The proposed services and timetable on the Elizabeth line when it launches will be more wide ranging than initially proposed. The full timetable will be achieved in two stages rather than three stages planned initially
The launch timetable was going to involve an intensive service on the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood, with services to Shenfield, Heathrow and Reading continuing to terminate at Liverpool Street and Paddington mainline stations. The service would have spooled up in stage with Shenfield services running on to the central section, followed by the western section.
The new launch timetable will see services running between Abbey Wood and Reading/Heathrow plus Paddington and Shenfield. The new timetable will reduce the operational risks of trying to terminate 24 trains per hour at Paddington and realise the benefits of the new infrastructure much quicker. It also enables the service to be launched outside of the timetable change dates that the national rail network currently follows.
The full timetable for the Elizabeth line will launch after this stage of running has been successfully embedded.
The Elizabeth line currently has an opening window in the first six months of 2022,
Source: Elizabeth line committee, TfL