Bond Street Elizabeth line station to open on 24 October

• The new station will also relieve congestion at Oxford Circus station and make the area more accessible with step free access from street to train  
• The Elizabeth line has seen more than 45 million journeys, and from Sunday 6 November will run to Reading, Heathrow, and Shenfield via central London as a seven-day service, giving the West End a huge boost 

Bond Street's Elizabeth line station will open on Monday 24 October, subject to final approvals. The opening of the station will further transform travel across London and the South East by providing a new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in Europe ahead of the busy festive period. 

The station will soon be transferred to London Underground, who will operate this station in the heart of the West End. London Underground will conclude their familiarisation and final trials before welcoming the first Elizabeth line customers in just four weeks. 

From 24 October, two brand new spacious ticket halls, with an abundance of natural light, will lead passengers to the 255-metre long Elizabeth line platforms. Both entrances feature columns which blur the line between interior and exterior spaces and help the station fit into its surroundings with the choice of materials: red sandstone at Davies Street, and pale Portland stone at Hanover Square.

The new station is step free from street to train with two lifts, further enhancing accessibility on the Elizabeth line and across the TfL network.  The station will accommodate nearly 140,000 Elizabeth line passengers daily, contributing to an overall station capacity of 225,000 across the Jubilee, Central and Elizabeth lines. Bond Street will start with a train service every five minutes. There will be no service on Sunday 30 October, but from Sunday 6 November, trains will be every three to four minutes, seven days a week.  

Millions of passengers are already using the Elizabeth line with more than 45 million journeys being made across the whole line, since the railway opened in May this year. Around half of those (22 million journeys) were carried out in the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood, and Thursday 22 September saw around 276,000 journeys completed in the central section, the highest daily number to date.

Beside the Bond Street station entrance on Hanover Square is Medici Courtyard which will become the first public courtyard to open in Mayfair for more than a century. This area of public realm was transformed by Westminster City Council as part of the Elizabeth line development in collaboration with adjacent property owners and developers.  

From Sunday 6 November, the lines from Reading, Heathrow, and Shenfield will connect with the central tunnels of the Elizabeth line - opening up new direct journeys across the capital and providing a huge boost to the West End as it continues to recover from the pandemic and gears up for the busy festive period. Customers from Heathrow, Reading and Shenfield will then be able to go directly to Bond Street without having to change trains at Paddington or Liverpool Street mainline stations.  

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Paddington's Elizabeth line station in May to mark the completion of the new railway. During her visit, Her Majesty officially unveiled a plaque to celebrate the completion of the line named in her honour.  

Andy Byford, London's Transport Commissioner, said:

'When we opened the brilliant central section of the Elizabeth line earlier this year, I promised that Bond Street station would open this autumn and I am extremely pleased that Londoners and visitors will be able to use this magnificent station from 24 October.   

'Bond Street was of course the station site that Her Majesty the Queen visited during construction in 2016 to mark the renaming of the railway in her honour. It was also our honour that Her Majesty graced us with her presence earlier this year to mark the completion of the railway.   

'The new Elizabeth line station at Bond Street will be the jewel in the crown of the West End's transport provision. It is truly spectacular and will provide a highly significant new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in the UK, enabling even further connectivity to jobs and leisure for people across London and the South East. I can't wait to see people using this beautiful, spacious-step-free station. It will be yet another huge moment for transport in London and the bright future for city that lies ahead.'

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

'I'm delighted that the new Elizabeth line station at Bond Street will open on Monday 24 October. The latest stunning addition to this transformational line will give Londoners and tourists quick and direct access to the heart of London's West End. 

'Millions have already travelled on the Elizabeth line, and the opening of a station at Bond Street will help draw people back on to our world-class public transport network, encourage people to make the most of the capital and support businesses across the city. It will also provide a new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in Europe as retailers anticipate the 'golden quarter' ahead of the festive period.

'The opening of the Elizabeth line has been a landmark moment, not just for London but for the entire country. As London continues to recover from the pandemic, it's vital that we encourage people back on to public transport and out into our city in order to help build a cleaner, greener and more prosperous London for everyone.'

Transport Minister, Katherine Fletcher said:

'In just a few short months, the Elizabeth line has already established itself as a staple of London's transport network by delivering more than 45 million journeys and creating 55,000 jobs.

'The opening of Bond Street station next month is set to cement its status even further, enabling over 140,000 people to access one of the UK's biggest shopping areas and the heart of the legendary West End, adding an expected £42 billion to the UK economy over the coming decades. 

'London's transport system is its lifeblood and the £9 billion of Government investment which helped the Elizabeth line dream become a reality will transform the lives of millions for generations to come.'

Dee Corsi, Interim Chief Executive, New West End Company, said:

'Today's announcement marks a major milestone for the West End's road to recovery. Following much-improved journey times, flocks of domestic visitors will be able to step out of the entrances on Hanover Square and Davies Street straight onto some of the most illustrious shopping and dining streets in the world. 

'Connecting Reading, Heathrow, and Shenfield to the heart of the capital will give our businesses the momentum that they need as we head towards the busy peak shopping months at the end of the year. With Christmas on the horizon, we are confident that this new service will help the influx of international and domestic tourists alike to make the most of all that this wonderful city has to offer.'

Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council, said:

'The opening of the new Bond Street station is fantastic news for Oxford Street and the wider West End. 
"Not only will it be more convenient for new visitors to take public transport into the heart of our city, it also offers the many local people who work in the area's retailers and restaurants a quicker, cleaner route to and from work - linking our communities and making life easier.

'We're looking forward to welcoming everyone to the city.'

Customers can plan their journeys on the Elizabeth line using the TfL Go app and Journey Planner. Once Bond Street opens, customers will be able to travel to stations such as Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf in 8 minutes and 15 minutes respectively.  

Notes to editors:

• With the next stage of the Elizabeth line from Sunday 6 November, customers travelling from Reading and Heathrow will be able to travel east to Abbey Wood without changing at Paddington and customers travelling from Shenfield will be able to travel west to Paddington without changing at Liverpool Street. Journeys to onward destinations, including to Heathrow Airport or towards Reading, can be made by changing trains on the same platform at any of the central London stations 
• The final timetable, bringing full end-to-end journeys and up to 24 trains per hour during the peak between Paddington and Whitechapel, is on track to be in place by May 2023. 
• Three artworks by British artist Darren Almond have been permanently installed in Bond Street station as part of the Art programme of the Elizabeth Line. The artworks, 'Horizon Line', 'Shadow Line' and 'Time Line' are cast in bronze and aluminium in the same vernacular as the nameplates that historically used to adorn British locomotives. In keeping with this lineage these sculptures where hand cast and polished by the same heritage sign company that over saw many of the network's locomotives 
• Darren Almond's 'Horizon Line', 'Shadow Line' and 'Time Line' at Bond Street station were co-funded by Selfridges and the City of London Corporation   
• The work was created by Darren Almond with the support of gallery partner White Cube