The first direct Elizabeth line trains between Canary Wharf, the Square Mile and Heathrow airport will start running in November, it was revealed on Tuesday.
This will mean journeys between the capital’s two key business districts and London’s main airport will take just 40 to 50 minutes – and bring the West End within 30 minutes of Heathrow.
The delayed Bond Street station, at the heart of Oxford Street, will open ahead of the second phase of the roll-out of the Elizabeth line, though a precise date has yet to be set.
Transport for London set Sunday November 6 as the date for the next stage of the £20bn line’s opening.
Services from Reading and Heathrow in the west will no longer terminate at Paddington but will run through the new tunnels under central London to Liverpool Street, and vice versa.
Similarly, services from Shenfield and other stations east of London will no longer terminate at Liverpool Street but will continue in tunnels to Paddington.
Services from the line’s south-eastern branch at Abbey Wood will be able to run directly to Heathrow or Reading rather than terminating at Paddington at present.
The November 6 changes will also see the line operate seven days a week. Since its opening on May 24, two-and-a-half years late and £4bn over budget, there has been no regular Sunday service.
A total of 11 million journeys - about 200,000 a day - have been made already on the line, which was built to offer a direct airport link for the business community and to ease congestion on the Central line.
Peak frequencies will increase from 12 to 22 trains an hour in the central section, and 16 trains an hour off-peak.
Heathrow tickets will cost £10.80 off-peak and £11.50 at peak time – up to £7.30 more than the same journey on the Tube but less than half the price of the £25 Heathrow Express service.
TfL said the journey between Heathrow and Farringdon would take 40 minutes during the week and 36 minutes at weekends. Journeys between Heathrow and Canary Wharf will take 51 minutes during the week and 45 at weekends.
Journeys will be quicker at the weekend because Elizabeth line trains will not be slowed by freight trains on shared tracks between Paddington and Heathrow.
The third and final stage of the line’s opening – to allow direct trains to run between Reading or Heathrow and Shenfield – is due to happen next May.
Prior to that, passengers from Shenfield wanting to get to Heathrow are advised to change at Whitechapel, where they can board an airport-bound train on the same platform.
There will be four trains an hour from Abbey Wood to Heathrow. All will stop at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Two trains will spilt off to Terminal 4 and two trains will go to Terminal 5.
The new station at Bond Street will relieve congestion at Oxford Circus Tube station. It will have two brand new ticket halls - one at Davies Street, the other at Hanover Square.
Ahead of the changes, the line’s opening hours will be extended from Monday 5 September, with trains starting at 5.30am and running until about 11pm.
TfL commissionerâ¯Andy Byford said: “When we delivered on our promise to open the central section of the Elizabeth line in the first half of this year, I further promised that Bond Street station would open this autumn and that the next phase of the line opening would also be achieved within that timeframe.
“This will be another giant leap for London’s public transport system, which supports economic growth in the capital and right across the country.”
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “This enhanced capacity on the Elizabeth line will play a crucial role in encouraging people to make the most of the capital.”
Heathrow chief commercial officer Ross Baker, said: “This is a huge step in boosting rail connections to the UK’s hub airport directly linking Canary Wharf with Heathrow by rail for the first time.”
Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “This improved connectivity and accessibility comes at a time when our members need it the most. World-class transport and infrastructure sends the message loud and clear that as a city, we are open to residents, workers and visitors.”
