Bond Street station finally opens on Elizabeth line

The Bond Street station on the Elizabeth line has opened, five months after the line went into service.

The new step-free station would "relieve congestion at Oxford Circus and make the area more accessible", Transport for London (TfL) said.

It can accommodate about 140,000 people a day, with entrances at Hanover Square and Davies Street.

The Elizabeth line became operational in May but trains did not stop at Bond Street due to building work delays.

Train services will run every five minutes to begin with and although there will be no service on Sunday 30 October, from Sunday 6 November trains will run every three to four minutes, seven days a week.

The first Tube train arrived at the newly opened station on Monday morning

The station is the last stop on the Elizabeth Line to open

Passengers heading for the West End from Heathrow, Reading and Shenfield will be able to get a direct train to Bond Street without having to change at Paddington or Liverpool Street.

Andy Byford, London's transport commissioner, said it would be the "jewel in the crown of the West End's transport provision".

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He added: "It is truly spectacular and will provide a highly significant new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in the UK, enabling even further connectivity to jobs and leisure for people across London and the South East."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted he was "so proud to be at the opening".

"This station is spacious, stylish and step-free and a huge boost for retail and hospitality in London," he added.

The station has two ticket halls and elevators to allow step-free access.

Its Hanover Square entrance leads into Medici Courtyard which is the first public courtyard to open in Mayfair for more than a century, TfL said.

The line - which was named in Queen Elizabeth II's honour - was visited by the late sovereign in 2016 and again in May where she unveiled a plaque to mark its opening.

At the scene: BBC London presenter Asad Ahmad

Sitting on the first westbound Elizabeth Line train early this morning, I felt I was the only person excited about Bond Street station finally opening.

Other passengers chatted in small groups or they seemed to be engrossed by the contents of their headphones. I concluded many were early-riser workers which keep London moving.

That was before the train pulled away from Tottenham Court Road Station and over the Tannoy it was announced: "Next station, Bond Street".

'I loved it'

Cheers went up along the carriages and I realised there was a small army of enthusiasts equally excited (if not more) about the last remaining station on the Elizabeth Line to open.

Cameras came out with selfie sticks and the light chatter of passengers became laughter and excitement. The train stopped, carriages emptied and videos were recorded.

A handful of train enthusiast YouTubers wearing dinner suits and Elizabeth Line coloured waistcoats took centre stage and were being treated like Hollywood stars.

This was a whole new world for me, meeting train enthusiasts of all races, ages and sexes, under central London's busiest streets and it wasn't even six o'clock in the morning!

I loved it.

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