The faint purple lines are on the map. The safety plans are approved. The Queen has visited. And just before 6.30am next Tuesday, the gates will finally open to millions of passengers. After decades of planning, 13 years of construction and nearly £20bn spent, Crossrail’s Elizabeth line services are ready to roll.
This is still not the finished deal. But its crucial, magnificent core will now be open: the 13 miles of tunnels bored under central London, nine brand new cavernous stations, and digitally controlled trains offering space and speed that underground passengers have never yet enjoyed.
