrow Express paying TFL backhanders so the route planner search results don't show direct journies to LHR on the Lizard Line?

 

[Crispy]

The journeyplanner prioritises journey time. If you edit your search to "Fewest changes" then it will show the lizard line option (it's about 5 minutes slower)

 

[T & P]

The journeyplanner prioritises journey time. If you edit your search to "Fewest changes" then it will show the lizard line option (it's about 5 minutes slower)

Thank you. Interestingly enough, changing the setting to fewest changes still does not show me the Lizard Line option if departing from Tulse Hill. However...

Tulse Hill to Farringdon: 24 min
+
Farringdon to LHR: 47 m
1h 11m

That's faster than the current fastest journey advertised to me by TFL right now 1h 15m, and with far fewer changes. Not to mention much, much fucking cheaper.

What a load of bollocks the TFL planner is...

 

[Winot]

Thank you. Interestingly enough, changing the setting to fewest changes still does not show me the Lizard Line option if departing from Tulse Hill. However...

Tulse Hill to Farringdon: 24 min
+
Farringdon to LHR: 47 m
1h 11m

That's faster than the current fastest journey advertised to me by TFL right now 1h 15m, and with far fewer changes. Not to mention much, much fucking cheaper.

What a load of bollocks the TFL planner is...

Citymapper is your friend.

 

[Crispy]

Yeah the TfL journey planner is definitely 2nd place to citymapper

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Yeah the TfL journey planner is definitely 2nd place to citymapper

the software was pretty impressive 20 or so years ago when all of this sort of thing was new and exciting, and it was designed with big cities with metro and all sorts (i can't remember which german city used it first, but the software is / was german. some of the regional 'traveline' things would occasionally give you an error message in german if it was an unusual error.) i'm not sure they have really kept up.

part of the problem is that for a lot of journeys in london, there are almost too many options, particularly if you include the 'ok, you have just missed something that does the most logical route, but if you do something weird, it will get you there a minute or two before waiting for the next bus /train / whatever on logical route' options...

although this particular one does seem odd. wonder if there's a data error with the lizard line or the change at farringdon? not sure how long it takes to change between thameslink and lizard line there - but that may be being factored in.

i've not really played with citymapper much

 

[hash tag]

The journey planner always appear to ignore the London Overground, which for me can cut out a lot of changes, which I prefer.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

The journey planner always appear to ignore the London Overground, which for me can cut out a lot of changes, which I prefer.

as above, you sometimes have to select 'fewest changes' to get that sort of journey

 

[hash tag]

as above, you sometimes have to select 'fewest changes' to get that sort of journey

I do, it doesn't.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I do, it doesn't.

at journey planner

sounds like it needs re-programming with something heavy...

 

[platinumsage]

Great to see the line is being bustituted already, no trains this weekend between Whitechapel and Shenfield

 

[hash tag]

Just another crack in the rail

London-Reading train disruption: Cracked track delays reopening

Engineers worked through the night to reopen the line but a crack has since been found in the track.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[teuchter]

Just another crack in the rail

London-Reading train disruption: Cracked track delays reopening

Engineers worked through the night to reopen the line but a crack has since been found in the track.

www.bbc.co.uk

I went to meet someone at Heathrow this afternoon... was looking forward to the previously tedious journey out there being replaced with a new and efficient one with just one change of train from my local station, but the cracked rail stymied this.

First trip "through" Paddington for me though.

Also... at least coming from T5, it seems like the signage and info at Heathrow seems quite intent on making sure that you don't become aware of the Elizabeth line option for getting into central London, unless you are pre-informed of its existence.

 

[marty21]

Liverpool St Station & Moorgate Station are now connected , can walk between the two underground via the Elizabeth Line . The transport geek in me was very pleased by this today .

 

[cesare]

Abbey Wood has its own piano on the upper level. We just arrived to a choir of school kids singing carols accompanied on the piano by Miss. Handmade reindeer antlers and cotton wool Santa beards. They were also doing all the actions eg threatening 5 year olds demanding figgy pudding. They had a good audience too, including us. Heartwarming.

 

[kenny g]

Liverpool St Station & Moorgate Station are now connected , can walk between the two underground via the Elizabeth Line . The transport geek in me was very pleased by this today .

Combined with the improvements at Bank, journeys start to take on almost dreamlike qualities where you just swish from point to point. Did TCR to Angel and then Angel to Whitechapel the other day and it felt as easy as crossing a couple of roads.

 

[davesgcr]

Combined with the improvements at Bank, journeys start to take on almost dreamlike qualities where you just swish from point to point. Did TCR to Angel and then Angel to Whitechapel the other day and it felt as easy as crossing a couple of roads.

4 mins TCR to Farringdon - incredible. Pick a fast train from St Albans to Farringdon then hop on elizabeth to Paddington , about 40 mins.

Used to be such a gamble on the classic tube (no offence) - result is killing time at Paddington.

 

[hash tag]

Oh dear. Elizabeth line has made parking awful, say residents

"Ms Evans, who has lived on the estate for 20 years, said she could not drive her children to school without losing her parking space."
When I was at school I always made my own way there and back, there was never, ever any thought of ever using a car.
Using a train rather than the car has to be a good thing.

 

[cesare]

Oh dear. Elizabeth line has made parking awful, say residents

"Ms Evans, who has lived on the estate for 20 years, said she could not drive her children to school without losing her parking space."
When I was at school I always made my own way there and back, there was never, ever any thought of ever using a car.
Using a train rather than the car has to be a good thing.

It's pretty bad round there now tbf. Using a bus rather than a car to get to the train station has to be a good thing too.

 

[marty21]

Combined with the improvements at Bank, journeys start to take on almost dreamlike qualities where you just swish from point to point. Did TCR to Angel and then Angel to Whitechapel the other day and it felt as easy as crossing a couple of roads.

Haven't changed at Bank for a while , or been to TCR, Angel or Whitechapel lately, should make the trip to see the swish!

 

[pbsmooth]

and the new Bond St station has made the old Bond Street tube station seem even more horrible than it already was - cramped and full of crappy shops.

 

[hash tag]

Oh dear, cracking up already?

Elizabeth line: Commuters say service 'not what was promised'

From overcrowding to unreliability, some commuters complain the new service can be a "nightmare".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[T & P]

Oh dear, cracking up already?

Elizabeth line: Commuters say service 'not what was promised'

From overcrowding to unreliability, some commuters complain the new service can be a "nightmare".

www.bbc.co.uk

It sounds as if the Heathrow spur has proven a bit too successful for (passenger) comfort...

 

[skyscraper101]

I've used it mostly between Liverpool St and the west end at Tottenham Court Rd and I'm still impressed by the speed between the two, it seems like its about 4 minutes.

 

[pbsmooth]

article looks like vox pops nonsense. Paddington to Farringdon has been great for me and hardly any delays.

 

[Griff]

I've used it mostly between Liverpool St and the west end at Tottenham Court Rd and I'm still impressed by the speed between the two, it seems like its about 4 minutes.

Agreed, been on it a few times and it's been excellent.

Needed to be in St.Albans for 7.00am yesterday and getting to Farringdon early to get a connecting train was great.

 

[Lazy Llama]

Always been great for me but I've always travelled on the bit east of Paddington. It's supposed to be Crossrail - not HeathrowRail

 

[souljacker]

I had to get from Paddington to Camden the other day. In the past, this was basically a gamble between various methods of getting to the Northern Line. Hamm and City to Euston square then walk to Euston? Stay on to KX and risk the Angel extension (which always seems busy and slow)? Walk to Lancaster Gate and get the Central to TCR?

Not any more. Get a clean, quick and empty train on the Lizard to TCR and up to Camden from there. Piece of piss, no walking needed and only 24mins total travel time. And you can even have a swift vape in the bit between the main station and the lizard line without deviating from your journey.

 

[Elpenor]

Oh dear, cracking up already?

Elizabeth line: Commuters say service 'not what was promised'

From overcrowding to unreliability, some commuters complain the new service can be a "nightmare".

www.bbc.co.uk

Wasn’t it predicted to be full immediately upon opening? I suppose the issue with Heathrow is luggage taking up space.

 

[editor]

Oh dear, cracking up already?

Elizabeth line: Commuters say service 'not what was promised'

From overcrowding to unreliability, some commuters complain the new service can be a "nightmare".

www.bbc.co.uk

Doesn't look too bad, no?

But if we look at the performance and reliability of the Elizabeth line, it is pretty good compared to other operators, with 93% of services arriving at the station within five minutes of when they are meant to.

Elizabeth line in numbers

• 3.5mjourneys a week

• 600,000journeys a day
• 93%of trains arriving within 5 minutes of scheduled time
• 24trains an hour by May 2023

The number of passengers using the Elizabeth line is also exceeding expectations, and continuing to increase.
A total of 3.5m journeys were made a week through November and January compared to the original estimate of 2m - the equivalent of about 600,000 journeys a day.
It's also important to note that the Elizabeth line isn't actually finished yet.
It won't be until May that it will operate as one railway and passengers will be able to travel end to end without changing.
The number of trains will also increase in most areas to 24 an hour - one every three minutes - although in west London TfL says trains will only increase to six an hour