The Elizabeth line could soon be extended to these two locations

Though chronic delays between Paddington and Reading should be fixed soon thanks to a £140 million cash injection, there have been all sorts of problems on the Elizabeth line since it opened in May 2022. And despite the line only being two years old, it could soon be extended to some new areas too. 

When HS2 comes into service in 2030 the Lizzie line will apparently need to be expanded. The influx of passengers changing at Old Oak Common to the purple line means more trains will be needed to ease congestion. The frequency of trains in the central part of the Lizzie line could be upped from 24 to 30 per hour at peak times, while more trains between Abbey Wood and Heathrow would reduce the current wait time of seven minutes between trains east of Whitechapel. 

On top of that, apparently research is being undertaken into extending the line east beyond Abbey Wood and into Ebbsfleet. Another idea that TfL is toying with is to send the purple line all the way out to Staines. This option would combine the Lizzie line with the proposed Southern Rail Line. 

Alternatively, TfL is considering creating a new link using the current stops between Langley and Heathrow. This option means trains that currently run between Reading and Paddington would divert to go via Heathrow.

All of these potential extensions are subject to funding, and TfL is currently in talks with the government to secure funds for new tracks. We don’t know yet whether or when these line extensions will take place, but we’ll update you when we find out. 

ICYMI: The Central line is going to operate with 30 percent fewer trains during rush hour.

Did you see that the ninth London Superloop bus route launches this weekend?