Introducing the Elizabeth Line
The Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to London’s transport network in a generation
The Queen visits an Elizabeth line station for the upcoming opening and unveils the plaque (2022-05-17)TfL Corporate Archives
May 2022
The Central London section of Crossrail, run by TfL, opened as the Elizabeth line. But Crossrail wasn't a recent idea...
Map of Crossrail Scheme (1974-06-15)TfL Corporate Archives
The 1974 London Rail Study is where Crossrail was born
This highlighted the need to provide better cross-Capital links
Map of Crossrail Schemes (1989-01-01)TfL Corporate Archives
The Central London Rail Study in 1989 developed the East-West Crossrail scheme highlighted in the 1974 study
Crossrail Central Area Route Diagram (1990-06-15)TfL Corporate Archives
October 1990
A Government announcement safeguarded Crossrail’s route, ensuring that future land development wouldn’t prevent the scheme from going ahead
Elizabeth Line Tunnels at Bond Street (2014-09-15)TfL Corporate Archives
The Crossrail Act 2008 Gave Crossrail A Confirmed Route
It would run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, with new rail tunnels (and stations) under central London as required
Crossrail Tunnel Boring Machine Phyllis (2012-05-03)TfL Corporate Archives
In 2011 Tunnelling Began
Phyllis, the first of Crossrail’s 8 tunnel boring machines, set out on her journey from Royal Oak Portal towards Farringdon
Crossrail Tunnelling Sequence Diagram (2013-07-15)TfL Corporate Archives
8 machines created 42km of new rail tunnels between 2011 and 2015
Crossrail Archaeology Finds Map (2022-08-05)TfL Corporate Archives
Crossrail's Archaeology Programme
Over 100 archaeologists worked across 40 sites
From the jawbone of a wooly mammoth, and over 3300 skeletons from the Bedlam burial ground, to the remains of Brunel’s train workshops and turntable
All objects of importance were deposited with the Museum of London Archaeology service.
Aerial View of Wallsea Island (2011-06-15)TfL Corporate Archives
Creation of Nature Reserve in Essex
3 million tonnes of material excavated from the tunnels and stations during construction was used to create an RSPB wetland
Tap to explore
Wallsea
The reserve opened in 2015 and by 2021 the RSPB had counted over 30,000 wintering birds across the reserve, as well as abundant wildlife
Queen visits Crossrail Elizabeth line (2016-02-23)TfL Corporate Archives
A Name and A Colour!
In 2016 the railway was officially named the Elizabeth line, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, and designated as purple on the tube map
At the height of construction, Crossrail/the Elizabeth line was the biggest railway infrastructure project in Europe. As at November 2023, the line carried roughly 4.3 million passenger journeys each week.
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.