Live flight departure times are being displayed at Canary Wharf after the first Elizabeth Line services connecting the business district directly to Heathrow Airport began on Sunday.
It now takes commuters just 45 minutes to travel directly from Canary Wharf to the west London airport, so flight departure boards with real-time information from the airport terminals are being displayed.
It’s hoped the speedy connection will attract international tourists to Canary Wharf - and boost local business revenue - as well as making international trips easier for residents and workers in the area.
“Business travellers and residents who would have previously opted for multiple connecting Tube lines or taxis can now enjoy state-of-the-art travel on the Elizabeth line,” Canary Wharf Group chief executive Shobi Khan said.
“We hope businesses currently taking residency in Canary Wharf will relish the vast number of international business opportunities the extension is sure to bring, and we hope to inspire other businesses and Londoners alike to take up residency here.”
The Elizabeth line has already proven popular, with two million passengers departing at the Wharf since it opened there in May.
It came just a week after the opening of Bond Street Elizabeth line station, which marked the completion of the last new station on the line.
More than two million trips are currently made each week on the Elizabeth line, which has air conditioning on each train carriage, increased luggage space, and a mix of metro and mainline seats.
Services from Reading and Heathrow in the west no longer terminate at Paddington but run through new tunnels under central London to Liverpool Street, and vice versa.
Similarly, services from Shenfield and other stations east of London no longer terminate at Liverpool Street but continue in tunnels to Paddington.
Services from the line’s south-eastern branch at Abbey Wood run directly to Heathrow or Reading rather than terminating at Paddington.
The November 6 changes also sees the line now operating seven days a week.
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.
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.
This will include end-to-end journeys, including from Shenfield to Heathrow, and up to 24 trains per hour during the peak between Paddington and Whitechapel.
