Crossrail facts for kids
Crossrail is a long railway line in London and the nearby areas of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Essex, England. It is about 118-kilometre (73-mile) long. This railway project has created a new way to travel across London, making journeys faster and easier for many people.
The main part of the line, which runs through central London between Paddington and Abbey Wood, opened in May 2022. This new railway is now known as the Elizabeth Line. It was named after Queen Elizabeth II to honor her long reign.
The Elizabeth Line connects with two existing train routes. One branch goes east from Paddington to Shenfield, and the other goes west from Paddington towards Heathrow Airport and Reading. These connections were completed in stages, creating a full east-to-west route across London. The Elizabeth Line provides a new, frequent service for people traveling to work or for fun.
Contents
What is the Elizabeth Line?
The Elizabeth Line is a modern railway system that runs through special new tunnels under London. It also uses parts of older railway lines. This means trains can travel from one side of London to the other without passengers needing to change trains in the city center.
Connecting London's East and West
The line helps people travel quickly between places like Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west, and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Before the Elizabeth Line, these journeys often involved several changes on the London Underground. Now, it's a direct trip.
Faster Journeys for Everyone
The Elizabeth Line trains are long and spacious, designed to carry many passengers. They run very often, especially during busy times. This helps to reduce crowding on other parts of London's transport network. It also makes daily commutes much faster for thousands of people.
Building Crossrail
Building the Elizabeth Line, or Crossrail as it was known during construction, was a huge project. It involved digging many miles of new tunnels deep underground. Special machines called Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) were used for this.
Tunnel Boring Machines
These TBMs were like giant underground factories. They dug through the earth, removed the soil, and installed concrete tunnel sections all at the same time. Each machine was named after a famous woman, like Ada and Phyllis.
New Stations and Upgrades
Many new stations were built in central London for the Elizabeth Line. Older stations along the existing routes were also upgraded. This included making them more accessible with lifts and wider platforms. These improvements help everyone use the railway more easily.
Images for kids
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Construction of the Crossrail portal at Royal Oak, from a footbridge to the west of Royal Oak Underground station, July 2011
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Construction of Crossrail at Tottenham Court Road in September 2011
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Construction of the link with Liverpool Street at Moorgate, November 2018
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The second Tunnel Boring Machine Ada en route to the Royal Oak Portal, June 2012
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Elizabeth line roundel installed at Seven Kings in 2019
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The Elizabeth line will pass close to London City Airport but no station is currently planned
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Possible Crossrail extensions as recommended in the 2011 RUS
See also
In Spanish: Crossrail para niños
