London’s long-delayed new underground service, the Elizabeth line, finally opened to passengers on Tuesday (24 May).
The project, also known as Crossrail, was originally scheduled to open in December 2018 but has suffered a series of delays and has ended up costing almost £19 billion to complete.
The initial opening of the line sees trains running every five minutes between Paddington and Abbey Wood in southeast London, with journey times reduced from 58 to 29 minutes.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The new line will revolutionise travel in our city and across the southeast and bring significant economic benefits to the whole country.”
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps added: “London’s transport network is its lifeblood and the £9 billion we’ve contributed to make the Elizabeth line a reality is once again testament to our unwavering support for this marvellous city, its inspiring people and the millions of visitors it attracts every year.”
One of the initial benefits of the Elizabeth line will be to make it easier and quicker to reach the ExCeL exhibition centre in east London, which hosts Business Travel Show Europe on 29-30 June 2022, via the Custom House station.