Transport for London (TfL) has announced services on the new Elizabeth line are going to be more frequent then originally planned.

The line will connect Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east when it opens in December 2019.

TfL announced the line will see peak services from Reading doubled from two to four trains per hour and services to Maidenhead increased from four to six trains per hour.

Off-peak services between Paddington and Whitechapel will be increased from 16 trains as previously planned to 20 trains per hour, while an additional two trains per hour will run between Paddington and Shenfield and Paddington and Abbey Wood.

Trains will now also call at Heathrow Terminal 5, meaning all Heathrow Terminals will be served by the Elizabeth line

Elizabeth line map

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The Elizabeth line will transform travel across London, with new state-of-the-art trains moving passengers quickly across key parts of London and the South East.

"I am delighted that we can today announce that Elizabeth line services will be more frequent than originally planned, making journeys even more convenient for people travelling in and out of London, and helping ease pressure on other parts of our busy transport network.

"With more regular services connecting central London with key locations like Heathrow Airport, the benefits will be felt directly by millions of commuters, tourists, and businesses every year.”


Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, said: “It’s great news there will be more services on the Elizabeth line, meaning more passengers can travel with greater convenience across London and beyond on trains which are an example of British engineering at its best.

"The Elizabeth line will transform the way people travel across London and beyond, bringing better and faster journeys, while boosting jobs and driving economic growth.”

Earlier this month, despite assurances that Crossrail was on budget and on time, it was announced five stations in west London will be delayed by as much as two years.

Acton, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Southall and Hayes and Harlington station upgrades have all been delayed, Network Rail admitted.

The stations had been due to be complete by the end of 2017.

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