I Rode the Brand New Elizabeth Line
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- čas přidán 7. 03. 2022
- Crossrail's new Elizabeth line is almost here and opening soon, and TfL had a press day where they invited people down to see the stations and ride the train between Paddington and Liverpool Street. And it's magnificent! Spacious, clean, fast and looks splendid ...
Note - whilst construction officially started in 2009, the first TBM didn't start digging until 2011 which is why I refer to this as the starting date.
Camera: James Taylor
There's also a #PurpleTrain Merch Store, which you can find here: www.purpletrain.store/
My god Geoff . You really enjoyed that didn’t you ? Not seen you that excited about something for a long time. Your excitement is palpable. I love travelling with you . Wow!!
Agreed, it's like we're living our exciting through Geoff, can't wait to ride it!
Can we say that his excitement is purp-able?
@@MQsCues LOL 😂 love it
Purple train go choo choo 🚈
Its very interesting
I have a little claim to fame on this line that I’m quite proud of:
Between Paddington and Liverpool St, I was the first person over the lines. There wasn’t another soul over them before me. How do I know? I drove the loco that took the track in each day, among other things.
It also means I was the first driver to take a locomotive into a new Paddington station for over 100 years. The same might apply for Farringdon and Liverpool St.
Congratss! That's actually amazing you had the opportunity to do that still
Awesome!
We look forward to your memoir then!😀😀
Excellent. I have a neighbour,Welsh chap in his 80s,who told me he used to work on the steam trains in his younger years. Little anecotes like cooking bacon and eggs on a hot shovel. Must have been delicious with a sprinkling of coal dust.
That's actually really cool
Having spent years watching this get built in front of my office thinking "ooh this'll be nice to get into work", I now don't go to any office. Useful :D
Exactly 🤣
Because you lost your job?
@@phillaysheo8 Because lots of people work from home now
@@samsara801 Yes
Hahaha
Hi Geoff
I was really pleased to hear you say how smooth the ride was.
I was one of the Permanent Way design engineers designing the alignment. There was a big worry about getting the track maintenance done so I looked at every curve and what the train speed profile was including the acceleration and deceleration and deciding what the track cant (camber) should be in every case. From memory there were about 75 curves on each track in the new build.
I should also give a shout out to the guys who installed the tracks to our design...
Really enjoyed the video...
The track design team are going to travel over our design bits when it is fully open to celebrate our efforts...👍
Geoff: Look how clean it is.
Also Geoff: How have my hands got that grubby?
That looks exactly like my hand after riding an escalator where the handrail hasn't been cleaned in a while. They're sneaky those escalators.
@@x--. I remember when Jubilee extn first opened the escalator handrails were just like that, rubber rub off?
New escalator hand rail. Needs a few tens of thousands hands to clean off the injection mould release agent/protective coating.
Shop soiled?
Someone in the TfL ticketing office is going “huh… someone charged their Oyster card on the Elizabeth line. Must be Geoff.”
He has a history of affecting least used station statistics!
"The lack of noise tells you how quiet it is." Fantastic!
You can tell by the way that it is
Glad to see Daleks will be able to freely move throughout the new Purple line.
Nothing like having the CEO trapped in the a lift for questioning.
Absolutely love your enthusiasm to test everything even if they are not meant to be working. I would never refund that!
There is a lot to appreciate about the new stations, the flow through, the lack of steps, the consistent signage and branding.
Personally I'll appreciate the modern LED lighting and the way it was been done indirectly.
With Geoff's elevated enthusiasm, it's almost like Mark was inclined to answer that lift question.
@@thorsteinj but surely a cheekier question would have been 'Is it true that the angle of the inclined lift (funicular?) has been designed to match the angle on the graph of the rate of overspend on this project?'
@@j.wellens5660 it’s not funicular cause there isn’t another going down at the same time, I guess the counterweight kinda counts.
Also a time when you can do an elevator pitch I guess
As a wheelchair user, I’m excited to see how accessible these stations and trains are!
Especially them being long trains overground style, can roll until you find a quiet space.
@@kiradotee I'm sure less mobile people or parents with prams or buggies will want to know if they can use the service anytime and be allocated a wheelchair space or whatever without having trouble getting on/off and inside the spot due to overcrowdedness in rush hour which you bet will happen once the line opens because of the general mass of folks on the Underground in those times of course.
I know it must frustrate some less able-bodied people when they can't travel on trains in central London during busy times because they're unable to get a space no fault of other people but through nobody being able to move to let them in out of sheer overcrowdedness so they either have to wait or go in quieter times which to some might not mean accessible for all.
Hopefully, things will be good because London deserves a decent accessible service overall.
@@katherinenarborough2662 as somebody who used to live in hong kong(the country tfls operator is based in) yes, its accessible.
Have you seen that guys channel he's a wheelchair user, he wears glasses and travels around basically bursting in to tears everywhere and complaining to various rail networks and coach companies?
Plus you can do the slalom Geoff mentioned without breaking any TfL vehicle rules 😁 but yes, all that lovely level concrete looks like very easy pushing!
I remember when the Reading - Paddington line started using the purple trains. I was waiting at Burnham for my commute to college and everyone on the platform was visibly astounded and excited to see one of these bad boys pulling into the station. I got onto a carriage near the front only to see you filming, because it was the very first public train using that route! We spoke briefly, and you were very kind. My grandad had actually passed away the day before, so the experience brought me a great deal of joy. I can’t wait to be able to stay on one train and go all the way to the other side of Paddington from my home town!
Grace, I remember this! Hello 👋 you are very kind too, thank you! the new trains and railways are indeed very exciting …
Hi Geoff, we are deep cleaning the stations as we speak!! The bill to clean them each month is eye watering so to save some costs we have had them in "care taker mode" in the last 12-18months. If you want to go to TCR/Whitechapel or Farringdon let me know and I can show you around ;)
what’s care taker mode?
@@eyeaches I don't know.
Good to see Geoff being so excited for this and even wearing purple for the occasion, it's been a long time coming.
his excitement is contagious!
The cultural significance of this moment is beyond words. I’ve been hearing about the #CrossElizPurpLine for quite some time and I’m happy to hear this! I can’t wait for the completion of the line.
I love, absolutely love how excited Geoff was all the time but most importantly when he realised he was the first, yes THE FIRST person to use his Oyster on the Purple Line! Brilliant ina Fast Show style.
@UC1k_QcAJgatjznpj9c4X7ng The cheeky rascal
Everyone deserves to be as happy as Geoff touring a new TFL line 😅
Geoff's face throughout this video.... It's a picture of pure happiness!
The interview with Mark Wild - he can't enjoy it yet, despite Geoff's excitement, simply because his recent memories of this project has been so stressful to him. He has done a fantastic job getting this finished! Well done, Mark.
The architecture on this, so pristine
Agree totally, also have to say that there are parts of it that are really stunning. I saw or read an item, sorry can't remember which, about the wall at Paddington...that featured near the beginning...about it being architecturally significant, it might have been due to its size or the quantity of bricks it contains, but have been and looked at it through the railings and can't wait to examine it more closely. Think I might be one of the tourist visitors when the line opens!
We here in LA are supremely jealous of your amazing public transportation system. Can't wait to visit my sister in Reading just so I can use this train.
The stations look absolutely beautiful, plenty of room and very modern with a subtle touch of class to them. Very nice indeed!
11 minutes between liverpool street and paddington is absolutely nuts!
10 minutes , 19 seconds! and that includes regular stand time at inbetween stations.
Which will not occur as the trains will stop at interim stations....
@@johntomlinson6849 read prev comment pal
@@johntomlinson6849 that includes approx 57sec dwell time per station.
How long does circle line take?
The lack of noise just tells you how beautifully quiet it is. - Love that quote so much^^
I know but i do love some of the noises its just iconic
@@theplayerforty-nine7377 The flange noise on tube lines is hell to the ears
You deserve a lifelong Railcard, that is obviously free. You promote the rail videos for locals and overseas tourists like me. Thank you!
Thanks! 😃 very kind philip! (i have to pay for my fares like everyone else!)
I think Londoners can finally and proudly say they've got a line to surpass the Paris RER. Despite all the delays, the finished article looks absolutely magnificent. I can't wait to try it when I go up to "the smoke".
The enthusiasm is definitely infectious! Don't blame him, the infrastructure looks amazing!
👍Right on!
The best thing is, absolutely nobody at TFL will be surprised to see that journey on your history
This guy is young at heart.. I love people like this honestly
Geoff's boundless enthusiasm for all things rail is a tonic for the spirit.
Agreed! I love trains and he makes me love them even more!
now we need REAL secrets of the Elizabeth line
As a dutch person that loves making videos about transport infrastructure, I really want to go to the London underground now!
As a British person who loves Metro systems, I'm hoping to visit Amsterdam again in the near future (as part of a longer trip to Köln, München and Berlin) specifically to sample the Noord/Zuid Lijn... that all looks pretty good too!
Edited for a typo!
@@marcelwiszowaty1751 Yeah I've been there before. (even shot a video about it) but it does look good! although it was a nightmare to construct. it's very interesting because it's one of the 2 "deep level" metro's in the netherlands
It's not part of the London Underground. It's a regional train line with maximum speed of 90 mph or 150 kph.
@@ds1868 I know it's not the underground
So modern! Looks really brilliant. Love all the lighting around the stations.
Finally! Back in 2016 when I was attending a course about urban topics as a freshman student, the first video the professor showed was Geoff's video regarding the Crossrail and Elizabeth Line naming issues. One year later when I was visiting London, I always passed by the Elizabeth Line construction site near Aldwych. It has been a long way, and I can't wait to see the actual service when I am able to visit London again.
7:15 Some underrated cinematography here!
Can't wait for "Secrets of the Elizabeth line" and "This station is the only one to (insert niche topic)"
Yes, and presumably Bond Street is the least used station? :)
Your energy for transport is infectious. Thank you for the coverage of this new line! Can't wait for it to open!
Having done some behind the scenes inspection work on the Liverpool Street station. It is absolutely fantastic to see you running around with all your enthusiasm Geoff. Absolutely awesome 👍🏻😺
Its so lovely to see Geoff so very excited and enjoying what he is doing, sheer joy in his face, like a young child at Christmas, really made me smile thank you Geoff!!
He even made me excited for the new line and i didnt care about it up until now lol
I am so sold on this whole project Geoff, and I live nowhere near London my closest mainline station is Taunton(down in Somerset). THANK YOU a million times thank you, from the videos of the construction tunnels and the TBM's all the way through till today's instalment and I hope a lot more. As you know the GWR class 800's from the southwest terminate at paddington so what a hub to start from if i wanted to experience the grandeur of the line. I await with baited breath the next installment.
It must’ve been amazing to be there. Y’know, hyping this whole project up for decades and now being part of its history by being the first paying customer (even if it was by accident!) just tied the whole experience together! Can’t wait to check it out myself!
Its beyond me how the engineers have achieved this... its truly amazing !!!! These people deserve OBEs ...... I find it hard enough digging a hole let alone a complete architectural metropolis underground
I like visiting transit systems everywhere via CZcams. Geoff, I especially enjoy the enthusiasm in your presentations. Combining that with the details in this and all your other videos is awesome. I'm happy for you that you've found favour with so many people in the industry so that you get behind the scenes.
Geoff, I love it too! I'm here in New York and my brother sent me the link for this video today, the 8th. Paddington has been my London base when I visit for the last 10 or 15 years so I have a great fondness for it. I'm looking forward to eventually returning and exploring all these new Underground stations. Thanks for your hard work and keep riding the rails! :-)
Hey, Geoff! Thanks for keep bringing this content to your channel. I can really feel your emotion and I was just realizing your childish smile in this particular video just when you said “I’m like a child in a sweet shop”. Would feel the same man.
I really hope that you enjoy the upcoming months and all the excitement the cross rail will bring you. Greetings from Mexico.
Looks fantastic. Great work to all involved. Geoff is more excited than a child at Christmas, love it.
Oh my god. We are getting there. Its opening soon now. I love how exciting it is now and how happy Geoff is and the speed is insane and how quick you will be able to get to.
Congratulations, Geoff, on being the first paying customer on the Crossrail.
Northern man here, very jealous as always of the amazing public transport provision in the capital.
Although I’m a student and use the newcastle metro almost daily, I wish it could be expanded and modernised to this extent.
Here!! exactly this, people have no idea how far behind the rest of the country is. Levelling up my ass.
Love the enthusiasm!! Something very charming about someone just getting giddy over something they enjoy. Looking forward to using it now!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing this with us. Glad you had such a good time, look forward to getting a chance to use this myself.
I look forward to:
1) Secrets of the CrossElizPurp Line, as an addition to the rest of the series;
2) an update to Station Master, with details of the right carriages and doors for each change. 😀
I remember well all the Crossrail fanfare in the 90s - it's crazy that it's taken so long, but also great that we're finally (almost) there.
Crossrail wasn't progressed in the 90s, the Jubilee line was taken forward instead. The original Crossrail plan was put forward in the 1970s, but yeah we should really just about to be opening Crossrail 4 if everyone had got their acts together in the 70s!
When are we going to get the North-South Crossrail? And will it be called the Philip line?
The general resurgence of railways in this country is amazing and your enthusiasm for Crossrail is a joy to watch. I spent a lot of time working in and around London and can only ruefully regret that this was not built decades ago. As I live in Cornwall now, it may be a while before I ride these rails.... but I will!
I’m a postgrad up in Glasgow from the states. Can’t wait to visit London again soon. Especially to try this line. Thanks for your videos Geoff!!
When I started uni I was watching Geoff talk about crosselizpurp train getting excited for it to open, and now I’m nearly done with my masters and it’s so exciting that it’s about to open!!!
Congragulations and thank you to all the team members who worked hard to build the Elizabeth Line
Looks great, looking forward to using it! For all the thought that's clearly gone into every aspect of the line, it's amazing that they still went for hideous seat covers.
Love the purple shirt for the purple train!
Hi Geoff, thanks for sharing an excellent video. I actually live in Melbourne Australia and your train trip reminded me of when I went for the first time on the Eastern Suburbs Railway (ESR) in Sydney Australia back in 1979. Most of the stations were brand new and very futuristic looking making it a truly exciting event. All the very best. Robert.
You should do a Paddington to Liverpool Street (or another station to station when the line opens in full) challenge when the line opens. One person uses the Elizabeth Line and the other uses the underground to see how much quicker you can get across London. You could also do it the full length before and after.
Edit: I really need to visit London again. Just for Crossrails sake. I love how it's so fast and frequent but goes as far out as a commuter town like Reading. It's like a metro mixed with a commuter line and a mainline.
Yes. Needs to be done.
I reckon the most interesting comparisons would actually be where either origin or destination weren't on Crossrail. Waterloo to Stratford by 3/4 different routes would be a good test. There are lots of options but I suspect the most competitive would be:
- Northern/Crossrail (comparing before and after through running at Liverpool St)
- Northern/Central
- Jubilee (no changes)
- W&C / Central
(others could include DLR Bank-Stratford or taking the Bakerloo instead of the Northern to test the ease of making those connections)
Waterloo to Canary Wharf might also be interesting but I suspect the Jubilee would normally win that one unless there was disruption.
@@peeky44 I wonder once Crossrail starts, will the Jubilee get more reliable ?
I think the concept is strongly inspired by the Paris RER Network .. Old suburban lines connected by a direct, high-speed tunnel, crossing the heart of the city, and allowing metro connections.
Considering how long the walk is to the h+c/circle platforms, you will likely be halfway there while they're still on the platform.
What a fantastic report you made here. Your excitement is genuine, I can't wait for the Elizabeth Line to open!
Brilliant sir! You were soooo very excited - and I am eminently happy that you were the first-ever paying passenger on this historic new railway line. I will be amongst those leisure crowds on the Line later this year when I make my way back to London when the Green Bay Packers play what is scheduled as a "home match" at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium sometime this Fall or early Winter (the exact data and opponent are yet to be announced) ... can't wait for both experiences! (And agreed ... never refund that fare ... it truly is a singularly unique bit of history ... all the more special for all of us that it was you!!
That was a great vid. Those new station are hugely impressive and the sheer silence those purple trains run in is amazing. Can see why it's taken so long. Next job fot TfL, upgrade the entire rest of the system. I wonder if they even could in today's climate? Good job Geoff and good job TfL.
Geoff, this is a wonderful vlog. When Mark said he appreciates the public sticking with it mad me chuckle, we haven't had a choice.. But seeing on your channel and a tv programme all the work that's gone into this it'll be worth the wait.
Great video, Geoff. Just love your excitement with this wonderful new railway!
Dear Geoff. I'm am ex-pat living in New Zealand. I wanted to get an update on the Elizabeth line, so searched on CZcams, and came across this video. I love your combination of expertise and enthusiasm (example of the latter: "It's shiny, and silver, and purple!"), so it's led me to watching many of your other videos. I wouldn't call myself a transport nerd by any stretch, but I do really enjoy a train ride, and miss what's available in the UK. Unfortunately, although NZ has some famous tourism rail journeys, it's not generally well served by railways, so I appreciate your channel. All the best from the other side of the world.
It's good to see Geoff so happy. You really get that feeling vicariously.
(Still a bit amazing just how late it all is though... and still not fully ready with that phased-in launch.)
Interesting when I think about how much the length is such a big "thing" regarding Crossrail. I've been on the San Francisco BART system and it's actually longer with equivalent 9-car trains, but then they even have 10-car trains! It doesn't feel as long though because they aren't walk-through.
That was my little fun fact to this great video. I rode the purple train rolling stock a few years ago in whatever above ground section they were first deployed on. I gotta get myself a trip to London this year to see the new underground stations. I like these new trends in station design. A lot more focus on lighting, space, accessibility, and safety with the platform screen doors. Also your enthusiasm is so infectious and wonderful to watch as a fellow rail nerd.
Really enjoyed watching you experience this, the joy splashes off the screen! Quality content I'm here for
Thank you for the video Geoff that was very interesting. Great information too.
I'm very excited about this, I can't wait to see it open. Will make getting to Heathrow so much easier (and cheaper than Heathrow Express) In my teens I used to commute across London by underground, I look forwards to getting a day ticket and exploring the stations etc.
Geoff is so excited that he makes me excited and I went to watch the whole video again. Top work Geoff.
Hi Geoff I went to Liverpool Street with my grandad today and I discovered Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line station and the roundel I burst out crying cause I’m really desperate to go on the first section of the Elizabeth Line from Paddington to abbey wood and this video is absolutely amazing I love watching your videos they make me happy especially the Elizabeth Line and crossrail ones matt McVeigh
I smiled all the way through that. Your enthusiasm is infectious. And the purple roundels are 😍
I just found out recently that I’m acquainted with someone who loves this channel as much as I do. Great work, Geoff!
Geoff looks like he's about to explode from excitement. Literally.
nerdgasm
Thanks Geoff, definitely a kid in a candy shop and so you should be. Such an enjoyable watch and thanks for sharing!
I lived in Surrey/south west London a few years ago. I used to get the all zone, all day rider ticket, on a Sunday, when I was bored! I used to travel from Surbiton to Waterloo, and then hop on a tube to wherever. It was a fun way to explore Surrey and London by bus and tube. Your enjoyment and enthusiasm for the railways shines through.
amazing, i love trains and seeing videos like this, when and if i find out the opening day on time i might do a day 1 Terminus challenge, and i might see you there, what an awesome video Geoff, i look forward to the next one, until then ciao
Thank you Geoff for such exiting and well-made videos. They have inspired me and a lot of other people to create train videos themselves. Here in Perth, Australia, the new Airport Line will open soon as the first fully underground service, pretty similar to this. I will feel much the same as you did in this video, and I hope I can at least make a video that is a quarter as good as this amazing work!
the ELIZABETH line station's are so beautifull that they looks more like an Airports
Seeing you that excited was beautiful!
And seeing your excitement next to all the other press was hilarious! That’s me when I visit the tube one holiday 😝
Great video Geoff. Wow these platforms and walkways at Paddington and Liverpool Street/Moorgate are enormous and they make the light tunnel vortex at Kings Cross/St Pancras look tiny by comparison.
The Elizabeth Line looks great!
I've been for some time in 2010 in London and remember the buzz about building the Crossrail. Exciting to see that construction has come to an end! There has so much happend since then in London.
I don't have a particular fascination with trains and tubes, but I subscribe because your enthusiasm is infectious! I love that passion, and you make the subject interesting!
A historic ride for you! Congratulations!
Not long now until the whole line is fully opened! Could be giving this a ride the next time I come to london
Someone at Oyster rolling their eyes. "Geoff, again, riding a line that's not open yet."
Anyone who lives or works in London has been hearing about this project and the work for sooooooooo long.
It's great to see it finally opened.
Good to see faces again, think Crossrail will stick, fabulous civil engineering and addition to the national rail map
I can feel the energy through the screen
He should do something special with that Oyster!
I don't live anywhere near London, and don't really use or like trains, but I just love the way you talk on camera, your videos bring a smile to my face, no matter the subject!
Nice one Geoff - really enjoyed your video and production (as always) but your enthusiasm and general love of everything was the best!
I'm happy that Paddington will now be a full in-station interchange between the two Tube station areas. How wonderful, Geoff! I'm guessing the number of lighted pylons is equivalent to a fifteen-storey building!
Only changes between the Bakerloo, Circle & District, and Elizabeth lines will be an in-station interchange. The NR station, and the H&C (and Circle) platforms the far side of them will be an OSI from the other lines (and each other).
Looking forward to riding this through central London. The trains and stations look amazing. Thanks for the enthusiastic video, Geoff.
Great video as always… I must say London has the best train system I have seen anywhere in the world and this will just make it even better… hello to you from Melbourne, Australia..
Hey Geoff! I had the same excitement, when in Berlin the U55 got completed to the u5 :-) It all looks so chic and modern super excited for all Londoners for this!!
as some who rides the temporarily named 'tfl rail' service from shenfield to romford, if you dont get to the proper end of the train, you will miss your connecting train 100%, a good 2 minute walk from end to end lmao
Rocking the hi-vis on one shoulder look like a true fashion icon.
Great 👍 nice color. Glad to see the safety barrier on the platform
I actually can't wait to see this with my own eyes lol. You have given us such an enjoyable moment watching of the new Crossrail stations and trains. Exciting times ahead for Summer 2022