London’s “landmark” new Elizabeth line reached a fresh milestone today as Sadiq Khan became the first VIP passenger to take a trip between stations.
The Evening Standard joined the Mayor aboard a unique service from Custom House to Canary Wharf, laid on to mark the completion of half the track that will carry 200 million passengers a year from 2018.
Mr Khan said the trip showed the “huge progress” of the Crossrail project that would transform the travel and prospects for millions of Londoners.
“The opening of the Elizabeth line will be a landmark moment for London,” he said. “It will help us deliver a modern, truly world-class transport system that allows us to deal with the growth in London’s population over the coming decades.”
Today’s special service did not extend to the swish new Aventra rolling stock that will whisk Londoners under the city. Instead, the Mayor was taken on board an engineering train used during construction.
For Mr Khan it was a return visit to a project he saw first-hand as a minister six years ago. “I visited the Canary Wharf station site as Transport Minister in 2010 when construction had just got under way,” he said. “The fact that the project is now 75 per cent complete and being delivered on time and within budget is testament to the hard work of the thousands of men and women.
“With brand new trains and all the stations being step-free, the opening of the Elizabeth line will improve the quality of life for millions of people across London and the South-East and provide a huge boost to our economy.”
Crossrail, which will be renamed after the Queen when it opens, will eventually link Reading with Essex. When finished, it will raise London’s rail capacity by 10 per cent.
