We might have waited years and years and years for the Elizabeth Line, but it looks like Crossrail will finally arrive in 2022.
Ahead of its opening, Tower Hamlets council have unveiled a new signage for one such station, with “Whitechapel” written in Bengali to honour the contribution of the Bangladeshi population in the area’s community.
London’s diversity is our greatest strength.
Ahead of Bangladesh Independence Day, it's great to see the revamped signs at Whitechapel station – recognising and celebrating the vital contribution Bangladeshi Londoners have made shaping the Tower Hamlets community & our city. 🇧🇩 pic.twitter.com/NGRchTgBX2
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) March 16, 2022
It’s part of the development to the station, which has undergone renovation works prior to the launch of the highly-anticipated Crossrail line. Whitechapel station will also rock dual-language signs with English and Bengali through the station.
These signs, funded by the Tower Hamlets council, have been installed this week, and will remain in place until the end of April. This also comes ahead of the celebration of Bangladeshi Independence Day on March 26. Tower Hamlets has the largest Bangladeshi community in the UK, with over a third of residents having Bangladeshi heritage.
https://twitter.com/MayorJohnBiggs/status/1501915654353473537
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “London’s diversity is its greatest strength. The revamped signs at Whitechapel station recognise and celebrate the vital contribution Bangladeshi Londoners have made in shaping the community in Tower Hamlets and throughout our city.
“I’m delighted that they have been installed ahead of Bangladesh Independence Day on Saturday 26th March.”
Whitechapel is one of two Tower Hamlets stations on the Elizabeth line, with the other being Canary Wharf. Residents will be able to whizz through central London upon its opening, reaching Paddington in 15 minutes.
Elsewhere in London, Southall station has also received dual-language signage ahead of the Elizabeth line opening, with the name written in Punjabi on the sign.
No date has been set for the Elizabeth line’s opening, but it is expected to come in the first half of 2022.