Why I Love the Elizabeth Line 

You missed the strike days, when the London Underground was closed. I can say that the Liz swallowed up all of the passengers from Paddington to the east with ease even with 5 minute increments between trains. Busy but not uncomfortable

It’s so refreshing to see the perspective of London transit from someone who isn’t from the UK.

Crossrail really is a game changer in showing what a modern transit line can be. The general feel and experience of the system is so carefully designed that the whole thing just feels amazingly unified. Just sad that it'll probably be 30 years before we see anything like it again in London

I took the Lizzie Line from Tottenham Court Road to Canary Wharf, and it only took around 10 minutes. I don't think people realise how big London is and it just felt unreal getting from the Westend to the Docklands that fast.

What I found so surprising is that the stations are incredibly quiet. The sound absorption panels are incredible. Plus no screeching trains.

I love the interior. A lot of architects try to go over-the-top with "modern" architecture designs that are are outdated before the work crews leave, and they come up with such a design purely for name recognition. The station just seems to hit all of the right marks in a fusion of classic & modern design. It's truly a beautiful design that will age very well.

I could go on for hours about the amazing architecture on the Elizabeth Line, but the best thing for me was how quiet and comfortable the trains were. It makes such a difference switching from the central line where it’s sweaty and actually painfully loud in a few sections to the whisper quiet and air conditioned comfort of the new line. It’s incredible.

I really like the looks of the Crossrail only stations. Transit is more than just a functional aspect of a city. I believe as it evolves it also becomes stylistically important like the above ground architecture. Good transit is as important to a big city as good working blood vessels are in our bodies. And I hope that the biggest most modern looking stations on the Elizabeth Line are an inspiration to transit builders the world over.

Great to see you with Geoff Marshall. I have a foot on both sides of the Atlantic having spent more that 20 years in Montreal although a Londoner by birth and current abode. I was in Montreal in November and spent a lot of time hanging around Édouard-Montpetit metro station waiting for a bus, and used to use the old Deux-Montagnes commuter line when I lived there, so I enjoyed your video on the new REM station. Yet to try the Elizabeth Line though.

A good test of speed is to start at Paddington, hop on the Lizzy Line to Canary Wharf, then go BACK to Paddington using DLR and Tube, and timing both journeys.

If and when the three separate parts of the line are connected for through passenger trains, it will become much more useful.

I went on the Lizzy Line on the first day and it was fantastic, will definitely go back on it on my Train trips again!

I recommend trying out the Kusttram in Belgium if you're focusing on light rail or trams in Belgium. It connects the towns on the costal line of flanders and is a really interesting topic. Especially Belgian public transport in general has a lot of interesting stuff, just briefly mentioning Charleroi metro. Don't forget to check out Salzbourg and Linz in Austria as well, their public transport system is really interesting as well to talk about! In austria, the capital of Vienna has (in my humble opinion at least) the best public network.

I was absolutely gobsmacked at how quickly you can get across London on the lizzie line. What used to be a 50 minute commute to work has now been cut down to 30. Getting from central London to the east end in 13 minutes blows my mind

We need more projects like this done and quicker. The wonders it will do to the city. I’ve lived in London all my life and the fact that it’s cut my journey time from 1 Hr and 20 during peak times to 25 min to my girlfriends house is just amazing

I think the construction of Crossrail was a very good move for London.

I watch with interest to see how long it will take the signalling supplier to get the full through running working as envisioned. Seamless transition between the central section signalling (CBTC) and the eastern and western section signalling (each having different signalling, so 3 signalling systems in total!) is a huge technical/safety challenge.

I'm thoroughly stunned! This reminds me a lot of the MTR in HK that I miss so much every day. Good job London!

Just came back from a short trip in London. The Elizabeth Line is just enormous. The project is just huge, for example, Canary Wharf Station. Anyhow, it is simply great to see that these huge projects can still see the light.

I live in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich and we've waited years for this - but definitely worth it! It's nice seeing the area getting international coverage 😊

Great vid. I generally use it from canary to central London (TCR) after a transfer from the DLR. It is such an improvement. Cool, quiet and comfortable and now I dont have go go through bank so major bonus

Yo dude, great video. As a fire engineer encompassed within Crossrail project, it's important to mention that safety was a major factor during it's construction. For example, the grills you see above the lighting on the COS, or Central Operating Section stations, actually incorporate a highly sophisticated smoke extraction systems activated by smoke beams located on each platform, cool eh. I'd love if you would revisit the line now that Bond Street is operational. It's a marvel.

Man, it's such a relief to see my country do something right for a change - a much needed bit of good news to see it realised so well. I'm looking forward to my next trip up to London so I can try it for myself!

I agree with the walk through trains, especially when the doors are about to close. With the Madrid Metro, after about a month I started figuring out where the exits from the platforms at the stations I frequented (Alverado, Cuatro Caminos, Moncloa, Arguelles, Nuevos Ministrios, Valdebernando, Lago, Batan)

Recently went to the UK for a short break, arrived T4.. I tried out the Elizabeth line for the first time travelling to Liverpool Street station. Found the staff very helpful and polite, it's a brilliant service to get me home to Ipswich. I travelled at 10 pm from T4 and staff helpful to assist with my ticket I really enjoyed the fast connection to Paddington and Live St. I'll be using Greater Anglia and then to Heathrow from now on. Great job, great service Elizabeth Line well done guys this service is to he best line route ever plus it's direct from T4. Enjoyed my journey, sat back and relaxed on the lovely new carriages very pleasent change I can imagine Londoners will really benefit from this brilliant Service. I'll be back soon guys 😊👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

1:32 lol. That guy simply want to set foot on the station

1:32 person in orange jacket touches foot to platform. Probably to say they have been to every station.

Two of the biggest flows I was expecting and witnessed aren't actually dependent on the through running. 1. From Paddington to the West End (TCR and Bond St when that opens), the City (Moorgate/Liv St and the Docklands (Canary Wharf). The three major employment centres were all a bit remote from Paddington and the mid/long distance services that will continue to terminate there. Linking Paddington to the City is of course why the first ever underground line was built but that's not very frequent nor fast. Many commuters used to walk from Paddington to Lancaster Gate Central line station for onward connections, their lives are now a lot easier. 2. From North Kent (Woolwich and Abbey Wood) to just about anywhere north of the river. For these passengers, the line really is a game changer. The Heathrow, the Thames Valley (to Reading), and Shenfield services will be very good cherries on the cake. Btw, the history of the Shenfield* services is worth a look up if you're into transport, as it was probably the most intensively operated steam commuter service in the world in its day. Look up 'Jazz service LNER' *Correction, it was Liverpool Street to Chingford and Enfield, but still worth a read up

I haven't been to London in a while, but if the Elizabeth Line offered an alternative to the Central Line which would get me where I needed to go then I'd use it. The Central Line was one of the worst train rides of my life. It was oppressively hot and deafeningly loud. The Elizabeth Line sounds heavenly by comparison.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was impressed by the design and the quietness was amazing, the old deep lines in London are quite screechy, you see young kids covering their ears and grimacing....nevertheless... I love living in London.

Reece, you are amazing. Thanks for a brilliant video. I live in Woolwich and I love the station here. I have used the Elizabeth Line a lot since it opened. 😊

That exciting moment when you come home from work and RM uploaded a video. Thank you for your quality videos !

Great video, as always. I think the carriage indicators may have been added to the digital signage in anticipation of the SDO that’s needed at some of the old, former mainline stations (once the sections are joined up). I know that on Thameslink and Overground they announce SDO using carriage numbers because it’s variable per station (depending on where the stop point is relative to the platform)

Fascinating to have such an insightful, non-UK perspective. Thanks. Just a small point, though: apart from some recent designs on the Bakerloo and Central lines, longitudinal seats have always had arm rests.

This is very helpful and it makes me want to visit London! You asked where you should travel to next; I'd love to see videos about South American transit options, specifically the gondola systems like the Medellin Metrocable and La Paz' Mi Teleferico. They're some of the most out-of-the-box transit options, but they've served their cities well.

Absolutely agree that it's a space-time shrinkage. It feels absolutely bizarre to be able to go from Soho to Canary Wharf so smoothly and quickly. I also find getting up to the surface is waaay less long-winded than in tube stations.

And I was glad you singled out the Jubilee line extension, which has some of the best public architecture to be found, in the capital or elsewhere. Keep up the good work!

It’s an miracle, very accessible, efficient, smooth, speedy and classy. As someone who lives on Thameslink, it’s super, super helpful and so glad it’s finally open (just one change to Heathrow for me now!)

Capacious mate, very capacious - you should know, Geoff used this in his Liverpool st vid, after you had handed to him at Tot Crt RD!!!! Its is that thing, well done mate

Was great to see you at Paddington on the morning of the second day, also happy that theres another Woolich fan, easily favourite of the stations.

My first thought when I rode the Elizebeth line was how much the design reminded me of the Washington DC metro design. Both have the tubular spaceship look with soft light and long escalators.

the indirect lighting of the new stations looks amazing...much more calming and cozy

I was in London a couple of days ago and had to change at Tottenham Court Road, but those tunnels are so much bigger than they look on video. it's incredible.

I have to travel from Bristol (South West England) to Essex (South East England) via Paddington, it used to take 90 mins from Bristol to Paddington then a whole hour and a half to then get out to Essex despite the distance being about 1/3 of the first leg. Since the Elizabeth line opened my total journey time from Paddington to my final destination has gotten down to as low as 40 minutes

Those signs that say which carriage you are in (for example "4 of 9") are of particular use if you intend getting off at one of the stations on the outer sections, such as the line from Liverpool Street to Shenfield where the line uses stations and platforms that have been there for decades. Many of the pre-existing outer stations still have short platforms and not all of the train can fit in the station, as a consequence in some stations ... Maryland, Forest Gate and Manor Park as examples ... the doors don't open on the last two carriages so you don't want to be in carriage 8 or 9. Also in some of those stations the exit out of the station is not at the end, but in the middle ... Maryland and Romford are examples of this ... so it is useful to be in carriage 4 or 5. Of course, being a Star-Trek fan, I do get a buzz when I find that I am in "7 of 9"!!! LOL.

Your videos are excelent! Keep up the great work

I made use of it this weekend. Thameslink into the city change at Farringdon to Paddington. 1 change instead of 2+ from my usual station

Looks really nice. Amazing how the lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng trains enter stations so rapidly and depart so rapidly. Looks so super efficient! And less cars on the surface so that kids can play.

Great video! Keep making them, I love to stay updated- and by the way, you should go to see the Sydney Metro City and Southwest when it opens too!

The onboard display software on the Elizabeth Line trains (and the newer Overground stock) is so bare bones 😢 I was hoping it was a place holder for TfL Rail but I guess not! Thankfully easy to change and I hope TfL do!

The part I have to get most used now is the extreme length of the trains, and how I have to be on the right end for a fast transfer and to get to the right town.

Great videoe. I love Elizabeth line as it connects cental London and South London quicker without using tube and the stations looks so sci fi and futuristic

The NYC system has been installing big vertical screens either on the walls or in kiosks at set spacing along the platforms that do display connecting train info & arrival times (much easier to read than the usually single overhead arrival time display on the lettered lines, which may be hidden behind stairs, or a curved platform.) They do rotate between this info and ads though, so if your timing is poor you might miss info about a delay until after you’ve exited the train you were on and it’s already closed it’s doors.

I live exactly between Paddington and Bond Street stations, The line is awesome however I will fully appreciate later this year when it is fully integrated

In the west there is also cross platform interchange at Ealing Broadway between the Central line, and the Elizabeth line and main line trains. At the moment, to travel between the west and east it is probably best to use the Central line and change at Ealing Broadway and Stratford.

Great video. It blows my mind such a large line was even possible when you consider how much is already underground in London (the Tube, power lines, sewers and god knows what else).

I've been working on a proposal for a new link in Sydney for years. I even submitted an early version of it to a 2012 NSW government study. I just realised that it would be the Sydney equivalent of RER or Crossrail, since it would enable through running from inter-urban (regional) lines north of Sydney to inter-urban lines south, south-west or west.

Really good video. You've made me think!

I live near Abbey Wood and Woolwich and rarely go further west than Paddington or to Stratford so it's great for me. I'm not sure much will change (for me) when it's fully operational other than the frequency.

While I'm really excited to see new transport infrastructure in the UK, it's really sad how little there is outside of London. That said - London shouldn't be punished. Indeed, the government's levelling up agenda is being weaponised to justify service cuts in London, rather than you know... investment in the rest of the country. Things get pretty shocking outside of the M25 😬

The reason for telling you which train car you are in is that some of the outer stations have restricted platform lengths. So if you don't know which car you're in, you might find yourself unable to get off.

Sydney Metro is quite similar- it starts off as a suburban link, then goes underground through the city and back out again

When you're used to the victoria line, then you're used to cross platform interchange. Lizzie line is amazing and stunning, but it feels like it's built more for single journeys rather than interchanging. Great vid!

It will be a standard for future projects elsewhere... nice design, and quick. I never understood for example Line 14 in Paris, because it runs parallel to other existing metro lines, but when you actually use it, you understand why, and the benefit of having such a line... same goes for the Elizabeth Line.

Thank you Reece for an excellent video. Did you get uot to Reading, to see the very modern station which has to cope with a very diverse range of rail services, ranging from Inter-Cities through Crossrail to local services worked by relatively small diesel trains?

I went on the Lizzy line last week, and as a long-time veteran commuter, the biggest game changer for me was the AC! So nice to feel cool under ground, especially in the summer. I also totally agree about the noise. I took the Jubilee Line back to Waterloo after travelling on the Lizzy line to Canary Wharf, and OMG the sound level difference is shocking. The Jubilee line is REALLY loud on corners. My kids stuck their fingers in their ears multiple times, whereas the Elizabeth Line was barely audible. I really hope TFL does something to improve the noise levels because I'm sure it's bordering on a health hazard!

Hey RM i agree with the information about the carriages but I think you need to remember that some stations have shorter platforms like Hanwell, Manor Park etc. And they don't want to give people too much information that it may confuse some. I still agree that they should've handled it better. By the way great video 👍🏽

I recently used the Elizabeth Line and comparing it to the tube is a massive difference in terms from getting from A to B and also now seamless going through the new tunnel sections. I live near Heathrow Airport and got the Lizzie line at Hayes and Harlington. To get to Canary Wharf took around 50 minutes. Getting there by tube would take almost 90 minutes due to changing stations from the Picadilly line to Green Park and get the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf. Getting to Woolwich took me much longer by normal tube and rail. But now with Lizzie now in place. It cuts that by half. Let's just say it has brought London much closer and costs the same as the tube.

7:20 I reckon the quietness of the ride compared to the Jubilee or other deep-level Tube lines is because the latter are not air-conditioned, and thus have many openings to allow tunnel noise in. The Class 345 Aventra (and, honestly, any new train this century) is air-conditioned and _sealed._ That sealing makes a _huge_ difference to the soundproofing. Hopefully the New Tube or whatever they end up calling it, which _is_ air-conditioned, will be an end to the ear pummelling. I got to ride the line yesterday (aside: I was going to ride it anyway but as it happened it was basically the _only_ option available. London with near-zero Tube service operating is... fun.) and it was an excellent experience. Whenever people talk about how CrossPurpLizLine is bringing RER-style stuff to London I feel like Thameslink is sitting there all, "Am I a joke to you people?"

0:44 Next: Washington, D.C. please? I'd love to see an "every Metro station" video, especially your thoughts on the National Airport station. Fly into DCA and see just how convenient it is to get into downtown and beyond!

Such a beautiful new system I can't wait to use it myself. Hopefully it's now time to think about improving the UK's entire public transport system fingers crossed.

Service issues for now are noted on announcements on NYC trains and are posted in stations. The big touch screens at some of the mid town stations also help and yes they all need to be improved. I hope that trains like these are put on the Interboro Express once it is built an they should be dual power pick up (third rail and overhead wire) like the New Haven trains so that they can go on all NYC lines: Metro North and LIRR. That way some trains can be diverted into Penn Station, East Side Connect or sent up onto Metro North.

6:00 A year on and this comment is fascinating. I’ll go up to London to see my family who live on the local line out to Reading. What we tend to do is get on the Elizabeth line at Paddington or somewhere else convenient and then I’ll sit on it all the way to Reading whereas they’ll get off partway along. We tend to do this on weekdays so we hit the line at peak hours and it *is* busy but by the time we’ve left Greater London it’s always emptied out enough that we can sit down.

The car number is incredibly useful when you get out to the east and west ends of the line, where the old platforms could not be extended to fit the full 9-car trains.

Excellent presentation.

Greateranglia who also run Liverpool street to Stratford and beyond also have new trains and theirs have more informative screens including basic maps of the train. Great video btw.

If you start in the west at Reading and take Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood, even after the trains run through the central section, it would still be quicker to take the GWR non-stop service to Paddington and change, depending on timings. As the non-stop service is 25 minutes faster than Elizabeth Line

Had the chance to ride the Elizabeth Line for the first time last weekend and the comparison between it and the existing underground is night and day - it really is epic! Also love the LEGO Crocodile Locomotive - is RMTransit an AFOL?

you have to check the new Barcelona Metro series 7000 sets; they have screens that sync up with the train position on the stop so they show which direction to walk for different connections or exits. they just started service on L3

7:36 Sometimes I linger around major bus stops, not to catch a bus, but to connect my phone to wifi of waiting or passing buses. The time it takes for a bus to stop is enough for writing 2 short whatsapp messages or 1 long one😂

When you change lines at tottenham court road it feels like stepping out of a time Machine 😂 if only all the lines were like that..i wish

Have you been to the London transport museum? They have lots of cool information about the history of London underground and at the end theres a shop that sells load of Elizabeth line things. I got a model train of the Elizabeth line for only £15. I completely recommend it. It's in Covent garden on the Piccadilly line not far from the station. About 3 minutes if Google maps sends you by the right entrance which it didn't for me 😂

Love the spaceship feel

It’s settling down doing it’s job well ,how did we manage without it once it’s fully connected even better ,soon we will forget it was late in some quarters that’s already happening ,cheers Reece

Great video! I would love to see a video about the train system in Hamburg, Germany!

One thing I noticed with CrossElizPurp when I first got on was the silence - but then the EXTREME vibrations I encountered travelling from Canary Wharf to Whitechapel. It was actually quite disconcerting.

I like that the seats are facing inward. Infacing seats allow for more standing room. I wish the TTC implemented this on the LRTs.

when you said that the display saying which carriage you are in was kind of useless, it actually is because some stations have short platforms where you can only get off at the front seven coaches.

As a person from perth city, i have went to london before and really liked the elizabeth line to get to the airport and it was very "Modern"

I love that you talked about the costs/benefits of such an expensive project. I live in the DC area and I would be really curious about your thoughts on the Silver Line extension that was also overbudget and delayed. Was it worth it? Why did that happen and how does that reflect on other transit projects in the US? Also, the Purple Line: is light rail the best solution for suburb-to-suburb transit? Is there anything you would have preferred instead? How does that compare to the DC metro's typical style - is it better? Should other cities try projects like it or was it a mistake? I really want to know more about transit in my own city and I haven't seen much content on it that wasn't solely lamenting the cost overruns.

I love your videos 😍 and greetings from Italy

I can't wait to compare Elizabeth Line and the Grand Paris Express😊❤️🔥

i plan to go from hethrow to london when that section opens and i visit as i live nerest that one, though i have family in readding may visit them first

Thanks, Reece. Super video.

Will we be seeing any videos about Dublin's (ailing) public transport? It would be great to see an international perspective on it!

They've been mutterings about a 2nd crossrail line from South to North with a massive hub at King's Cross St Pancras Euston. I'm not sure how recent this will be but I'm not holding my breath for the meantime. This would be useful though especially connecting South London

Thanks for making this video. I hope you can make a video about Crossraiil 2 at some point.

Proud to be Londoner the best train projects happen in London can't argue with a valid point 👌

Wow. I want this style to happen in some subways in Tokyo that connects to suburbs. There are express services (Toei Shinjuku line, Metro Tozai Line) but others, especially Chiyoda line need some Elizabeth line…

One thing the mostly terrible NYC subways does that TFL doesn't is flash the current time on the information (usually next station) displays in the cars (carriages). It's vary useful. The DC Metro has LED signs that only say what line it is - no next station etc!