June 2022. Making the best of four weeks off, after the Mediterranean cruise for Danny and Mexico for Timothy, we organised a train trip in England. On the menu: Bletchley Park, the night train to Penzance, the Dartmouth Steam Railway and the Isle of Wight. On the last day, we roamed around London to sample the new Elizabeth Line.

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After the Isle of Wight we returned to London, where we explored the – then – brand new Elizabeth Line and its purple styling. Old lady’s hair purple? You decide. 

The Elizabeth Line is a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London between London Paddington and Abbey Wood; along the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington to Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west; and along the Great Eastern Main Line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in the east. 

The service is named after Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the line on 17 May 2022 during her Platinum Jubilee year; passenger services started on 24 May 2022.

Under the project name of Crossrail, the system was approved in 2007, and construction began in 2009. Originally planned to open in 2018, the project was repeatedly delayed, including for several months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

41 stations on 118 km

The Elizabeth Line is 118 km or 73 miles long. It has 41 stations, of which ten are brand new. 

• Abbey Wood.
• Bond Street.
• Canary Wharf.
• Custom House.
• Farringdon.
• Liverpool Street.
• Paddington.
• Tottenham Court Road. 
• Whitechapel.
• Woolwich.

The stations are spacious and futuristic. They have science-fiction vibe. 

Rooftop Garden

Canary Wharf at Crossrail Place has roof garden. Crossrail Place Roof Garden, as it is called, reminds me of Puerta de Atocha Railway Station in Madrid, or an airport. It’s a nice feature for a railway station. 

Trains

The Elizabeth Line has specific rolling stock: the British Rail Class 345 Aventra. The British Rail Class 345 Aventra is a type of electric multiple unit passenger train built by Bombardier Transportation for use on the Elizabeth Line. 

Seventy nine-car trains have been manufactured at a cost of over £1 billion, with each train able to carry 1,500 passengers. The contract was awarded to Bombardier in February 2014 and the first train entered service on 22 June 2017. 

630 carriages forming a total of 70 units were produced. Like other contemporary commuter rolling stock orders, the trains are open gangway, with no doors between carriages. It is quite special to have such a long view. 

There are no toilets on board. Trains have a mix of longitudinal and transverse seating, and there is no first class section. A train set contains seven or nine cars. 

The trains are separated from the platform by a security glass wall so people won’t fall on the tracks. 

England 2022

1. ENGLAND 2022 | Bletchley Park.
2. REVIEW | GWR Night Riviera sleeper train from London to Penzance.
3. DEVON | Cruising River Dart from Totnes to Dartmouth.
4. DEVON | Dartmouth Steam Railway from Dartmouth / Kingswear to Paignton.
5. DEVON | Paignton – Totnes – Dartmouth.
6. REVIEW | The Channel View Boutique Hotel in Paignton.
7. ISLE OF WIGHT | Osborne House.
8. REVIEW | Haven Hall Hotel in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.
9. ENGLAND | Isle of Wight 2022.