Is the Elizabeth line National Rail or London Underground?
The Underground isn't a TOC, but the Overground and the Elizabeth Line are and are part of National Rail. That's why, for instance, National Rail passes such as Britrail are valid on the Overground and the Elizabeth Line but not on the Underground.
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Operated by MTR Elizabeth line (MTREL), a 100% subsidiary of MTR Corporation, the Elizabeth line is part of the TfL network and has interchanges with the London Underground, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services.
“The Tube” refers to the London Underground that services most of the city, “The Overground” is the rail network that serves Greater London, and “The National Rail” is the train service that connects London to other parts of the UK.
Pay as you goYou don't have to work out the cost of your journey in advance. You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card. It also offers great value as pay as you go is cheaper than buying single tickets and you get daily and weekly capping.
Fares and ticketingThe Elizabeth line has two 'London Terminal' stations on its route - London Paddington National Rail station and London Liverpool Street National Rail station. Tickets for National Rail services to/from London Terminals are not valid on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Liverpool Street.
Yes, Oyster cards are accepted for most journeys, except for stations west of West Drayton. Contactless payment cards are accepted at all stations on the Elizabeth line, or if you use an Oyster card, you can buy a paper ticket if you're travelling beyond West Drayton.
Why isn't the Elizabeth Line considered a London Underground line? There are two key reasons why TfL does not consider the Elizabeth Line to be an addition to the Tube network. The first is that the line goes across a large amount of the National rail network, using Great Eastern and Great Western infrastructure.
Elizabeth line fares are the same as the Tube on journeys within TfL's nine fare zones, which extend to Brentwood. But passengers travelling to and from Shenfield in the east, and to or from all stations beyond West Drayton in the west, are charged “special” rates equivalent to national rail fares.
Travel free on bus, tram, Tube, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line. You can travel free on TfL services with your Older Person's Freedom Pass from 09:00 weekdays and anytime at weekends and on bank holidays.
With Oyster PAYG you get the cheapest appropriate single fare on National Rail services in London which means you pay less than the cash fare. There are peak and Off-Peak Oyster single fares on National Rail with the fare set when you touch in at the start of your journey.
The Oyster Card is a magnetic rechargeable plastic card valid for all of London's public transport. It not only simplifies the payment system, but it's also cheaper than paying for a single journey ticket every time you ride the Underground, bus, DLR, or Overground.
Every time you make a journey on London's public transport your Oyster card is charged a fare. Once you reach the daily cap (see above) in a day no more fares are deducted from your Oyster card.