Elizabeth line: Central section sees one million journeys in five days

Elizabeth line trains can carry up to 1,500 passengers

More than a million journeys have been made on the central section of the Elizabeth line in its first five days.

Since opening on Tuesday, more than two million trips have been made across the whole line, which links Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood, Transport for London (TfL) said.

There is currently no Sunday service on the £18.9bn line and trains are not yet stopping at Bond Street.

London's mayor Sadiq Khan described it as a "roaring success".

The project is at least £4bn over budget and opened nearly three-and-a-half years late.

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The Elizabeth line is initially operating in three separate sections - between Abbey Wood and Paddington, Liverpool Street and Shenfield, and Paddington to Heathrow and Reading.

Last Tuesday, transport enthusiasts gathered at Paddington station and Abbey Wood, in south-east London, to board the first passenger services.

The railway, which links Reading to the west with Essex in the east, via central London, slashes journey times for many Londoners.

Mr Khan said he was "blown away by this fantastic new line" that was "fit for a Queen", and he was "proud to see the roaring success".

Howard Smith, TfL's director of the Elizabeth line, said the service had received "a great reception" with hundreds of thousands of customers flocking to it each day.

He said: "It is already having a transformative impact on local businesses and opening up access to new areas of London."

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