TRANSPORT for London has announced that the Elizabeth Line is due to open on Tuesday, May 24.
The service, previously branded Crossrail, will open for its first phase of operation after more than a decade of construction.
The line will see the TfL rail services between Reading and Heathrow to Paddington overhauled with brand new trains and stations, and improved frequency and journey times.
While the new trains will not feature toilets, they will be faster and more spacious, and contactless payment will be accepted across the new line.
Elizabeth Line signage will be unveiled across the network in the run up to its opening, and updated tube and rail maps will be released later in the year.
Initially, the service will operate as three separate railways, meaning those travelling from Reading will need to change at Paddington for central London.
Work to join the services will begin in autumn, eventually forming a single, unified line, stretching between Reading, Shenfield, Abbey Wood, and Heathrow, via Paddington.
Transport for London is hoping to lead commuters away from driving, and estimates it will add £42 billion to the UK economy.
Andy Byford, Transport for London’s commissioner, said: “I am delighted that we can now announce a date for the opening of the Elizabeth line in May.
“We are using these final few weeks to continue to build up reliability on the railway and get the Elizabeth line ready to welcome customers.
“The opening day is set to be a truly historic moment for the capital and the UK, and we look forward to showcasing a simply stunning addition to our network.”
The service will operate 12 trains an hour on parts of the line from 06.30am-11pm, Mondays to Saturdays.
Trains between Reading and London will continue to run on Sundays, despite much of the line closing for maintenance works.
The Elizabeth line is the realisation of a number of similar plans which have been proposed since World War II.
The first full scheme, branded Crossrail, was submitted to Parliament in 1991, with subsequent proposals in 2001 and 2005.
Royal assent was given in 2008, and construction began in 2011.
It would come to be renamed the Elizabeth line after Her Majesty The Queen visited the Bond Street station in 2016.
