The Elizabeth line stretches more than 100km from Reading and Heathrow in the west through central tunnels across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Get helpful tips for travelling on our newest railway.
People Also Ask
London Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow and the capital.
The Elizabeth Line journey is faster, but more expensive for the single fare. It is however step from from start to finish. The Piccadilly line journey is slower, cheaper, but not step free. The walk from either station is pretty much the same.
When will the service be complete? The final timetable is due to come into effect no later than May 2023. This will see the number of services running on the central section of the line between Paddington and Whitechapel increase to 24 per hour in peak times.
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.
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.
The Elizabeth Line operates in the same way as the rest of the public transport system - fixed fares and no need for advance purchase. It is a stopping service, so takes about 10 minutes longer than the Heathrow Express, and its interior will seem a bit more utilitarian.
The Elizabeth Line journey is faster, but more expensive for the single fare. It is however step from from start to finish. The Piccadilly line journey is slower, cheaper, but not step free. The walk from either station is pretty much the same.
The London Underground (aka 'the Tube') gets you from Heathrow to central London in under an hour, with trains running every 10 minutes. Heathrow has three underground stations, at Terminal 2/3 and at Terminal 4 and 5. Prices start from £5.50, making it one of the cheapest travel routes to London from Heathrow.
Now in service alongside the London Underground, it has several notable differences that set it apart from the Tube, from the trains themselves to the line's operation. First and foremost, it is not a 'tube line' – it is a regular national railway line.
Free London Underground services and shuttle trains (Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express) are available for inter-terminal transfers between Heathrow Terminals 2&3 and Heathrow Terminal 5.
Elizabeth line trains are nine carriages long and can carry up to 1500 pax - the rolling stock is not petite. https://www.railway-technology.com/features/pictures-first-look-crossrails-elizabeth-line/ The fold-down seats are for those who use wheelchairs, but if they're not occupied you may store your bags there.
Unlike Heathrow Express trains there are no luggage storage racks, so you need to hold on to your suitcase if it has spinner wheels. I always sit in a group of four seats which helps to stop it rolling around quite so much!
It is clearly the cheapest option. The frequency of trains is the second reason. Piccadilly Line trains depart every 10 minutes or less, even during off-peak times, whereas the Elizabeth Line only runs twice an hour.
With normal services running every 15 minutes and with a journey time of 15 minutes between Heathrow Central and London Paddington, Heathrow Express is the quickest way to make your way into the capital after your flight.
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.
The trains and tunnelsThe Elizabeth line is unique on the London Underground in that surface stock trains – as big as the S stock than run on the Metropolitan and District lines – run in tube tunnels under the Capital, and far out into Berkshire and Essex on the surface.