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You can now travel through central London on Crossrail!

Went to Bond St for first time today - nearest station to work. I have been walking from Oxford Circus doing Northern then Victoria, but I think this might be my better route via Tottenham Court Road. I was pleasantly surprised how short it was Northern to Elizabeth there (usually new lines seem to end up a massive schlep from the rest of the station). I think it ends up taking a mite longer than the other route, but it avoids the issue of it sometimes being impossible to get on the Victoria line, plus the Elizabeth is much quieter,
 
Meanwhile those travelling to the western outlands from stations on the Shenfield branch will soon be able to change at Paddington instead of Liverpool Street, which I’m sure they are excited about.
 
It's going to make Paddington and Heathrow much easier for us. Not that we use Paddington often for intercity, but it's always been a PITA to get to from ours when we do - being able to change at TCR for it is a big improvement.
 
Not a Londoner but can I ask Cloo is the Elizabeth line quieter because the capacity is bigger or it’s just not very busy in general, or is it just that the Victoria line is always extremely rammed?
 
I think it's just not very busy (yet) - it runs relatively infrequently compared to tube lines. Victoria, at peak hours, can get rammed by the time it's at Euston. Pre-Covid, I'd given up on ever changing to the Victoria line there because the platform would be backed up 3 or 4 people deep. Now that only happens if you have a longer gap between trains for some reason, but that's delayed me getting home from Oxford Circus a few times.
 
Thanks that’s good to know. I usually take the Victoria line when in London but it’s generally at non peak times or the weekend so have no idea what it’s like during the rush hour. Good that Elizabeth line creates other options for journeys
 
Here's how Elizabeth Line train capacity compares to tube lines.

More capacity overall and also more seating capacity (nearly double compared to Victoria Line)

But the stations have loads more capacity too - platforms are much wider.

Travelling on it is just quieter sound-wise too - more futuristic whooshing than rattling and screeching - a more serene experience than old school tube.

Screenshot 2022-10-26 at 21.15.15.jpg

from London tube train capacities - ianVisits
 
Here's how Elizabeth Line train capacity compares to tube lines.

More capacity overall and also more seating capacity (nearly double compared to Victoria Line)

But the stations have loads more capacity too - platforms are much wider.

Travelling on it is just quieter sound-wise too - more futuristic whooshing than rattling and screeching - a more serene experience than old school tube.

View attachment 349011

from London tube train capacities - ianVisits
That stole my thunder. I was about to say the trains were bigger and designed to carry more passengers so appear less crowded.
 
However, much like road space, if there's enough demand everything will fill up to its maximum tolerable capacity at peak times. I've yet to experience the Elizabeth line when it's crush loaded, so not sure if that will feel less unpleasant or claustrophobic than a crush loaded tube train.
 
I've experienced a relatively packed overground train and it wasn't nearly as bad as a packed tube train. Not as hot, stuffy, sweaty or smelly.
 
However, much like road space, if there's enough demand everything will fill up to its maximum tolerable capacity at peak times. I've yet to experience the Elizabeth line when it's crush loaded, so not sure if that will feel less unpleasant or claustrophobic than a crush loaded tube train.
I've seen it fully loaded on the TFL rail bit and it's mostly better than the old stock, more room and easier to move about the train. If you're tall like me don't get on under the pantos cause they have a much reduced roof space in that part of the train. I had a very uncomfortable ten minutes or so after boarding the train in the wrong place.
 
yeah it's much better. gets busy rush hour between Liv St and TCR but still OK compared to tube. and if you walked all the way to the ends, probably still be quieter.
 
It’s mind blowing to me that you’ll be able to jump on a train in Langley at 7:42 and jump off at Canary Wharf just 50 mins later. That’s only half the time it used to take me to make that journey.
 
My mental map of London public transport is now somewhat redrawn with a kind of holy cross superimposed, centred on Farringdon where Thameslink and Crossrail intersect, so that for getting almost anywhere, my first thought is how close can I get using Thameslink + Crossrail.

This is somewhat influenced by the fact that my local station is on Thameslink - but the two lines now form a neat pair of high capacity, high frequency, level-access, relatively fast E-W and N-S routes that meet pretty much in the middle of London and extend quite some distance out of either side.

You can use the combination to get between nearly any pair of London Rail Terminii.

They directly connect Paddington, Kings Cross, St Pancras, Liverpool Street, London Bridge (effectively picking up Charing Cross and Cannon St in the process) and Blackfriars.

Fenchurch St misses out somewhat unless you walk over to Liverpool St.

Euston is a doable walk over to St Pancras.

Marylebone misses out, as does Waterloo.

Victoria itself misses out but most longer distance Victoria services stop at East Croydon where you can get onto Thameslink.

One effect of this is that it's much easier to get a bicycle across Central London (outside of peak hour) because you can take them on Thameslink and Crossrail. Same for people with large luggage, wheelchairs, etc.
 
It's disappointing there's only a half-hourly service from Terminals 4 and 5. This means on avergae it's quicker to get the Picadilly line.
 
It's disappointing there's only a half-hourly service from Terminals 4 and 5. This means on avergae it's quicker to get the Picadilly line.
That’s surprising - I’d have expected the frequency to be far greater.

The whole Crossrail thing has passed me by really. I’m on the Piccadilly line anyway, so there’s no change for me regarding how I get to and from Heathrow. I feel left out by all the excitement.
 
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