The Lizzy Line is here...
The Elizabeth Line changed the lives of commuters forever when it finally opened last Tuesday.
First, the Queen made a stylish outing to open the new line, then fans queued overnight to be the first to try out the new line.
Last Tuesday, the new Crossrail line opened it’s brand new (screened) doors. After many delays, queues of fans waited overnight to take the first Elizabeth Line journey from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Setting off at 6:33am, the usual quiet morning commute was filled with excitement.
On it’s opening day, Paddington station had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm at 9am. Disrupting some journeys and adding to the excitement of others, the station was back up and running within 30 minutes.
Where did the name come from?
The Crossrail line was renamed the Elizabeth Line back in 2016, in honour of The Queen. As the first reigning monarch to travel on the London underground in 1969, the line is purple in honour of HRH too.
To celebrate the opening of the line, fans wore Queen masks to celebrate.
The line has been labelled revolutionary as it spans 60 miles from Reading to Shenfield.
Since it’s opening last Tuesday, a whopping 2 million journeys have taken place across the whole line.
In just the central section alone, more than a million journeys were taken during the first 5 days of it’s opening.
In the lead up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend, the best memorabilia has been selling out quicker than we can keep up with, and the Elizabeth Line is no different.
A new Elizabeth Line shop opened at Paddington station on Tuesday, from socks to cushions, the bag featuring the Elizabeth Line chair pattern is already out of stock.
But for many train enthusiasts, the Limited Edition Elizabeth Line oyster card which was handed out to travellers only on it’s opening day, is apparently the most important piece of memorabilia, with some being re-sold on eBay for £300.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan has described the journey’s as a “roaring success” and is “blown away” by the new line that is “fit for a Queen.”
Howard Smith, TfL’s director of the Elizabeth line, says the service has received “a great reception” and “It is already having a transformative impact on local businesses and opening up access to new areas of London.”
Elizabeth Line stations
It serves 41 stations, including:
- Paddington
- Bond Street
- Tottenham Court Road
- Farringdon
- Liverpool Street
- Whitechapel
- Canary Wharf
- Custom House
- Woolwich
Bond Street station is still yet to be completed and will not stop there until it has had it’s Lizzy Line make over. The stations are transformed with arched ceilings and a lot more space. Compared to what feels like the very old and regular stations, the bigger space is needed as each new Lizzy line train can hold up to 1,500 passengers.
The Elizabeth Line Crossrail map
In case you haven’t seen it yet, here is the new purple line map.
Let us know how your Elizabeth Line journeys go and if you managed to bag a limited edition oyster card.
The post You won't believe how many Elizabeth Line journeys have taken place in it's first 5 days appeared first on Marie Claire.
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