Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

Meanwhile, from the Metro via MSN:

More observant passengers noticed an odd inconsistency as new signs for the Elizabeth Line were unveiled at Tube stations.

The purple signs say ‘Elizabeth Line’, but travelling around the capital, which is a different style of labelling to other routes, like ‘Victoria’, ‘Piccadilly’ and ‘Northern’.

Economist Daniel Tomlinson tweeted a picture, writing: ‘Feeling very disappointed in TfL^» (Transport for London - about) this morning. Deciding to label it “Elizabeth line” rather than “Elizabeth” is a striking error. As @ClioChris says, are we now to call it the Elizabeth Line Line? Change here for the Central, Circle, and Elizabeth Line Lines.’

So if you find someone looking very confused, and asking staff if it is called the Elizabeth Line or the Elizabeth Line Line, don't be too harsh - he is a leading economist.

I wonder if this should have gone to the Pedantry thread?

[grahame]

I wonder if this should have gone to the Pedantry thread?

Perhaps. Should we meet at Battersea Power Station Station to discuss that?

[TaplowGreen]

So presumably Sunday services will start by autumn, or after that... probably.

There will be services on Sunday 5 June, to help folks navigate during the Jubilee celebrations.

Has Sunday staffing been worked out?  Is Sunday part of the normal working week?  How will staff feel when they are used to a six day week and are later asked to add a seventh?

I don't think that's an issue with TfL^» (Transport for London - about)?

[IndustryInsider]

Not an issue with TfL^» (Transport for London - about) drivers...well, the Elizabeth Line drivers anyway.  As they were all hired from scratch on brand new contracts, more modern Sunday working arrangements and things like Boxing Day commitment were written into them as you would expect.

Other new routes like East West Rail and HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) will also be able to take advantage of a similar clean slate.

[TaplowGreen]

Not an issue with TfL^» (Transport for London - about) drivers...well, the Elizabeth Line drivers anyway.  As they were all hired from scratch on brand new contracts, more modern Sunday working arrangements and things like Boxing Day commitment were written into them as you would expect.

Other new routes like East West Rail and HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) will also be able to take advantage of a similar clean slate.

By the time whatever remains of HS2 is up and running I very much doubt trains will need drivers.

[IndustryInsider]

Mark Hopwood and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s take on the announcement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFvdcKTaFp8

[TaplowGreen]

Mark Hopwood and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s take on the announcement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFvdcKTaFp8

Bizarre - he appears to be talking about it as if it's something to do with GWR.

He says he's going to talk about what it means for GWR and then says absolutely nothing about it from what I could tell?

Must be the first time an MD of a company promotes a competitor who is going to cost his business money - is he hoping to jump over the fence perhaps? Or were all the TfL^» (Transport for London - about) management busy?

[IndustryInsider]

Why will it cost his business money?

[TaplowGreen]

Why will it cost his business money?

People who would previously have used GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services using TfL^» (Transport for London - about) instead?

[TonyK]

I wonder if this should have gone to the Pedantry thread?

Perhaps. Should we meet at Battersea Power Station Station to discuss that?

A splendid observation, Graham! I think that is the only one.

I've decided that the post should stay here, if only because I don't want to be known as the pedant who moved a classic piece of pedantry to the Pedantry thread. We don't want another pedants' revolt.

[IndustryInsider]

The money collected all goes to the government regardless now.

This video might hint at the more collaborative approach that will be taken now between operators.

And, quite apart from that, extra passengers might well travel by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), tempted by the reduced transfer time across London to get to other destinations out of Liverpool Street for example.

It might also benefit GWR to have a few less passengers on certain flows to help balance out loadings.

[infoman]

on the opening of Crossrail in just a few weeks time.

[stuving]

This press release from ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) starts:

ORR confirms green light for Elizabeth line opening
13 May 2022

London’s Elizabeth line has received its final authorisations of its trains, stations, and infrastructure from the rail regulator ahead of its opening on Tuesday 24 May.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has issued approvals for all the Elizabeth line stations – with the exception of Bond Street – confirming the stations and infrastructure meet the requirements for passenger use.

Abbey Wood, Canary Wharf, Custom House, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Whitechapel and Woolwich stations have all been given the green light and issued with authorisations.

Bond Street has been given the go-ahead for safe evacuation procedures only, as it will open for passengers later than the rest of the line.

ORR has also authorised the overall routeway for the Elizabeth line’s track and tunnel infrastructure, to allow trains to run through the central section.

The new railway will transform how Londoners and visitors cross the capital with Paddington to Canary Wharf, for example, taking just 18 minutes.

Transport for London recently confirmed the Elizabeth line will open to the public on Tuesday 24 May...

No doubt that's why there is an extra meeting of TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s Elizabeth Line (née Crossrail) Committee today (with a regular one on May 25th).

[stuving]

Ans now it's ... been opened, nominally, but not so as to make it open. From TfL^» (Transport for London - about):

Her Majesty The Queen visits Paddington Elizabeth line station
17 May 2022
During the visit, Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, met with staff, including Elizabeth line apprentices, drivers, and station staff

• The Elizabeth line will open to customers on Tuesday 24 May, radically cutting journey times, increasing capacity and encouraging people back onto public transport
• The opening of the railway coincides with this year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking The Queen's 70 years on the throne

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, today (Tuesday 17 May), visited Paddington Elizabeth line station to mark the completion of the transformational new railway ahead of its opening to passengers on Tuesday 24 May. 

During the Royal visit, Her Majesty officially unveiled a plaque to celebrate the completion of the line named in Her honour. The plaque will be permanently mounted at Paddington station, celebrating The Queen's connection with the railway for generations to come.

Accompanied by HRH The Earl of Wessex, Her Majesty also met with staff who have been key to the Crossrail project, as well as Elizabeth line staff who will be running the railway - including apprentices, drivers, and station staff. 

Her Majesty and His Royal Highness were joined on the visit by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Transport for London's Commissioner Andy Byford, the Transport Secretary the Right Hon. Grant Shapps, and the Crossrail Chief Executive Mark Wild. 

London is paying for most of the Elizabeth line, with nearly 70 per cent of the total funding paid by London - made up of roughly 30 per cent is from London's farepayers, around 40 per cent from London's businesses - combined with 30 per cent from Government.

The Elizabeth line is already supporting regeneration and new homes, jobs, and economic growth across the length of the route. The new railway is expected to support thousands of new homes and jobs and will boost the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) economy by an estimated £42bn. It will transform rail transport in London and the South East by increasing central London rail capacity by 10 per cent and relieving congestion on many existing rail and Tube lines. It will also transform the accessibility of the transport network by radically increasing the number of step-free stations and providing spacious trains.

In the run up to opening, station staff are making final preparations at the nine new central section stations. Businesses from right around the UK have benefited from work connected to the Elizabeth line. Throughout its construction, the railway has had an extensive supply chain which has supported businesses of all sizes, and jobs and skills creation across the whole country. The Class 345 trains running on the Elizabeth line were built in Derby, roundels and signage for the line were supplied by a family-run business on the Isle of Wight, and a company based in Leeds strengthened and protected London's Victorian sewer networks during construction. 

To mark the name change from Crossrail to the Elizabeth line, The Queen came to see the railway during its construction in 2016. Today's visit builds upon a long-held association between the Royal family and London's Transport network. Her Majesty became the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground in 1969, when she opened the Victoria line.

[Ralph Ayres]

To mark the name change from Crossrail to the Elizabeth line, The Queen came to see the railway during its construction in 2016

...isn't quite how I or my former colleagues remember it. The name change came completely out of the blue to all but the chosen few, and had clearly been foisted on TfL^» (Transport for London - about) by the then Mayor of London (whose name escapes me...). It's hard to abbreviate neatly to fit any text display with a low character limit, and because it's regarded as a separate operation rather than just another Tube line it ends up quite clumsy in places; it always has to have the word "line" included when the others are often just referred to as the Bakerloo, District etc. The Victoria line has of course long suffered from a similar clumsiness but I'm not aware of the same degree of official policy. I look forward to hearing an automated announcement mention the Elizabeth line line!