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Crossrail - Through Running confirmed for November

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DC1989

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Will the staff at the new central stations continue to verbally announce each station the train calls at from Sunday? They'll have quite the job on hand for trains to Reading etc :lol:
 
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AM9

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Will the staff at the new central stations continue to verbally announce each station the train calls at from Sunday? They'll have quite the job on hand for trains to Reading etc :lol:
Waiot and see, - not long now.
 

matt_world2004

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Will the staff at the new central stations continue to verbally announce each station the train calls at from Sunday? They'll have quite the job on hand for trains to Reading etc :lol:
I've seen at Hayes on the timetables that it now says all stations to london Paddington for the Heathrow services. But nothing for reading skip stop services.
 

Horizon22

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As a user with a similar dilemma. Change at Kings Cross or Finsbury Park to head north. I normally use King’s Cross for a seat. Typically only go to Finsbury park if I don’t think I will make the train north (Finsbury Park is a shorter walk and no ticket barriers)

If a seat is important I think people will go for the terminal.

I will do a trip report soon between Heathrow T5 and Welwyn Garden City. Maybe even have a race. I don’t think the EL will win time wise. But the single change could make a better journey. Going the other way I do have a concern about boarding the train.

Only the terminal would be Abbey Wood so not really viable at some users only have the choice of Elizabeth line now. Over the next 6-18 months the amount of GWR trains starting at Paddington serving the same stations as the Elizabeth line is going to reduce. Paddington isn’t as much of a destination as Liverpool Street is, and there is still a lot of interchange there today to other modes so not sure the issue will be as pronounced.
 

Starmill

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Anyone travelling to Heathrow not on the Heathrow express will all have to cry go down to the Elizabeth line platforms often with heavy luggage and hope they can get on the train when it comes in from the core section. I shall be keen to see how it all works out,
It's really not like the older sections of the Underground though with luggage. You won't have to wait too long for the lifts to the platform and there will be plenty of room on the platform to wait for the train.

Obviously the train itself doesn't have anywhere to put your luggage other than holding onto it. But it's easier to board and alight than any Underground trains because the doors are wider and there's no step or gap at Paddington or Heathrow.
 

MikeWh

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Will you have to commit to an operator and a ticket/touch-in before getting to the platform at Heathrow and seeing which is coming first, or how long to the other? I suspect there will be many, particularly visitors, for whom, seeing both show going to Paddington, will just get in the first train regardless.

But the last point you raise will be a problem. Maybe Hex offer contactless and it just works out who you used when you arrive.
Contactless/Oyster PAYG is already available on HEx. You are charged the £25 fare if you use the gates at platform 6/7 at Paddington.
It will be interesting what the destination is at Heathrow once they are going through, I assume it will be "Abbey Wood via Central London". I suspect at the moment the fact that is just London Paddington doesn't help the tourists.
I'm sure they will mention Abbey Wood once that is the destination. Probably Canary Wharf as well.
 

Sunil_P

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I only found out a couple of weeks ago, but the Henley, Marlow and Windsor Central branches all added to Contactless PAYG (not Oyster), between March and May this year.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

It's really not like the older sections of the Underground though with luggage. You won't have to wait too long for the lifts to the platform and there will be plenty of room on the platform to wait for the train.

Obviously the train itself doesn't have anywhere to put your luggage other than holding onto it. But it's easier to board and alight than any Underground trains because the doors are wider and there's no step or gap at Paddington or Heathrow.

I'd rather go to Heathrow via Elizabeth line than the Piccadilly line!
 

ijmad

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I'm sure they will mention Abbey Wood once that is the destination. Probably Canary Wharf as well.

Trains are already shown as "Abbey Wood via Canary Wharf" on the onboard screens.
 

Acton1991

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Will the staff at the new central stations continue to verbally announce each station the train calls at from Sunday? They'll have quite the job on hand for trains to Reading etc :lol:
Almost probably! They all seem to love constantly speaking on the loudspeaker (usually inaudibly) even though the automatic announcements do a better and clearer job
 

LB2

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Anyone know if the 4G in the tunnels last stated as going live “shortly after opening” has any prospect of seeing 2022?
 

Horizon22

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Contactless/Oyster PAYG is already available on HEx. You are charged the £25 fare if you use the gates at platform 6/7 at Paddington.

I'm sure they will mention Abbey Wood once that is the destination. Probably Canary Wharf as well.

It's actually P1-7. If for whatever reason a HeX is diverted to one of the higher platforms, congrats cheaper fare!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Trains are already shown as "Abbey Wood via Canary Wharf" on the onboard screens.

Interesting where they are only going as far as Paddington! But I know what you mean - that is indeed on the PIS in the central section.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

These photos are great! Thank you for sharing. Can definitely see the positive impact TfL have had on stations in the west and east! Slough especially looks a little sad without any purple roundels.

Slough / Maidenhead / Twyford are of course all GWR managed stations so haven't had the full "purple" experience - although I see Maidenhead is hanging on with a few FGW icons!
 

matt_world2004

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London terminals tickets are valid to the first london terminal station on the core

LU tickets marked via Elizabeth line cannot be used outside the core.

I forsee a mess coming up
 

Winthorpe

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London terminals tickets are valid to the first london terminal station on the core

LU tickets marked via Elizabeth line cannot be used outside the core.

I forsee a mess coming up

Yep - it is messy, even for people with an interest in the railway!

I know the Elizabeth Line presents an unusual challenge, but there should be a determined policy that fares should be made simpler at every opportunity.
 

Sunil_P

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As per my "Secret" TfL PAYG stations thread, already did the Henley branch stations last Sunday week, so this coming Sunday, I hope to do Ilford to Maidenhead direct, then do Cookham, Furze Platt and Bourne End, and daylight permitting, Marlow itself.

Wish my debit card luck! :D

EDIT: Ooops, did the Windsor branch with PAYG back on the 12th.
 
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matt_world2004

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Almost exclusively these “tickets” are just people tapping in and out, of course.
The fact that such paper tickets being marked valid on the Elizabeth line are not actually valid on the Elizabeth line is a bit of a disgrace
 

Beemax

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q1. do people who are on thames valley route btwn Reading and Paddington approve what TFL did to their service. A lot of stations got refurbished etc. I think you will find that some GWR customers might decide to switch at reading and then just have one train all the way through, but that brings the question who gets on the Elizabeth Line faster, someone who stayed on the GWR train and changed at Paddington or someone who changed at Reading.
I live in Reading and if I wanted to travel to East London I wouldn't dream of using the Liz Line all the way. Reading to Paddington on the Liz is around an hour. On GWR about 25 minutes (and also has toilets) . Changing at Paddington to the low level Liz line is relatively easy.
 

matt_world2004

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As per my "Secret" TfL PAYG stations thread, already did the Henley branch stations last Sunday week, so this coming Sunday, I hope to do Ilford to Maidenhead direct, then do Cookham, Furze Platt and Bourne End, and daylight permitting, Marlow itself.

Wish my debit card luck! :D
You might be cheaper getting a Thames branches day ranger and a paper ticket between Ilford and paddington or oyster if you can touch in and out at Paddington
 

martin2345uk

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So I guess now a Chelmsford to Reading trip would be most sensibly done by going Chelmsford to Stratford on GA, changing to the EL at Stratford to Paddington, and then changing to a fast GWR service?
 

Acton1991

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I live in Reading and if I wanted to travel to East London I wouldn't dream of using the Liz Line all the way. Reading to Paddington on the Liz is around an hour. On GWR about 25 minutes (and also has toilets) . Changing at Paddington to the low level Liz line is relatively easy.
The Liz isn't really designed for journeys like this, though. It's main purpose is for inner suburban journeys into Central London - I would argue anything east of Slough.
 

Sunil_P

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You might be cheaper getting a Thames branches day ranger and a paper ticket between Ilford and paddington or oyster if you can touch in and out at Paddington
Of course, but I had already visited Henley, Marlow and Bourne End way back in 2011 - this is the rematch with PAYG, along with the intermediate stations.

(also did Windsor Central in 2011, and again with PAYG on the 12th Oct.)
 

Sonik

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I'd rather go to Heathrow via Elizabeth line than the Piccadilly line!
It's much easier and more comfortable, and EL interfaces with Thameslink without having to go anywhere near the tube.

That's a huge catchment area covered end-to-end with full-size trains and a maximum of just one change at Faringdon. Can't see why anyone who can do that would want to change at Paddington.

Similar applies to getting to Canary Wharf
 
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Sunil_P

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Assuming OJP is accurate, some mouthwatering journey times from next week (I put in the 10th Nov, so after the strikes, of course!):

Ilford to Heathrow Central via Paddington = 62 minutes
Ilford to Gatwick Airport via Farringdon = 67 minutes
Ilford to Luton Airport Parkway via Farringdon = 68 minutes
 

Sunil_P

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This is what you get when you have a Putin-sympathiser running the RMT!

(um, only kidding!)
 

mrmartin

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Anyone know if the 4G in the tunnels last stated as going live “shortly after opening” has any prospect of seeing 2022?
Not sure. Haven't read anything really at all - seems to have totally dropped off the plan!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-62090598 - this suggets that TCR will see 4G in the station within 6 months of this article (so Jan 2023). Not sure if that includes the EL parts though?
 
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