elizabeth line journey time calculator

Learn more about travelling on the Elizabeth line

As the operator of London’s flagship railway, our purpose is to ensure that we operate the Elizabeth line to the highest operational standards, delivering outstanding performance matched with excellent customer service.

The Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to London’s transport network in a generation, providing new journey options, cutting travel time and supporting regeneration across the capital.

Customers can travel direct between Reading, Heathrow and Abbey Wood and between Shenfield and Heathrow via Paddington, taking advantage of record journey times with up to 24 trains per hour in each direction through central London.

With around 4.1 million journeys made each week, we are incredibly proud to be part of this transformative new railway, providing world-class customer service and performance.

For up to date service, timetables, fares, and planned railway upgrade information, visit TfL’s website.

The Elizabeth line experience

Accessibility on the elizabeth line.

The Elizabeth line has been built to provide step-free access to help connect people to more of London. All stations are staffed from first to last service so you can get the help you need throughout your journey.

For more information on our accessible travel commitments please refer to the link provided. Additionally, we have also created an accessible travel policy leaflet that outlines the key highlights of these commitments.

Customer information pledges

Our customers have always been at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud of our achievements across all areas of customer service excellence, and we continue to challenge ourselves to make further enhancements.

To help drive improvements to customer information, a set of pledges have been developed by the rail industry setting out clear commitments to what information will be provided during any periods of disruption, as well as the enhancements we’ll look to make in the future.

These pledges will be used as a framework for delivering timely, accurate and consistent communications to help customers make well-informed travel decisions.

To learn more about the RDG pledges, please visit the  Rail Delivery Group pledges page  or  download a copy of the pledges here .

Keeping you informed

We know that timely information, particularly when things don’t go to plan, is a major priority for our customers.

We’re committed to keeping customers fully informed during service disruption, as well informing our customers well in advance when our routes are closed, or our services are reduced due to planned engineering works.

During unplanned disruption

We’re focused on improving information for our customers when things go wrong. In late 2020, MTR Elizabeth line became the first UK train operating company to achieve Customer First Accreditation on our first assessment.

Our team works hard to offer the best possible journey experience, safely and on time.

In case things don’t go to plan, we have clear contingency plans in place to make sure we get your journey back on track as quickly as possible.

When our service experiences disruption, our  ‘Passenger Information during disruption’  document details how we communicate with our customers.

If you’d like to know more about what guidelines we follow, it’s the Approved Code of Practice issued by The Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

Sometimes Network Rail must carry out engineering work at short notice, and we can’t give customers much warning.

We’ll still let customers know as far in advance as we can, and information will be available from our stations and staff, our Customer Services team, National Rail Enquiries, TfL’s website.

Upcoming planned disruption

Sometimes we can’t run to our regular timetable, or have to run a rail replacement service.

To keep the hassle to a minimum, engineering or improvement work is planned for times when it will cause the least disruption, such as on weekends and bank holidays.

Maintenance and improvement work is planned well in advance, so summaries of planned engineering work are published 12 weeks in advance on National Rail Enquiries and TfL Journey Planner.

We try to make full details available as early as possible, and will always notify customers in advance via special notices on Customer Information Screens, scheduled PAs and posters at stations.

Where to access live service information

If you’re caught up in a delay, we’ll always try and keep you well informed, and minimise the impact on your day. You can get the latest updates and advice:

• Via National Rail Enquiries (mobile or web)
• Via The TfL Go app
• Via Station Colleagues at each station (we’re staffed first to last trains)
• Via ‘Help’ points at each station
• Via TfL’s contact centre on 0343 222 1234

We have a dedicated team that works 24/7 in our Romford Operating Centre who work hard to keep an eye on our service and respond to any unexpected hiccups.

Safety and Security

Our stations are accredited by the Department for Transport and British Transport Police’s Secure Stations Scheme. This means our stations are safe and secure environments for both our customers and colleagues.

Many of our car parks include Park Mark signage, meaning they are accredited by the Safer Parking Scheme. Customers can confidently leave their car knowing it is in a safe place.

Lost property inquiries can be made via TfL.

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

How long will the new Elizabeth Line take to travel across London? Projected journey times

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Getting around London on the underground can be a lengthy process with delays, tube strikes , baffling routes and temporary line closures.

Thankfully, the Elizabeth Line has finally partially opened , albeit several years late, with the new Crossrail system promising to cut down commute times.

Upon completion of the £18.8 billion project, the Travel for London (TfL) service will link 41 stations over 100 kilometres from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through central London, to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

And now, commuters and those heading on their summer holidays may be delighted to learn that the Heathrow Terminal 4 station has opened.

So, how long will the journeys take on the Elizabeth Line , both within the city and across the rest of the line?

How long will the Elizabeth Line take to travel from central London to Heathrow Terminal 4?

According to the Crossrail website , Elizabeth Line services from Paddington, in central London, to Heathrow Airport will ‘run every 30 minutes’, with journeys taking roughly 35 minutes each way.

Currently, the route from Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 4 comprises several stops:

• Acton Main Line
• Ealing Broadway
• West Ealing
• Hayes & Harlington
• Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3
• Heathrow Terminal 4

From Monday to Friday, the connection from central London to Heathrow terminals from 4.53am for Terminals 2, 3 and 4. The last Elizabeth Line tube to Heathrow terminals will depart from Paddington at 11.17pm.

On Saturdays, you can head from Paddington to Heathrow from 4.45am, with the last departure leaving Paddington at 11.18pm.

How long will the new Crossrail take to travel across London?

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The Elizabeth Line promises to give 1.5 million more people access to central London within 45 minutes, as well as reducing journey times across the capital.

To reach this goal, the project has required 42 kilometres of new tunnels, 10 new stations, over 50 kilometres of new track.

Here is a breakdown of the sections of the line, projected journey times, as well as when they are expected to begin operating.

Central section: May 2022

Trains will start at Paddington in the West and go through to Abbey Wood and will pass through such stations as Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf.

Example journey times:

• Bond Street to Liverpool Street: Seven minutes
• Woolwich to Farringdon: 14 minutes
• Paddington to Canary Wharf: 17 minutes

New Tube map just dropped 👇 pic.twitter.com/oJdFBzCevd — TfL (@TfL) May 19, 2022

East section: Autumn 2022

This section will run from Liverpool Street station to Shenfield   in Essex, passing through east London areas such as Stratford and Romford.

• Stratford to Bond Street: 15 minutes
• Romford to Liverpool Street: 27 minutes

Eventually, passengers will be able to travel from Reading and Heathrow through central London to Shenfield or Abbey Wood without needing to change trains.

West section: Autumn 2022

This route will begin at Paddington   mainline station and will split after Hayes & Harlington.

One branch will carry on to Maidenhead and Reading and the other to Heathrow   airport terminals.

• Tottenham Court Road to Ealing Broadway: 13 minutes
• Paddington to Slough: 26 minutes

It should be noted that these times are estimations at this point, with the final version of the timetable is expected to be in place by May 2023.

MORE : These are the stations on the Elizabeth Line you can’t use your Oyster card

MORE : Does the Elizabeth Line run on Saturday and Sunday?

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Elizabeth Line: How much quicker will your commute be?

The long-awaited Elizabeth Line opened its doors for the first time on Tuesday morning.

Transport for London has said the line will “transform” travel across the capital and bring in an estimated £42 billion to the UK economy.

Journey times between destinations in central London will be slashed once Elizabeth Line services start running at 6.30am on Tuesday 24 May .

Destinations as far as Reading and Heathrow in the west and Shenfield in the east will be connected to the central section of the line in autumn this year, until which point passengers will have to change at Paddington or Liverpool Street to reach them.

Abbey Wood, in the borough of Greenwich, is set to see some of the greatest benefits once the Elizabeth Line opens next week.

It previously took around 33 minutes to get from Abbey Wood to Canary Wharf, requiring commuters to take a mainline train to Greenwich and then get on the DLR to Canary Wharf.

But now with Elizabeth Line services operating, the journey will be cut to just 11 minutes and require no changes.

The journey between Abbey Wood and Tottenham Court Road has been slashed by around 28 minutes– the single greatest reduction in journey time in central London.

Previously, the journey took 1 minutes and required commuters to take a train to Cannon Street before walking to Bank station to get on the Central Line to Tottenham Court Road. The journey will be made much simpler by the Elizabeth Line, which will take just 23 minutes and require no changes.

Commuters travelling to and from Canary Wharf will also see a noticeable difference in their journey times thanks to Crossrail .

The journey from Farringdon to Canary Wharf will reduce from 24 minutes and three Tube trains to just 10 minutes on one Elizabeth Line train.

Elsewhere, anyone travelling to or from Whitechapel will also notice significantly quicker and simpler journey times.

Crossrail 2022 - In pictures

A typical journey from Whitechapel to Tottenham Court Road can currently take as long as 20 minutes, requiring at least one change on the Tube. On the Elizabeth Line, however, the journey will take just eight minutes with no changes.

Journeys between central London stations will also get significantly quicker. Going from Liverpool Street to Paddington, for example, currently takes almost 20 minutes. Once Crossrail opens, this will be reduced to just 10 minutes.

More benefits will be noticeable in autumn once the central section of the line is connected to the east and west sections. At this time, a journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf - which currently takes longer than an hour - will take less than 45 minutes thanks to the Elizabeth Line.

MD of train supplier Alstom UK and Ireland Nick Crossfield said: “The Elizabeth line is set to transform London and become one of the world’s leading urban transport operations.

“I’m immensely proud of the leading role Alstom has played in the Crossrail project, and will continue to do so delivering reliable, high-quality trains for Londoners.”

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Crossrail: How quick will the Elizabeth line be? Journey times to all central stations

You will be able to shoot from Paddington to Bond street in three minutes

• 12:47, 19 MAY 2022
• Updated 09:30, 24 MAY 2022

The central section of the Elizabeth line is opening on May 24, when the first phase of delivery of the delayed Crossrail project takes place. The service will run through its own tunnels under London, between Paddington and Abbey Wood, and stop at nine of ten brand new stations - Bond Street will open later in 2022.

The new line is about to slash journey times to and from these stations in the capital, cutting the time to travel from Abbey Wood to Paddington by almost half to 29 minutes. Service will start with 12 trains per hour end to end - so a train every five minutes between Paddington and Whitechapel - between 6:30 and 11pm, Monday to Saturday. A special service will operate on Sunday June 5 between 8am and 10pm for the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways. Those travelling from Reading and Heathrow will need to change trains at Paddington and walk to the Elizabeth line station there. Similarly, Passengers from the Shenfield branch in the east will need to change at Liverpool Street Station. When the final stage is complete, set to be on May 2023, a single service will seamlessly connect all stations in the line.

READ MORE: Elizabeth Line fare costs confirmed by TfL

You can now use the TfL Journey Planner to plan Elizabeth line journeys for the initial opening stage if you set the date of travel beyond the 24 May. Current journey times between Reading/Heathrow and Paddington and Shenfield and Liverpool Street remain the same.

Timings for the next stage from autumn will be made clearer closer to the time. However, journeys that will not use the new central tunnels will be roughly the same - for example, Paddington to Slough will still take around 33 mins, as does currently with TfL Rail services.

What impact will the Elizabeth Line have on Berkshire? You can have your say in our new readers' poll

Elizabeth line journey times

These are the platform to platform times for the central section of the Elizabeth line in London, during the peak periods only.

Abbey Wood to

• Woolwich - 3 mins
• Custom House - 7 mins
• Canary Wharf - 11 min
• Whitechapel - 15 mins
• Liverpool Street - 18 mins
• Farringdon - 21 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 24 mins
• Bond Street - 26 mins
• Paddington - 29 mins

Woolwich to

• Custom House - 4 mins
• Canary Wharf - 8 mins
• Whitechapel - 12 mins
• Liverpool Street - 15 mins
• Farringdon - 18 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 21 mins
• Bond Street - 23 mins
• Paddington - 26 mins

Custom House to

• Canary Wharf - 4 mins
• Whitechapel - 8 mins
• Liverpool Street - 11 mins
• Farringdon - 14 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 17 mins
• Bond Street - 19 mins
• Paddington - 22 mins

Canary Wharf to

• Whitechapel - 4 mins
• Liverpool Street - 7 mins
• Farringdon - 10 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 13 mins
• Bond Street - 15 mins
• Paddington - 18 mins

Whitechapel to

• Liverpool Street - 3 mins
• Farringdon - 6 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 9 mins
• Bond Street - 11 mins
• Paddington - 14 mins

Liverpool Street to

• Farringdon - 3 mins
• Tottenham Court Road - 6 mins
• Bond Street - 8 mins
• Paddington - 11 mins

Farringdon to

• Tottenham Court Road - 3 mins
• Bond Street - 5 mins
• Paddington - 8 mins

Tottenham Court Road to

• Bond Street - 2 mins
• Paddington - 5 mins

Bond Street to

• Paddington - 3 mins

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Will the Elizabeth Line run on Sundays? Journey times explained and new route map for Crossrail

Tfl has released an official map showing the route of the elizabeth line.

After years of delays caused by Covid restrictions and overambitious deadlines , the new Elizabeth Line has opened and is running, for the moment, with a partial service.

The Government and Transport for London (TfL) opened the Elizabeth Line just in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee .

It is hoped that the new route will boost capacity and cut journey times for travel across the capital, TfL has said.

However, the entire line won’t be up and running instantly – here’s what you need to know.

Will the Elizabeth line run on Sundays?

At first, the line will operate between Paddington and Abbey Wood from 6.30am to 11pm every day except Sundays, when it will be closed.

It will initially be closed every Sunday – apart from during the Platinum Jubilee weekend – to allow for further testing and software updates to take place.

Currently, passengers travelling from the outer sections of the line (except the Abbey Wood branch) to the central section will have to change at Paddington or Liverpool Street.

TfL says there will be an increased timetable in autumn, and by May 2023, the separate sections of Elizabeth line will be fully connected and services will run to the final timetable.

More from Travel

Where will the new Elizabeth Line serve?

The Elizabeth line will run through the centre of London, spreading out to four peripheral locations – Reading and Heathrow to the west, Shenfield to the north-east, and Abbey Wood to the south-east.

Described by TfL as “one of the most complex digital railways in the world”, the new line combines pioneering technology and design to connect central London with commuter towns to the east and west of the capital such as Maidenhead, Slough, and Brentwood.

Journey times

• The new route will cut journey times between Abbey Wood and Paddington by almost half, to 29 minutes.
• Journeys between Liverpool Street and Woolwich will be halved to 15 minutes.
• Trips between Farringdon and Canary Wharf will take 10 minutes, instead of 24.

Other example journey times:

• Bond Street to Liverpool Street: Seven minutes
• Woolwich to Farringdon: 14 minutes
• Paddington to Canary Wharf: 17 minutes
• Stratford to Bond Street: 15 minutes (autumn 2022)
• Romford to Liverpool Street: 27 minutes (autumn 2022)
• Tottenham Court Road to Ealing Broadway: 13 minutes (autumn 2022)
• Paddington to Slough: 26 minutes (autumn 2022)

Elizabeth Line route map

TfL has released an official map showing the route of the Elizabeth line . For a full high resolution map, click here.

The new central section, which consists of 10 stations, runs through tunnels from Paddington in west London to Abbey Wood in the south-east.

Full list of Crossrail stations

The new Crossrail line will cover 41 stations (not in order):

• West Drayton
• Hayes & Harlington
• West Ealing
• Ealing Broadway
• Acton Main Line
• Bond Street
• Tottenham Court Road
• Liverpool Street
• Whitechapel
• Forest Gate
• Seven Kings
• Chadwell Heath
• Harold Wood
• Canary Wharf
• Custom House
• Heathrow Airport Terminals 2 & 3
• Heathrow Airport Terminal 4
• Heathrow Airport Terminal 5

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Crossrail’s predicted Elizabeth line journey times

When it opens, the Elizabeth line will not just substantially increase capacity on the tube network in Central London, for many people, it will make journeys a lot faster. In some cases, considerably faster, especially in southeast London.

We now have the expected times for journeys along the line between Abbey Wood and Paddington, which will be the first part of the core tunnels to open in just a few weeks’ time, and they confirm that for a lot of people, journey times across London is about to shrink.

It’s not just people who ride on the Lizzie line who will benefit though. For example, people arriving at Waterloo on the mainline trains heading to Canary Wharf on the Jubilee line can often have to wait for a couple of trains to pass before they are able to edge to the front of the crowd and squeeze onto a train. However, when Bond Street opens later this year, it’s been previously suggested that as much as a quarter of the Jubilee line passengers coming from North London will switch to the Elizabeth line, meaning less crowded trains at Waterloo, and so less time waiting to catch a Jubilee line train.

But, back to the Elizabeth line for those lucky enough to be riding on those trains in a few weeks’ time…

The times provided for the Elizabeth line are platform to platform, so I’ve adjusted the current TfL time calculations accordingly. Note that the current journey times are slightly variable from the numbers given because of how often people need to change trains or buses along the route – I’ve taken a reasonable average, but naturally, your personal trip may be slightly different.

At the moment, this is just for the Abbey Wood to Paddington services, as the timetable for the later phases of opening the line will be released closer to the time.

And spot the one trip where the Lizzie line will not save you any time on your journey.

If you’re heading east to west…

From Abbey Wood

*Abbey Wood to Woolwich Arsenal station

From Woolwich

From custom house, from canary wharf, from whitechapel, from liverpool street, from farringdon, from tottenham court road, from bond street.

If you’re heading west to east

From Paddington

*from Woolwich Arsenal station

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32 comments

Bond Street to Canary Wharf by the Liz has four intermediate stops, whereas the Jubbly has seven intermediate stops, and the distances are about 10km either way, so it’s hard to believe that the Liz would take as long as the Jubbly, unless the door mechanisms are significantly slower on the Liz!

That would depend on which Canary Wharf Station was used for the timing. 😉

It is about prices. Will the Paddington to Reading part be part of tfl? And the prices will drop accordingly? May I shall be using the over 60 card?

Those current journey times from Woolwich seem highly unlikely to me; 40 mins to Paddington? The best I can get from CityMapper is 52 mins via the DLR and Canning Town. The direct train between Woolwich Arsenal and Charing Cross alone takes 35 mins.

Try using a more accurate travel app 😉

DLR to Canning Town – 13 min

Jubilee line to Baker Street – 21 min

Baker Street to Paddington – 4 min

Is the “more accurate” app the one that gives you a realistic start platform to end platform time, or the one that gives you the lowest number? (Asking for a friend waiting to get on the down escalator at Canning Town)

It’s the one that doesn’t tell you to take a much slower route that the much quicker ones that are available.

And yes, I did state in the article that I averaged out the numbers, so no I didn’t go for the lowest number, knowing that someone, probably called Paul, would feel compelled to go “ah-ha, I’ve found a mistake!”, and yes, I did include the average interchange times in the journeys.

“The times provided for the Elizabeth line are platform to platform, so I’ve adjusted the current TfL time calculations accordingly.”

So the times above are from gate to gate?

What does the sentence you quoted say?

Looks at the 2018 figures.. https://ukfree.tv/styles/images/2018/Elizabeth-timings.png

These usefully show the travel AND stop (dwell) times.

It interesting that the to-buffers sections have an extra minute (because by law the trains have to come to a full stop before approaching the buffers)

Tottenham Court Road to Paddington currently states 11min! If that was the case I wouldn’t need Elizabeth Line as that’s unbelievable!

Start platform to end platform it’s not unreasonable IMO, you’re talking about 2 mins to Oxford Circus and 8 mins to Paddington with a minute to change.

Could you do to and from Stratford?

There are no direct trains from Stratford beyond L.St until Autumn 2022. You must change at L.St to the low level station until then.

So it opens ‘in a few weeks’. What’s the opening date please?

The opening date has been the same since last year – “As soon as possible in the first half of 2022”

So basically, saying ‘a few weeks’ is completely untrue. We are still in April, if you haven’t noticed. Please correct your copy

The end of June (the latest possible date) is just a few weeks away. What I wrote is not untrue.

Will the fares be the same as the tube in each Zone that Elizabeth line between Paddington and Abbey Wood will run through?

What’s the situation like at Paddington and changing from the terminating crossrail service platforms up to the main station to catch the rail services to LHR?

All step free for people with luggage etc or will it be an awful trek?

It’s a brand new station – you can’t build brand new things without making them fully accessible.

I can’t wait for this! It will be such a benefit. Any idea when the direct line will be from west Drayton to Farringdon and how long it will take? I read that it was 29 minutes which is a massive improvement to my current commute and hassle of at least two trains!! More updates on this please! It’s been long awaited! Thanks!

What is the journey time between Canary Wharf DLR or Canary Wharf Jubilee to the new Elizabeth line station?

Currently I go from Canning Town to Stratford then to Liverpool street, would this make it quicker for me to go Canning Town to Canary Wharf then Liverpool Street? My gut says no but maybe i’m overestimating the change time

Go to Custom House and swap to the Elizabeth line there.

Apart from doing central line type journeys crossrail will not change much. People doing central line type journeys will suddenly find themselves in a gigantic empty space railway, on trains, in stations, and endless walking to get out of the system.

The central line eyeball to eyeball experience may have worn a bit thin so this will be lovely for them. But what about everybody else, not having a whole line replicated for them.

Well I can give everybody else the news they have all been waiting for. What has just been done for central line travellers will be done for them NEVER. Just as well really, because the cost of doing it for cental liners has bankrupted us. (“You lucky people”)

So people on the Bakerloo line won’t benefit from people no longer crushing onto trains at Paddington?

So people squashed on the Jubilee line won’t benefit from the Lizzie line soaking up loads of passengers heading to/from Canary Wharf? Likewise the DLR and London Overground at Shadwell?

So people who use the Met/Circle/H&S lines along the Paddington to Liverpool Street line won’t benefit?

So people living out on the mainline branches don’t benefit from better longer more frequent trains?

So people living in Woolwich who use the DLR won’t benefit from getting a seat for the first time in years?

So people in Abbey Wood wont benefit from vastly quicker journeys into central London?

I am really sorry that there are people in the world as stupid as Ramon Prasad.

Literally 3 out of the 10 stops on the central section of the Elizabeth line are also on the Central line. The Elizabeth line with relieve pressure in the central tunnels on practically every other Underground line (perhaps with exceptions of Piccadilly and Victoria) as well as on National Rail services (Southeastern, Thameslink and C2C)

And what even does “bankrupted us” mean? It “cost” £18billion or so. At least 30% of that will go straight back into the Treasury in taxes on profits and income. The rest will be divided between the workers (you know those people who have to pay their bills), and of course fat profits for the builders, but that’s just par for the course. The construction cost is fully financed by sustainable government borrowing backed by the taxes on the beneficiaries and fare income.

If schemes that would directly benefit those in other parts of the South-East, such as Crossrail 2 or 3 (BML2) are scrapped despite being affordable and sensible, that is really not the fault of the “central line travellers”

Hello Ian, I come in on the c2c from Upminster and am building an idea of getting from here to Canary wharf via a quick change at Limehouse, which is just two stops from Canary wharf on the DLR towards Lewisham, then a shortish walk to the Elizabeth line. But I have also heard that Bond street is not to open yet on the Elizabeth line, and also that parts of the extension onwards to Heathrow are at a premium? Information is still vague… Thanks. Kevan

It has been widely reported on here and elsewhere that Bond Street will open later this year.

There are no plans to charge a premium for journeys to Heathrow.

Hello Ian, Thanks. From Limehouse, accessible options are: Two stations to Canary wharf, and walk through the shops to the Elizabeth line (or Jubilee). Ok if you can walk. 15 minutes on the DLR towards Beckton, to Custom House Excel, from Limehouse. No steps, lifts etc. Brilliant route in a wheelchair, or if yiu struggle to walk. Shadwell, one stop from Limehouse, on the overground, having a lift down towards platforms, and then steps to the actual platform. Totally inaccessible. It all depends how accessibly friendly you need to be. Kevan

Hi, I’m looking to travel between Brentwood and Custom House, It would be great to eventually be able to do this without many changes which I currently have on the jubilee and DLR, will I eventially be able to take the Elizabeth line to Farringdon and do a quick hop over platforms to then continue on the Elizabeth line in the direction to Custom House? Mobility issues mean the easier journey for me is better even if it takes a little longer compared to switching and walking much

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Crossrail: How long it will take to travel the full 73 miles of the Elizabeth line

The Elizabeth line already thrashes car journey times on two end-to-end trips

• 11:29, 25 MAY 2022
• Updated 13:21, 25 MAY 2022

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The big day finally arrived - after four years of delays and billions spent, Londoners got to ride the Elizabeth line for the first time on Tuesday (May 24). Journey times have been instantly slashed - with Paddington to Canary Wharf now taking just 17 minutes, compared to more than 30 minutes on the Tube, in a ‘revolutionary’ moment for London transport.

The new railway for London and the South East runs from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through 42km of new tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. From end to end the Elizabeth line stretches 118km, or 73 miles. Most of you won’t be doing the full length, but for those rare types wanting to travel the whole stretch of the line - from Heathrow or Reading to Shenfield or Abbey Wood - the three lines haven’t all been joined up yet. That means those coming from the east will have to change at Paddington to get to Abbey Wood, or at Paddington then again at Liverpool Street to get to Shenfield.

However, this autumn, the next phase of opening the Elizabeth line will integrate services from the east and west into the new central tunnels and stations. The three railways will merge, enabling seamless services from Reading and Heathrow through to Abbey Wood and from Shenfield through to Paddington (you'll have to wait until next spring for the full Shenfield-Heathrow/Reading route).

READ MORE: TfL reveals total number of Elizabeth line passengers on first morning of trains running

Until then, customers travelling between Reading or Heathrow into London will need to change at Paddington for services into the central section of the route, and customers from Shenfield into London will need to change at Liverpool Street. And yet, even in this first phase…it’s still incredibly quick. Here’s how it compares to travelling by car (and don’t forget - no parking hassle).

Timing estimates are based on Google Maps and CityMapper data and might vary based on train schedules.

How long it takes to get from one end of the Elizabeth line to the other

Abbey Wood to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3

Currently by car: 75 minutes (62.1 mi) via M25

Currently by Elizabeth Line: Around 75 minutes (with a six minute change at Paddington, which will disappear this Autumn)

Shenfield to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3

Currently by car: 70 minutes (57.5 mi) via M25

Currently by Elizabeth Line: Around 100 minutes (including two changes - Liverpool Street and Paddington, both of which will disappear next spring)

Shenfield to Reading

Currently by car: 102 minutes (82.0 mi) via M25 and M4

Currently by Elizabeth Line: Around 78 minutes (with two changes at Liverpool Street and Paddington, both of which will disappear next spring)

Abbey Wood to Reading

Currently by car: 107 minutes (79.7 mi) via M25

Currently by Elizabeth Line: Around 62 minutes (including a six minute change at Paddington, which will disappear this Autumn)

Trains are currently running every five minutes between Paddington and Abbey Wood, Monday to Saturday from 06:30 to 23:00, before stepping up to a seven-day service with (hopefully) 22 trains running per hour at peak times in the central stretch from this Autumn.

Want to get in touch? Email [email protected]

About Josiah Mortimer

Josiah joined MyLondon as the outlet's first City Hall Editor in October 2021, reporting on the Mayor, the London Assembly, the Met police, Transport for London, and wider London politics.

He moved to South London from Brussels in 2015, working in communications for the Electoral Reform Society, and covering Westminster politics as a freelance journalist. Originally from Cornwall, he is now also a proud Londoner. Josiah has appeared on BBC Radio 4, Times Radio, LBC and other outlets to discuss current affairs and general political chaos.

If you have an untold story - whether it's a housing nightmare, an unfair decision or a local scandal, get in touch at [email protected] or contact Josiah on Twitter .

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