Elizabeth line to open later this month
The Crossrail project is due to open in London on the 24th of May
Last updated 4th May 2022
Transport for London (TfL) has announced that the new Elizabeth line railway will open on Tuesday, May 24.
The project to build the new east-west railway was due to be completed in December 2018 and was set a budget of ÂŁ14.8 billion in 2010 but has been hit by numerous problems including construction delays and difficulties installing complex signalling systems.
Services will initially operate from Mondays to Saturdays, allowing further testing and software updates to take place on Sundays.
The total cost of the project has been estimated at ÂŁ18.9 billion, including ÂŁ5.1 billion from the Government.
It is hoped the Queen - who the line is named after - will be involved in the opening.
TfL commissioner Andy Byford said: "I am delighted that we can now announce a date for the opening of the Elizabeth line in May.
"We are using these final few weeks to continue to build up reliability on the railway and get the Elizabeth line ready to welcome customers.
"The opening day is set to be a truly historic moment for the capital and the UK, and we look forward to showcasing a simply stunning addition to our network."
Elizabeth line will make London "safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous"
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the Elizabeth line will make London "safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous".
He went on: "This is the most significant addition to our transport network in decades, and will revolutionise travel across the capital and the South East - as well as delivering a ÂŁ42 billion boost to the whole UK economy and hundreds of thousands of new homes and jobs.
"Green public transport is the future, and the opening of the Elizabeth line is a landmark moment for our capital and our whole country, particularly in this special Platinum Jubilee year."
The Elizabeth line will initially operate in three sections as it stretches from Reading in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London.
Trains in the central area will run every five minutes through new tunnels between Paddington and Abbey Wood from 6.30am until 11pm.
The Sunday closures will be lifted on June 5 to help people travelling in the capital during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Services already run in the east and west sections, but they will be rebranded from TfL Rail to the Elizabeth line from May 24. They will continue to run seven days a week.
A full timetable with direct trains running across the Elizabeth line is expected to launch by May 2023.
Bond Street Elizabeth line station will not be ready to open on May 24. as it is expected to be completed by the end of the year.