Since opening, the central section of the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Abbey Wood has seen more than one million journeys. Across the whole line, which stretches from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, more than two million journeys have been made since Tuesday. 

The railway received a positive reception from Londoners and transport enthusiasts from around the world. In just five days more than a million customers used the Elizabeth line, taking advantage of the seamless journeys through the heart of London on the new central section.

The increase in central London's rail capacity of 10 per cent is the largest single increase in decades and will support the capital's regeneration and recovery from the pandemic. The new railway has cut journey times between Abbey Wood and Paddington by almost half, to approximately 29 minutes. Trips between Farringdon and Canary Wharf will now take around 10 minutes, instead of 24.

Howard Smith, TfL's Director of the Elizabeth line, said: "It has been fantastic to see the Elizabeth line receive such a great reception. Customers have been flocking to the railway in the hundreds of thousands each day since opening to marvel at our beautiful new stations but also to experience drastically shorter journey times. It is already having a transformative impact on local businesses and opening up access to new areas of London."