The new timetable has been released for the Elizabeth line showing how services will change when through running from Shenfield to Paddington and Abbey Wood to Reading comes available.
The new timetable comes into effect on Sunday 6th November, but only lasts until Saturday 10th December. That’s because the following Sunday is when the National Rail network carries out its twice-a-year timetable change, so there may be a few modest changes on the eastern and western ends of the line to accommodate national railway changes.
The main change coming into effect on Sunday 6th November is that the Shenfield branch trains that currently terminate at Liverpool Street mainline station will run through the core tunnels to Paddington. At the same time, the Abbey Wood branch that currently runs to Paddington will be extended out to Reading and Heathrow.
That’ll roughly double the number of trains running through the central core tunnels during the rush hours, although the change will mean slightly fewer off-peak trains out to Abbey Wood.
For people eastern ends of the line, the opening of the tunnels means that it will now be possible to catch the Elizabeth line from Shenfield to Abbey Wood without going through Zone 1 or using the DLR, as they can swap services at Whitechapel station.
The new timetable also shows off the new line diagram that will be rolled out inside Elizabeth line trains, showing the fully connected railway for the first time.
You’ll also see the little dotted spurs to Liverpool Street and Paddington, and that’s because some early morning and late evening trains will depart from the mainline platform, not the tunnels, as was always planned.
The timetable is available from here.
Elizabeth line diagram November 2022 (c) TfL
However, as the timetable skips some stations, it does seem maybe a bit misleading not to show that on the line diagram, considering that the Metropolitan line also skips some stations and shows that on their line diagram.
Metropolitan line diagram Sept 2012 (c) TfL
My poor photoshop skills may suggest something closer to this?
Elizabeth line diagram November 2022 – modified by ianVisits
Or maybe not.
Once the November timetable is live, the final upgrade to the line takes place next May, when the line switches from 22 trains per hour in the core during the rush hour to the full 24 trains per hour service.
Regarding the map showing the service pattern are there any trains that call at West Ealing and or Hanwell that continue go past Hayes and Harrington on the main line? Likewise are there any trains that don’t call at West Ealing and or Hanwell that terminate at Heathrow?
Best to trawl through the timetable that’s linked to in the article to find out.
The only exemption will be the very first two trains out of Paddington that go to Heathrow – they will skip Acton, Hanwell and West Ealing. Other than this, only Heathrow trains will stop at these three stations, and no Readings nor Maidenheads will serve them.
If you’re travelling westwards, there’s a train to change to at Hayes & Harlington about six minutes behind.
No news though about Sunday opening for Abbey Wood branch nor on extending evening time up to midnight.
Sunday opening was announced last month – maybe a look at the timetable that’s linked to in this article for last train times?
So now it’s going to take around 15min or more to get from Ealing Broadway to Paddington? Currently it’s around 9min which already feels slow.
As has been ecplained before there is a short term blip due to some issues with train paths and freight trains that will be resolved in the December timetable change or soon after.
Thanks for posting this. I see the frequency of the trains out from Abbey Wood increases by a minute (from 5 to 6). Is that expected to return to 5 at some point?
I don’t travel abroad anymore, but it’s amazing that you can now reach Heathrow in an hour from Abbey Wood!
Are there any trains that stop at Stratford and at Whitechapel?; will there ever be?
Yes – most of them will.
Will it be possible to travel from Ilford to Acton Main Line without changing any trains?
Check the timetable that’s linked to in the article.
I had understood that there would be westbound trains that terminate at the current platforms 17,18 and 19 at Liverpool St, during rush hour. Looking at the timetable starting in November, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Do you know if those platforms will remain unused?
Probably still be used by limited Elizabeth Line trains. Greater Anglia will most likely use them.
C2C considered expanding Fenchurch Street to cope with rush hour traffic. With the Elizabeth Line now serving the central tunnels, Liverpool Street could absorb additional services via barking, unless the Elizabeth Line via Stratford takes up capacity.
You will have to change,same platform, between whitechapel bond St 5 min wait max
Ilford trains stop at Paddington
Action main line is the stop after
Will it be possible to get the line from Twyford to Tottenham Court Road without switching at Paddington? I’m struggling to figure out the timetable
You won’t need to change at Paddington as the train will be going between Reading and Abbey Wood.
One question that nobody seems to be able to confirm to me.Will there ever be a time when I can get on the Elizabeth line in East London/ Essex and Travel to West London with NO changes ?
You will be able to travel from stations between Stratford and Shenfield to stations west of Paddington with no changes from May 2023.
From November 6th this year you’ll be able to go straight through to stations west of Paddington from these east London stations: Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Custom House. Also Woolwich and Abbey Wood of course but I’d say these are south east London!
November timetable – I cannot see any trains going to Ilford or Stratford from Heathrow T4 after 11pm!
Some Elizabeth line maps show Whitechapel as the stop between Stratford and Liverpool Street and others show it only on the Abbey Wood spur. Confused
Will the Elizabeth Line be running on 3rd/4th November?
Route diagram showing the skipped stations akin to Metropolitan line would be much better. How does one petition tfl?
are you running a full service on November 19th 2022? I need to get from Bristol to Heathrow so plan to join at Reading and change at Hayes. T3 arrival needs to be by 10am.
You should ask the train company for information about their plans.
Travelling home from Liverpool Street on the Shenfield train via the tunnels during rush hour is horrendous! Previously, I could be on my platform within a few steps from the street. I now have a long walk through the busy tunnels and have to use three escalators! The trains are running from a single platform and are all arriving full from Paddington, whereas I could pick a nice empty train from the mainline platforms previously. I had to let five trains go this evening before I could get on one, and the platform has a horrible musty smell that brought on an asthma attack – what on earth?! Terrible experience.
You can still use Greater Anglia if you prefer.