First Elizabeth line trains welcomed into passenger service in east London and Essex

Customers have been given their first chance to travel on the state-of-the-art trains that will serve the Elizabeth line when the new rail tunnels open through central London in December next year.

Following extensive testing and preparation, the train, part of a fleet of 66 that will operate on the new line, is now operating in passenger service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield on the TfL Rail route.

Eleven trains will be introduced on the route by autumn 2017 and will initially be 160m long and made up of seven carriages. They will later be extended to nine carriages and the full length of 200m to carry up to 1,500 people. Key features of the trains include:

• Air-conditioning;
• Walk-through carriages;
• Dedicated wheelchair spaces and additional multi-use spaces for buggies and luggage;
• Intelligent lighting and temperature control;
• CCTV for passenger security;
• Three sets of double doors along each carriage for quicker and easier boarding and alighting;
• Improved travel information for passengers to plan their onward journeys;
• Lightweight materials and regenerative braking that will use up to 30% energy than older trains.

The trains are being built at Bombardier Transportation’s UK site, helping to support 760 UK jobs and 80 apprenticeships in Derby.

The Elizabeth line will serve the West End, the City and Docklands and run from Reading and Heathrow in the west across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, through 40 accessible stations. When fully open in 2019, the Elizabeth line will increase central London’s rail capacity by 10%, carrying over half a million passengers per day.