A date for the next phase of the Elizabeth line which stretches more than 100km from Reading through central tunnels across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east has been confirmed – delivering more benefits for Great Western Railway passengers.
From Sunday 6th November, customers will also be able to use the Elizabeth line seven days a week as Sunday services commence for the first time.
Travellers from Swindon wanting to reach the East of the City through central London can look forward to even better connectivity, with a train every 163 seconds between Paddington and Whitechapel during peak hours.
From November those wanting to take in a show in the West End will also see travel times shorten as the new Bond Street Elizabeth line station opens.
GWR regional growth manager Edward Goose said: “We know the Elizabeth line has proved extremely popular with GWR customers who have taken advantage of significant journey-time savings from Paddington into key parts of the city.
“This announcement for the next phase on 6 November is incredibly exciting, delivering even greater connectivity and – with services commencing on Sundays – greater flexibility for our leisure customers visiting the capital at weekends.
“The opening of the new Bond Street station will also be great news, taking passengers to the heart of one of the busiest shopping districts in the UK.
“This will help to make travel on GWR services into the capital even more compelling, attracting new customers across our network and boosting demand as we continue to work to attract customers back to the railway.”
Ahead of the changes, from Monday 5 September, extended opening hours will run on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Abbey Wood from around 0530 to around 2300.
The final timetable, bringing full end-to-end journeys and up to 24 trains per hour during the peak between Paddington and Whitechapel, is on track to be in place by May 2023.
