Elizabeth Line, its opening, route, operating hours.

The Elizabeth Line, the newest addition to London’s booming public transportation network, is set to open to the public this week.

The Elizabeth Line, popularly known as Crossrail, has been widely criticized for being long delayed and over budget, yet it is predicted to increase train capacity in London by 10%.

When the new line opens, a travel from Paddington to Canary Wharf will take only 18 minutes. But what exactly is the Elizabeth Line, where does it run, when will it be operational, and how much did it cost to construct?

What exactly is the Elizabeth Line?

Crossrail, or the Elizabeth Line, is a new passenger railway service that connects downtown London with some of its surrounding suburbs.

The Queen officially opened it on May 17, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The line’s inaugural passenger services will begin this week.

The Elizabeth Line, like the other London Underground lines, has its own roundel, which is purple. On London Underground maps, the line will be shown in purple.

Elizabeth Line services will carry more passengers than regular London Underground trains, up to 1,500 every train.

The new route has been in the works for decades, with the initial east-west Crossrail proposal approved by a government study in 1974.

The proposal was finally approved in 2007, with construction beginning in May 2009. This job took slightly over 13 years to complete after a series of setbacks.

What is the route of the Elizabeth Line?

The 73-mile Elizabeth Line connects Berkshire in the west to Essex in the east, passing through central London.

Reading is its western terminus, and Shenfield is its eastern terminus. Heathrow Airport will also be served by the route, including stops at Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.

Ten new stations have been built throughout the route’s middle and southern parts, while 31 existing stations are being refurbished.