London's new Elizabeth Line rail service will finally open to the public on May 24 after a three-and-a-half year delay.
The London Underground Line, also known as Crossrail, will initially run every five minutes between Paddington and Abbey Wood.
The railway will travel through central London, connecting London's Heathrow Airport, Reading and Essex. This will make it easier to reach the ExCeL Exhibition Center in East London, which hosts the Business Travel Show Europe on 29-30 June 2022 via Custom House Station.
The service will not first operate on Sundays to allow engineering work to continue on the new line. Trains will not initially call the new Bond Street station in central London, which is not yet complete.
Transportation for London (TfL) Commissioner Andy Byford said: “The opening day is going to be a truly historic moment for the capital and the UK and we look forward to seeing a stunning addition to our network.”
The line was originally set to open in December 2018 due to multiple delays and cost overruns, but now has a bill of around বিল 20 billion for the crossrail project.
All services from Heathrow and Reading to Paddington, as well as from Shanfield to Liverpool Street, currently operating as TfL Rail, will be rebranded on the Elizabeth Line as part of the launch.
ExCeL CEO Jeremy Rees said the Elizabeth Line would reduce travel time to the exhibition center by “up to two-thirds”.
Visitors traveling on ExCeL from central London will be able to reach the venue in a “short” time of 12 minutes, while the journey from Heathrow Airport will take about 43 minutes.
“Following an unprecedented time for all of us, this year is critical for the revival of the live event industry across London and the UK,” Reese said.
“Today's announcement that the Elizabeth Line will open on May 24 is undoubtedly a game-changer that will revolutionize and lead that revival.”
Business Travel Show Europe is held on 29-30 June at ExCeL London.
