We all had high hopes for the newest train line on the block, the Elizabeth Line was promised to be the swanky and speedy mode of transport that linked Reading to Essex via Central London but of late it seems it’s only been hitting the swanky mark. Over a year since its grand opening in May 2022, recent figures have shown that it’s become top of the list for train cancellations in the UK.
Transport for London has reported that 9.1 per cent of services on the Elizabeth line did not run between July 22 to August 19. and overall cancellations rose to 3.9% from 3.3% in the previous four weeks. It was also revealed that almost half of the trains arrived at least a minute late.
This fall from grace has been attributed to a number of issues that the line has experienced. These include a Network Rail signalling outage that lasted two days from July 25 which had severe impacts on the Elizabeth line services, and a hydraulic fluid leaking from a maintenance train in the central tunnel section of the line. The leak spread to over 2km of track which caused the Elizabeth line to be partly suspended as the fluid was cleaned.
Howard Smith, Elizabeth Line director, said: “The Elizabeth line has rightly and quickly become one of the most popular railways in the country.
“It has also been one of the most reliable, but we have had a difficult period which included disruption for our customers for which we apologise. There were a number of recent issues including significant problems with Network Rail’s signalling systems and infrastructure on the western section, and a defective maintenance train.
“We continue to work with all parties involved in the Elizabeth line to provide a safe and reliable railway. This includes our partners, such as Network Rail, and a programme of upgrades delivered by the train manufacturer, Alstom, will further improve reliability of our fleet of trains.”