[title]
Everyone wants a piece of the Lizzie line pie. This city might be marred by delays and strikes, but London still has one of the best transport systems in the world, so it’s no wonder that counties on the outskirts want in. In a debate in parliament this week, MPs were calling for London’s Elizabeth line to be extended all the way to Kent.
Jim Dickson and Daniel Francis, MPs for Dartford, and Bexleyheath and Crayford respectively, asked ministers to consider extending the purple crossrail from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet, where it could link up with high-speed services to Dover, Margate, Paris and Brussels. The MPs were also keen for Eurostar services from Ebbsfleet International, which were cancelled in March 2020, to be resumed.
Francis said: ‘There remains a strong case to extend the Elizabeth line to Ebbsfleet in order to serve residents in the thousands of new homes built there, in order to interchange with high-speed services and hopefully in the future with reinstated services to mainland Europe.’
TfL said an Ebbsfleet Lizzie line would have a direct impact on the development of 55,000 new homes along its existing route between Berkshire, London and Essex.
Some of the earliest plans for the Elizabeth line dating back to 2003 included Ebbsfleet and Dartford on the line.
Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said land along the route remains protected for any development of the proposal. He said he would continue ‘to call for this extension to be delivered in the years ahead’.
This £23 million rapid bus route in southeast London just got a step closer to being built.
What the 2024 Budget means for the future of London’s transport, including new trains for the Bakerloo, Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.