Monday the 22nd of May has seen the Elizabeth line has now introduced a full peak timetable marking the incredible success of the Crossrail project, bringing benefits such as more frequent services, increased connectivity and faster travel as promised by Transport for London, the Department for Transport and the projects joint sponsors.

The timetable will now see 24 trains operating each hour between Paddington and Whitechapel during peak times and 16 trains each hour for off-peak times. Alongside an increase in the number of trains, peak times have also been extended, creating increased capacity.

For the east, more services will operate at peak time between Liverpool Street National Rail station and Gidea Park and will provide faster travel for passengers using the Bishopsgate entrance.

For the west, an increase in peak services from Reading as some services which had been run by Great Western Railway have been transferred to the Elizabeth line, these services also feature fewer stops.

Reductions n journey times have also been made by removing significant pauses outside Paddington, which will create lower journey times for passengers making their way from the west into the centre of London.

Also coinciding with the timetable change, this week (24th of May) marks the first anniversary of the Elizabeth line opening for passenger services, with the first week seeing incredible success with over 2.5 million journeys made across the route.

Today, as trains run both east and west across central London, the line sees an average of 3.5 million journeys made, of which 600,000 are during the week. Because of these impressive numbers, the pioneering project is set to break even by the end of 2023/24 and has been recorded as being one of the most used railways in the UK.

The Elizabeth line is supporting London and the economy across the country to recover following the pandemic pushing public demand for public transport.

Transport for London has reported that approximately 140,000 extra journeys into London have been made on weekdays and that customer satisfaction is also high with figures revealing scores of 82% in Quarter 4 (2022/23) Customer Satisfaction Survey covering Jan to March 2023.

Accessibility has also been transformed for those travelling on the Elizabeth line, which boasts 41 step-free stations enabling disabled and elderly passengers alongside parents travelling with buggies or those with large luggage the ability to undertake new journeys.

Approximately 30% of journeys on the railway are made either to or from Heathrow are by passengers who might have travelled using Heathrow Express previously.

The new timetable features more regular services to and from Heathrow alongside trains from Shenfield for the east now operating all the way to Heathrow Terminal 5 throughout the day.

Heathrow Airport now sees six Elizabeth line trains each hour, all of which stop at Terminal 2 and 3 alongside four trains each hour, with continue to Terminal 4 and a further two which continue to Terminal 5.

The largest growth in demand on the Elizabeth line is Tottenham Court Road which has seen an incredible 100,000+ additional journeys pass through the station every day which is more than double the figures from 2022.

Large increases in demand have also been seen at Farringdon with 100,000, Whitechapel with 60,000 and Abbey Wood with 30,000 extra journeys made. These figures also demonstrate that demand has almost doubled at the stations since the opening of the Elizabeth line.

Canary Wharf operating as the Elizabeth Line, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway has regularly seen journey demand increase further than pre-pandemic demand for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends. Between Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood, 12 trains now operating each hour, which has returned the frequency to that of when the Elizabeth line opened in 2022, with morning and evening peak times now lasting longer supporting further increased capacity.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “A year since opening, the Elizabeth line has transformed travel across London and the South East and is now the most popular railway in the country. An incredible 3.5 million journeys are made a week, as passengers enjoy the modern trains, beautiful step-free stations and reduced journey times.”

“The Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to our transport network in decades and has proven to be much more than just a new railway–providing a crucial economic boost to the whole country and playing a vital role in drawing people back onto London’s public transport.”

“The introduction of the final full timetable marks the completion of the Crossrail project, and I’m delighted that passengers will have even more frequent services to get them across the capital and beyond. The Elizabeth line is helping to build a better London – one which is safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all Londoners.”

London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord, said: “The Elizabeth line has cemented its place as an integral part of the transport network of London and the South East. It has given so many parts of London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex a real boost with new housing, workspaces, retail and economic growth. The accessibility the line provides is a game changer and has opened up the transport network to so many more people. Seeing millions of people using the line each week is a testament to the hard work that everyone involved in the project put in to get us to where we are today, and we look forward to even more customers using the railway now that the new timetable has further improved the service. The Elizabeth line has clearly demonstrated the value of investing capital in London’s transport infrastructure.”

Transport Minister Richard Holden, said: “Almost a year to the day since the Elizabeth line was first launched, it has already supported more than 150 million journeys and, from today, even more people will be able to benefit from it.”

“I’m proud the Government helped make this possible through its £9bn investment, which has not only helped passengers get from A to B and reconnect with loved ones but also created more than 55,000 jobs right across the UK.”

Sophie Chapman, Surface Access Director at Heathrow, said: “Heathrow is the world’s gateway to the UK and we’re delighted our East London and Essex passengers can now travel quickly and easily direct to the airport. The Elizabeth line has revolutionised London transport and the extension of the service will open up new travel opportunities to Heathrow’s extensive travel destinations.”

Shobi Khan, CEO, Canary Wharf Group, said: “The Elizabeth line has been a game-changer for Canary Wharf – it’s transformed our public transport capacity, reduced journey times and connected to Heathrow in just 45 minutes. Over 5.7 million people have arrived at Canary Wharf via the Elizabeth line since it opened a year ago, with mid-week and weekend travel now regularly surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Crossrail Place at the Canary Wharf station is thriving, with visitors enjoying the fantastic restaurants, bars, gyms and shops, as well as our award-winning roof garden. We look forward to welcoming many more people to Canary Wharf via the Elizabeth line for decades to come.”

Ben Samuels, Global Head of Sales, WeWork, said: “We have seen growing demand for well-connected and flexible office space in central locations across the capital, as companies of all sizes manage their workplace strategies and look to put their right foot forward for both their employees and their bottom line. This is particularly the case for our WeWork locations on the Elizabeth line, which have experienced a strong increase in WeWork All Access bookings and overall appetite since its opening in May last year, as workers prioritise inspiring workspace that is worth the commute in.”

John Lewis, Peabody’s Executive Director for Thamesmead, said: “The Elizabeth line is transformational for thousands of people living in and around South Thamesmead, along with the growing number of businesses and services based here. Excellent transport links are central to our long-term plans to improve and grow the whole town–one of the largest regeneration programmes in the UK–enabling us to deliver thousands of affordable homes, high-quality commercial, cultural and leisure facilities, and outstanding open spaces.”