An Insider reporter took the brand-new Elizabeth line railway to work one morning in London.
Transport for London/Kate Duffy/Insider
- The Elizabeth line is London’s new railway, which offers a different journey option for commuters.
- Commuting on the Elizabeth line in the morning cut my trip by 20 minutes and cost the same as my normal journey.
- However, the train dropped me further away from the office compared to my usual commute.
The Elizabeth line is London’s newest attraction. The 60-mile long railway opened to the public on May 24 after taking 23 years to construct and came with a price tag of $25 billion.
Elizabeth line train.
Transport for London
I decided to take the Elizabeth line to work on Wednesday morning to see whether it would make a difference to my 50-minute commute from West to East London. I set off at around 7:05 a.m.
Elizabeth line in London.
Kate Duffy/Insider
To get to the nearest Elizabeth line stop at Paddington, I had to take the 116-year-old Bakerloo line for less than five minutes. It’s usually cramped, noisy, and stuffy at this time of the morning.
Inside of Bakerloo line tube.
Kate Duffy/Insider
Source: London Transport Museum
At Paddington station, I walked through a tunnel specially built for passengers going between the Elizabeth line and the Bakerloo line. It cost £1 million ($1.3 million) per meter to build this tunnel, Crossrail CEO Mark Wild previously said in March.
Elizabeth line tunnel in Paddington station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
Source: Insider
A lot of stations on the Elizabeth line have artistic ceilings inside. This one in Paddington station is completely different from other stops I’ve visited on the line, such as Canary Wharf and Liverpool Street stations.
Escalators to Elizabeth line in Paddington station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
The train was already waiting at the station when I arrived.
Elizabeth line in Paddington station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
There were clear announcements saying when the train was scheduled to depart and staff in high-visibility jackets were available to help passengers with their journey.
Elizabeth line in Paddington station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
Despite it being rush hour, the platform was extremely quiet. Other stations I stop at on my normal commute are usually rammed full of people as the tube is one of the most common ways to travel to work in London.
Elizabeth line in Paddington station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
I stepped on the Elizabeth line train at 7:13 a.m. and traveled on it for three stops, passing Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, and Farringdon until I reached Liverpool Street, the other side of the city.
Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
My normal commute involves riding on three tube lines, including the Bakerloo, Hammersmith and City, and Northern lines to reach Old Street station. This can take me around 45 to 50 minutes, and costs me £2.60 ($3.26).
Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
There were plenty of free seats in the Elizabeth line train, which were comfy and clean compared with the seating on the three tubes I take to travel on to work.
Seats in Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
The journey was smooth, spacious, and quiet. I noticed it was also very cool thanks to the air-conditioning onboard, which was refreshing during an early commute.
Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
The train seemed to stop for at least one minute at each station, which made boarding and disembarking stress-free.
Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
There was also WiFi available at every station during my commute, which allowed me to scroll through social media and the news before my work day started.
Elizabeth line train.
Kate Duffy/Insider
I arrived at Liverpool Street around 7:22 a.m., but I had to walk around 11 minutes to get to the office — longer than the train ride! The Elizabeth line didn’t drop me as close to my workplace as my usual commute, which is a two-minute walk from Old Street station to the office.
Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
After getting off the Elizabeth line train, I had to step on a huge escalator …
Escalators exiting Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
… and then another one to get to ground level. The tunnels for the new railway are up to 40 meters underground, Wild previously said.
Escalators near Elizabeth line at Liverpool Street station.
Kate Duffy/Insider
My commute to the other side of London cut my travel time by 20 minutes, reduced the number of tubes I have to take, and cost me the same as my normal commute at £2.60 ($3.26). I’ll definitely consider taking the Elizabeth line to work in the future because it was so quick and hassle-free.
Paying by card to exit Elizabeth line.
Kate Duffy/Insider
