Crossrail, the Elizabeth line

The Elizabeth line or Crossrail is a new, fast and high-frequency cross-city rail line connecting Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east to Reading and Heathrow in the west of London. Designed to provide faster and better travel experience, the Elizabeth line has spacious, comfortable, and air-conditioned trains, and is servicing new or recently refurbished stations.

The idea of building a cross-city rail line dates back to the 19th century, and  “Crossrail” name was first mentioned in the “London Rail Study” published in 1974 by then Greater London Council and Department for Environment. Approved in 2008 as a new and radical transport network, the cross-city rail construction started in 2009 and was officially named “Elizabeth line” in 2016.

Formally launched on Tuesday 24 May, the Elizabeth line’s central section in now open to public and connects the Eastern and Western sections of the line.

Stretching more than 70-mile (100km) from East to West, the Elizabeth line connects 41 stations including 10 new terminals: Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.

Furthermore, it is fully integrated in the Transport for London network and ensures smooth interchanges with the London Underground, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services.

Each Elizabeth line train has space for up to 1,500 people. When fully operational, 24 trains per hour at peak will run between Paddington and Whitechapel serving up to 200 million people each year.

The Elizabeth line travel times will cut Londoners’ commutes substantially and improve mobility. Journeys between Central London and districts in Essex, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, will brings an additional 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of the Capital. The line will also increase central London’s rail capacity by 10% and help reduce the use of other transport options such as buses and cars.

Examples of the Elizabeth line travel times:

·        Abbey Wood to Paddington 29 - minutes

·        Liverpool Street Station to Woolwich - 15 minutes

·        Tottenham Court Road to Ealing Broadway - 13 minutes when fully operational

·        Canary Wharf to Farringdon - 10 minutes

Canary Wharf has been waiting eagerly for the launch of the Elizabeth line.  Fast travel connections with the rest of the city and increased transport capacity are crucial for this district’s future development as London’s premier destination and a thriving urban hub.

Property values along the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) locations have risen in recent years. Property asking prices have doubled over the past decade in some areas such as Abbey Wood in the east, or Twyford in the west. Rental properties have followed the same trend, with rents rising over 40% in Slough, or 33% in Custom House according to Rightmove.

Property investors and homebuyers looking for affordable locations along the Elizabeth line should consider postcodes close to stations where average property values still sit below that of the wider immediate area.

Top of the list (2022 data) is Southall with house prices -27 per cent compared to those in the wider area of Ealing. Also, consider areas such as West Drayton (-17 per cent), Hayes and Harlington (-15 per cent), Brentwood (-13 per cent) and Ilford (-13 per cent).

Chase Evans branches cover the wide Greater London area and could assist with all your property investment queries and needs.

For buying or selling properties in areas along the Elizabeth line, contact our sales:

sales@chaseevans.co.uk