Extending The Elizabeth Line
It is generally accepted that the Elizabeth Line has been a success and suggestions are being put forward for the line’s improvement and extension.
This is an index of the various ideas.
- A Branch To The Isle Of Grain
- A Service Between Heathrow And Southend Airports
- An Extension To Southend Airport
- Connecting Great Eastern Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel
- Connecting Great Western Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel
- Connecting North Kent Line Services To The Central Tunnel At Abbey Wood
- Connecting West Anglia Main Line Services To The Central Tunnel
- Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services
- Could Open Access Services Use The Elizabeth Line?
- High Speed Trains On The Elizabeth Line
- Improving The Northern City Line
- Improving The Route To Windsor & Eton Central Station
- Linking To The Chatham Main Line
- London Crosslink
- Piccadilly Line To Ealing Broadway
- Rebuilding Shenfield Station
- Serving South-East London
- Stratford To Walthamstow and Chingford
- Thoughts On The Maximum Frequency In The Central Tunnel
- Will There Be A Need For Long Distance Class 345 Train?
The Anonymous Widower 
The difficulty with pretty all these proposals is the same – the Elizabeth Line already runs saturated as far as train paths is concerned, so there is no capacity for other routes, although one might suppose that existing trains could run further on the same lines, albeit the trains are 90mph max and would be slow even on slow lines. Merging services from different routes would be difficult to synchronise resulting in queueing at the merge point(s).
If run like the Victoria line it might be possible to squeeze more paths, but the 2009 stock carriages are shorter, have 50% more [and wider] doors per unit length, more of the passengers will be already standing and with frequent stops, fewer embarking and disembarking at each stop. It is easy to see why the dwell time of Lizzie Line trains is longer than Vicky Line trains.
Let’s get some solid experience of running it as it is.
One only has to look at the miserable 15-16 trains per hour through the Castlefield Corridor to see what happens if you try and cram in too many poorly coordinated trains, although to be fair scheduling two block long freight trains through it in the rush hour, staff changeover at Oxford Road and blithering incompetence in the ROC have all contributed to the frequent and long delays on this route.
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | August 13, 2023 |
Any extension should not increase the number of branches because that will inevitability reduce opportunities for single seat travel for existing branches. Linear extensions as long as that does not overly diminish available funds to build Crossrail 2 and/or Bakerloo line extension and/or DLR extension to Thamesmead.
Indeed we should consider (from an eco point of view) whether to simplify the branching by removing the possibility of single seat travel to Heathrow, as a minor discouragement to air travel (potentially creating a new outer London railway with Heathrow as a through station and trains travelling onwards along the lines of existing proposals to have a rail link into Heathrow from the southwest into Surrey.) Interchange point maybe at Old Oak common (to encourage air to rail multi-modal onto whatever vestiges of HS2 get delivered)
Comment by MilesT | August 14, 2023 |
I can’t see Heathrow Express lasting for many years.
It uses a lot of resources for not much passenger gain.
I’ve already had two rich American lawyers contact me to ask if I’d take the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow to Liverpool Street and stay in a decent hotel nearby, rather than use Heathrow Express. One even invited me over to supper, as he had a few touristy questions, that needed answering.
Comment by AnonW | August 14, 2023 |
I would restructure both the Heathrow branch of the Lizzie line and the Heathrow express. Free up slots at Paddington (cancel the express, use for other services), debranch the Heathrow branch of the Lizzie line (to increase capacity elsewhere on the Lizzie line).
Lizzie line operates a frequent shuttle from (say) Old Oak common through Heathrow (and an extension beyond is built, discouraging car traffic from the airport). This may also connect acceptably to the proposed West London Orbital. Maybe the airport shuttle train also has branch service to Reading at peak.
Still offering through ticketing on Lizzie Line and rest of underground, no extra cost, and a cross platform interchange (ideally) between airport shuttle and “main” Lizzie line. But not single seat from Heathrow to other destinations
Comment by MilesT | August 14, 2023
No trains from LHR to other places. Well then long haul passengers will simply fly in from domestic airports and transfer in the airport, with the advantage that a missed connection won’t cost them a rebooked ticket at “walk on” prices.
By contrast Manchester Airport has through services to Liverpool, Crewe, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Barrow, Holyhead, Windemere, Blackpool, North East, Leeds and many other places in between.
BTW it is actually best to transfer at AMS, DUB, BRU, etc. as on return your bags stay airside, whereas via LHR you have to claim, clear customs and fully check in again. This does not happen the other way (e.g. in France) where if your final airport has customs you clear there not in Paris.
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | August 18, 2023
A couple of years ago, I had a chat with a station guy at Staines. He was very keen on Heathrow Southern Railway’s plan for an extension of the Elizabeth Line from Terminal 5 to Staines, the buses were full to the airport, when everybody was going to and from the airport.
Comment by AnonW | August 14, 2023 |