New timetable marks completion of Crossrail project

The line marks its one-year anniversary on Wednesday

Elizabeth line passengers are now able to travel directly from Essex to Heathrow Airport meaning the £19bn Crossrail project is officially complete.

The route's new timetable means for the first time, services will operate from Shenfield in Essex to Terminal 5 of the west London airport.

The number of trains operating through central London during peak times has also increased.

Transport for London (TfL) said trains would run roughly every two-and-a-half minutes between Paddington and Whitechapel at peak times.

'Most popular railway'

On Wednesday, it will be a year since the line officially opened across London.

Construction began in 2009, but the project was beset by delays and went significantly over its budget.

The line was launched in stages, the first being Reading to Paddington in 2019.

The anniversary was set to be marked with strike action, however the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) suspended the industrial action following talks.

Since its opening there have also been complaints from customers about crowding and the reliability of the service.

TfL said more than 140 million customer journeys had taken place on the line so far, averaging at about 600,000 journeys being made each weekday.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the Elizabeth line had become the most popular railway in the country.

"It has proven to be much more than just a new railway - providing a crucial economic boost to the whole country and playing a vital role in drawing people back on to London's public transport," he said.