More frequent trains and new journey options mark one year of Elizabeth line operation

24 April 2023
A train will run roughly every two and a half minutes between Paddington and Whitechapel at peak time with frequencies increased to up to 24 trains per hour in both directions with new timetable

The full peak Elizabeth line timetable will be introduced on Sunday 21 May 2023. 

Peak time frequencies will increase from 22 to up to 24 trains per hour between Paddington and Whitechapel, with 16 trains per hour running off-peak. There will be 12 trains per hour running between Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood in the peak, restoring the frequency that was in place between May and November 2022 to a train around every five minutes. The peak will also now last for longer, increasing capacity even further. 

Services will also run all day between Shenfield and Heathrow Airport (Terminal 5) for the first time, with two trains per hour providing direct connectivity between Essex, east London and west London. 

There is also the addition of more services at peak time between Liverpool Street National Rail station (platforms 15 -17) and Gidea Park, providing a faster route for those exiting to Bishopsgate. 

In the west, there will be an increase in peak services from Reading, with some trains that were previously operated by Great Western Railway transferring to become Elizabeth line services with reduced stops. 

There will also be the removal of any significant pauses for trains between Paddington and Acton Main Line, as has been the case with some trains waiting between the stations since November 2022 while they waited to join Network Rail tracks or enter Elizabeth line tunnels. These pauses were built into the timetable, but customers on these services should see reduced journey times between Reading and Paddington and improved journey times for customers travelling from the west into central London. 

Customers will receive more frequent services to and from Heathrow Airport as part of this timetable. The airport overall will receive six Elizabeth trains per hour all day. All Heathrow trains stop at Terminal 2&3, with four per hour continuing to Terminal 4, and two per hour continuing to Terminal 5. 

Heathrow Airport has also improved signage at the airport, which should make it clearer for customers, particularly those visiting London or using the Elizabeth line for the first time. 

Wednesday 24 May also marks one year of Transport for London (TfL) operating the Elizabeth line, and more than 140 million customer journeys have taken place so far, with around 600,000 journeys now being made each weekday. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Delivering the Elizabeth line has been transformational for our city, with hundreds of thousands of Londoners and visitors now enjoying the fast and reliable trains each day. The introduction of the final timetable next month marks the last milestone of the Crossrail project and will enable the Elizabeth line to provide even more frequent, speedier journeys and better connect the capital." 

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: "The Elizabeth line has transformed the lives of Londoners and the experience for visitors to the city in just under a year of TfL operating the service. With this new timetable, those travelling through central London will have a train arriving around every two and a half minutes, those using Heathrow Airport will have more regular services, and time will be shaved off many journeys from Reading, Heathrow and into central London. Those on the east will also benefit from twice hourly services to the airport, linking Essex and west London on the line for the first time." 

The introduction of this timetable will mark the final milestone of the Crossrail project and provide higher frequencies, greater connectivity and faster journey times for those using the Elizabeth line. Step-free access is available at all 41 stations on the route. 

Notes to editors

  • The full timetable is available to view on the TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/elizabeth-line/elizabeth-line-timetables  
  • If travelling from stations between Abbey Wood and Canary Wharf to Terminal 5, simply take the first train to Heathrow Terminal 2&3 and board the next train to Terminal 5 on the same platform, which should be no more than 5-6 minutes wait. Rail and Piccadilly line travel between Heathrow's terminals is free, including using the Piccadilly line to Hatton Cross, although you may need a free inter-terminal transfer ticket from one of the machines in the station for your journey. 
  • More information about travelling between Heathrow's terminals is available here: https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/airport-maps/travel-between-terminals  
  • Apart from a few early morning trains, all westbound trains Monday to Saturday (from 06:20 until the end of service) will run into central London through Paddington Elizabeth line station 
  • On Sundays there are still some trains that will depart from Paddington National Rail station until 10:18 on Sunday mornings and from 22:02 on Sunday evenings 
  • Acton Main Line, West Ealing and Hanwell stations are served only by trains to Heathrow, so customers for those stations can simply change at Hayes & Harlington for the next train towards Maidenhead or Reading 
  • There will be four additional peak time services between Liverpool Street National Rail station and Gidea Park, as the two trains per hour will run for three hours from May