Happy Elizabeth line opening day to all those who observe. That very much includes the Standard, which has gone Crossrail crazy. Thoughnot as much Vernon Kerswell, 33, one of several people who queued outside Paddington station from midnight to catch the 06.33 to Abbey Wood.
So go on, have your pick at:
- Daniel Keane, who took the train first thing this morning and declares it ‘speedy and gloriously silent‘
- Crossrail’s visionary head of architecture on the story behind the line’s innovative design details
- Inside the Elizabeth line mission control centre
- The weird loophole that means commuters could save up to £10 by tapping in and out during their journey
- How to get hold of TfL’s limited edition Elizabeth Line Oyster cards
- Why, once and for all, it isn’t a Tube line (though I fear this might be a losing battle)
- The top 22 facts about the Elizabeth line with which you can impress your friends/goad losers on the Central line
And if nothing else, click here, scroll down and enjoy all these amazing photos of an engineering marvel.
Having said all that, let’s face it, amid the excitement, this is a strange time to be christening a brand new, £20bn urban train line. The pandemic has accelerated pre-existing trends in everything from remote working to takeaways and online shopping.
Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis is hardly an auspicious moment to unleash any fancy new toy, even one that provides a cheaper and quicker alternative to the car.
Simply put, the business case for Crossrail is different now than when the project first got the green signal in 2008. Transport for London is already facing a financial black hole, and the additional 10 per cent capacity Crossrail will provide the network is no longer mission-critical. That also translates into lower revenue from fares, for which TfL is heavily reliant and far more so than similar big city transit authorities.
But public transport remains the lifeblood of London. And it is vital for avoiding a car-led recovery, cutting congestion and reducing our carbon emissions.
Governments are notoriously bad at predicting the future. Our present administration is frankly so busy lurching from self-inflicted crisis to crisis that it can hardly find the time for navel-gazing. So there’s every chance that future Londoners will hold the Elizabeth line with the same reverence as 20th-century inhabitants did for the capital’s Victorian sewers.
And as for now — don’t tell me you’re not excited for the first time you step on board.
In the comment pages, Mayor Sadiq Khan crows that Crossrail is a prime example of the energy, ambition and boundary-breaking spirit that defines London.
While Dorian Lynskeysays that filling the centre of London with flags is not fascism (if you aren’t aware of the context behind this seemingly uncontroversial statement, you don’t go on Twitter).
And finally, is it possible to culturally consume Harry Styles without knowing a single song of his? Does he even make music? (Does he need to?) Anyway, here he is — ‘earnest and cute in Gucci PJs’ — doing CBeebies’ Bedtime Stories.
