Riding London's FANTASTIC Elizabeth Line | Heathrow Terminal 4 to Abbey Wood

Welcome to another video!
Last month on a trip to London, I had an opportunity to check out the highly anticipated Elizabeth Line which officially opened to the public in May of 2022. Named after the Late Queen Elizabeth II, The Elizabeth Line is a high-frequency hybrid urban-suburban rail service that connects Central London and some of its surrounding suburbs. Its operated by Crossrail which is wholey owned by Transport for London (TFL). The line has 41 stations in total and runs from Reading and Heathrow Airport in the east, to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the west. At the time of filming, Thru-service had just started from Reading and Heathrow to Abbey Wood. Direct service to Shenfield is expected to begin later this year when the final phase of the Elizabeth Line is complete. This video will focus on the section between Heathrow Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood. I plan to revisit once the line is fully opened later this year. The Elizabeth Line adds a new option for travelers going to and from London Heathrow Airport and is a great alternative to the pricey Heathrow Express service, and the time consuming trip on the Piccadilly Line (London Underground). Come along with me as I take a ride on London's latest train service, The Elizabeth Line!
Enjoy the video!
Service: Elizabeth Line (Operated by Crossrail)
Route: Heathrow Terminal 4 - Abbey Wood
Class: N/A
Fare: £12.80 (Oyster Card)
Rolling Stock: Class 345 Aventra (9 Carriages)
Date: December 2nd 2022
Music: Epidemic Sound
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[@lightingjohn]

Found it very interesting and informative for my visit to London in September. Last time I visited I used the Heathrow Express as I was unsure how I would cope with the underground after a 27 flight. Was nice to be able to prepay for ticket and just walk onto the train. Remember some travelers have baggage.

[@tigerroz123]

I'd go to London just for the Elizabeth line 😊

[@bluepeter128]

I used to visit Abbey wood , 40 yrs ago. I can imagine where or how this was built there and what the area must looks like now. Its incredible to see this now. wow!!!!!

[@JumisVisuals]

I used to live near Abbey wood and it was a pain to get to Heathrow airport, cause i had to use 1 train and 2 tubes to get there. Now it's so easy and much faster.

[@petervanlieshout2941]

Sitting back here in scorching heat at Misty Mountain Kunghur Australia ! Thoroughly enjoyed the comfortable and most informative ride ! Spent many pleasant journeys on London trains over the years while visiting London. Not sure if I will ever get back but this is second best ! Thanks mate . Peter

[@xihuantiyu]

I will visit London this September. Your video is very helpful. Thanks.

[@travelingadventureswithdan3181]

I'm so glad it was helpful!

[@bluepeter128]

Oh! I kind of get an idea now. Seeing. Thamesmead, in the background. wow!! wow!!!

[@javierbarrucz7755]

The London tube with Wi-Fi excellent ❤❤❤❤❤ 7:35

[@MichaelSchmidMBA]

Great video, Dan! Our daughter and I will be traveling to London via Heathrow in a month, and look forward to trying out the new Elizabeth Line. Thanks!!

[@lawrencemosely3306]

first class train 💝

[@eddyvideostar]

This is another modern version of the British Rail train.

[@redgoon698]

The announcer on the train is the same as all SCR station announcements

[@michaelashall4523]

No wonder they cannot finish HS2. All the cash goes into London. Levelling up, my aunt fanny

[@MS2020Official]

We used elizabeth line so many times

[@KendalMike]

A very informative video but narration would be a big improvement rather than having to read captions. Watching and listening is easier than watching and reading. Keep up the great content.

[@harryelliott4310]

Elizabeth Line Class 345

[@markomarten]

I don’t understand why nobody thought about the trains themselves, there’s no toilets. No method of charging your mobile phone and no Wi-Fi on the train. It’s not the quickest way to get around and not the most comfortable neither. I personally think whoever designed this should be made to use it. I can’t say this is a great design. Other countries get it right but sadly we don’t have the mindset to do a proper job. I would only use this with extreme reluctance.

[@user-lp5wb2rb3v]

We don't need toilets, you don't have toilets I the central line. The elizabeth line is the same as the central line but fewer stops, and it's actually connected to paddington then Heathrow. Most trips are 15-30minutes, and if you are traveling from reading/ Shenfield then you take the express train system. My main gripe is it doesn't connect to sladegreen/ dartford, and it would have been awesome if it was 5-10 minutes from dartford to ebbsfleet, maybe with CR2 . I want the overground to extend to lewisham then continue to slade green, and another branch going to dartford via crayford, and maybe speed up from Surrey Quay to canadawater then nonstop to whitechapel/ shadwell. This would allow people living in zone 4/5 to choose either direction and still have services to central london (currently people take a bus from Bexleyheath to woolwich to get the elizabeth line, not much different than going to North Greenwich fir the jubilee)

[@user-lp5wb2rb3v]

I do agree lack of WiFi and uncomfortable seats are frustrating, also the train is already creaky after 1 year

[@sarbarisarkar3171]

I will be visiting London in a few days. I will be staying in central London at L S E Bankside house. I want to know how to reach central London by Elizabeth line from Heathrow terminal 4. Thanks in advance

[@afaizalghazali3847]

Hi I have a question. If we take from Heathrow Terminal 4, does the Elizabeth line stops at Tottenham Court Road tube station?

[@ET-hm8do]

Yes

[@oldtechnobodycaresabout]

It's a shame the 345s don't have 3rd rail shoes so they can continue further into Kent...

[@henreereeman8529]

I think that if they did, they would get wayy too crowded

[@castlegate2015]

I wish they kept the name Crossrail for this line. The Eliz is not a tube line.

[@oliplayz1042]

Because it isn’t

[@TheRailwayDrone]

If I'm flying to London 2 months from now, should I buy my Elizabeth line ticket now, or when I arrive, or does it make any difference?

[@comicus01]

I don't think it would matter, nor do I think you can buy it ahead of time. Except for trips out to Reading, it's treated like an Underground line in terms of ticketing. It is possible, but not at all necessary, to buy an Oyster Card before your trip. Just get one when you land and load 40 or 50 pounds onto it. Long distance trains are another matter and those you would want to buy a ticket for in advance if you know for sure what days you would want to travel. But I took a day trip to Bath and the fare was reasonable.

[@TheRailwayDrone]

@@comicus01 Thanks a lot for the advice.

[@jackz_27]

If I'm using the tube to get to heathrow can i use standard oyster card prices or will need to purchase an airport ticket?

[@sarbarisarkar3171]

Quite helpful. Thanks. I have a question. Can I take the Elizabeth line from Heathrow terminal 4 to Farringdon station?

[@JEnright247]

Yes, you definitely can. Farringdon is the stop after Tottenham Court Road on the Elizabeth line. It'll probably take you about 40 minutes which isn't bad at all compared to taking the Piccadilly line in the past and it's only slightly slower than taking Heathrow Express.

[@JEnright247]

You can take either Shenfield or Abbey Wood bound trains too since you're getting off in the core section before the split.

[@sarbarisarkar3171]

@@JEnright247 appreciate your help. Thank you

[@charlieb2903]

If you book ahead, a ticket for the Heathrow Express costs as little as a fiver. Just saying.

[@manugoyal3396]

I m a tourist with my wife and 12 yr old son is dat suitable to stay in hotel in terminal 4 and daily go to central london to explore .how much expense for daily

[@user-jx7bn6zb3m]

hello. Thank you for posting this video. We have a question. We'll be travelling to the uk this summer and arriving Heathrow. Then we'll stay near Waltham Abbey. Will the Elizabeth line get us there? Would an oyster card be the most economical way to travel on this line? Can we purchase an oyster card in advance? We are a family of three travelling for the first time to UK. Thank you in advance.

[@travelingadventureswithdan3181]

The Elizabeth Line doesn't go to Waltham Abbey. I'm not familiar with that area but by the looks of it, You can get the Elizabeth Line into Central London and then catch the Central Line from there which will likely be quicker that taking the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow into London. I've always used an Oyster Card when visiting, It's a reloadable card and is easier than buying a single ride ticket for each ride. You can get them from the ticket machines.

[@user-jx7bn6zb3m]

@@travelingadventureswithdan3181 Thank you very much for the reply!

[@cece8399]

Will this train take you to the thistle trafalgar hotel?

[@Stanf954]

Which station is best to transfer to the Circle Line or District Linee to go to Tower Hill without needing to navigate stairs with luggage ? The map shows handicap access at Liverpool St and Whitechapel so would there be an elevator to get to the Tube platform?

[@travelingadventureswithdan3181]

Thanks for your comment. I'm not sure to be honest as I was just visiting. But I'm pretty sure that there will be some stairs/lift at any transfer point as the Elizabeth Line runs on a different set of tracks than the Tube. I'm pretty sure Ealing Broadway would be a good option for the District Line since you can just go upstairs and get to the other platform for the tube that way. Hope this helps!

[@paulhollis8879]

Anywhere or any station that shows disabled access will either have full or part lift access. I think Tower Hill tube station has a lift access too. I would change at Whitechapel and then it’s two stops on the District line westbound to Tower Hill. Liverpool St is much bigger and more crowded.

[@Stache987]

To compare if you were going to a station supported by both the Heathrow express, and this new Elizabeth line, worst case scenario, during normal 8-5 daytime, how much wait time difference is there, once this goes 24 trains per hour.. to summize does a express train rider wait a considerable amount of time in comparison, which could eat into total time savings, making this train even more economical per minute of travel. Second question, if one doesn't tap their oyster card out you said an incomplete journey fee is charged, how much is this, it may make a person instantly qualify for remaining days trips free because of maximum reached.. I'm used to both distance sensitive public transportation and entry fee only systems in the USA.. most dislike the pay for further concept as some systems like Washington DC have peak and off peak rates, when I was last there a "short trip" pass was available, if your fare was say $3.20 or less, it was included but fares higher you paid full rate, some circumvented this by exiting the system and re-entering to start the fare over. Now NYC does their pass different although it's pay to enter only, you are blocked from reusing the same station twice until the 18th minute gap has expired.

[@comicus01]

If you are still curious about comparing actual journey times, there are a few videos posted made by others where they had a small race, such as Elizebeth vs. Heathrow Express vs Taxi. Heathrow Express barely beat the Elizabeth line on the video I saw. The start/end location obviously matters a bit as well. I once got tagged for an incomplete journey on a visit to London, took the Thameslink from Farringdon to Elephant and Castle (later got on a bus nearby), I think they added 4 or 5 pounds to my fare, perhaps only that much because of the bus trip. I did hit the daily max a couple of times, but don't remember if I did on that day. And I even looked to tap out as I left the station but couldn't find a sensor, and no gate, just walked down a stairway onto the street... oh well.

[@johnbryden6745]

So, if I understand correctly, if I pay £11.60 and reach a max of £14.10 my return trip to Heathrow at the end of the day is "free" I do not have to pay £11.60 for the return ? Also I do have an Oyster card . thank you

[@SeanSoraghan]

Correct as long as journey msde same day

[@paulhollis8879]

Correct. It also applies to contactless debit cards.

[@Worldgonemad]

can you just pay with apple pay?

[@hockneyfication]

Yes, you can.

[@user-lp5wb2rb3v]

It's not fantastic, it doesn't go to dartford/sladegreen, and I'm pretty sure they halved the frequency , every 6 minutes not every 2 minutes. Also there is a fair but of dwell time in the central section and the train is insanely slow past pafdington sometimes, It can go to 80mph but usually it crawls at 30mph

[@sumafzal7873]

Britannia

[@manugoyal3396]

4 days