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Save/ShareA $32 billion rail system for London has received funding and been approved by the British government. The routes will bisect London from west to east, becoming the largest addition to the city's public transport system in more than 50 years.
Crossrail will start 22 miles west of London near Slough, the industrial park where Ricky Gervais' The Office takes place. It will continue east just beyond the town of Brentwood, connecting with the Tube at points along the way. It will also connect Heathrow airport with central London. The project will likely make it easier for travelers to stay in outlying suburbs as an alternative to London's pricey hotels.
Construction could begin as early as 2010 and the train is expected to begin service in 2017.
The system is expected to carry 200 million passengers a year. Cars could reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on the surface and up to 60 miles per hour in tunnels.
Trains will run every two and a half minutes at peak hours, connecting both new and existing stations. Bonus: The Crossrail cars will be roomier than those of the Tube.
Do you find it easy or hard to get around London? Feel free to sound off below.
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I have always found London an easy city to traverse, provided I use all modes of public transit. Existing rail links and the Tube are only part of the system, with buses, light rail, and good old feet filling out my list. With an Oyster card and a basic map of the system in my pocket, I have always been able to get within 3 blocks or less of my destination for a minimal cost.
I also always book a hotel in the vicinity of either my arrival or departure train station, so I can walk to my accommodations. Since all train stations are well linked by public transit, I can then avoid the expensive arrival and departure taxi rides. It also means I will always be staying at a confluences of many modes and lines of transit.
The proposed rail links will simply enhance what is a superior system already in place. Few American cities offer or have plans to offer the cross town access and the circumferential options available in London.
And let me get back to that Oyster Card - unlike a tourist pass which may or may not pay off, with the Oyster you can ride a little and pay just for that, or ride much more and have it capped at what would have been the pass amount. You win either way. The only way you lose is to pay cash fare individually for various trips in a day.
Posted By Rev Dr Randolph Becker on August 7, 2008, 12:47 PM
British public transport has led the world for over one-hundred years. Crossrail will only make it better and keep it in the top ten. Also, with public transport, we Americans who drive on the right run less risk of crashing cars trying to drive to the left in Britain.
Posted By Bob on August 7, 2008, 1:50 PM
Goody! More public transit means more transit maps, which in turns means more transit map animals:
http://www.animalsontheunderground.com/the_animals.html
I like the emu.
Posted By Marilyn Terrell on August 7, 2008, 3:10 PM
wouldn't this construction work create decades of traffic jams
Posted By siddiq on August 7, 2008, 3:12 PM
London has been the easiest city to traverse in all my trips. I just love being there because I know that I can go just about anywhere quickly and without a lot of fuss.
Posted By Aleska on August 7, 2008, 3:35 PM
As specialists who have encouraged the use of public transportation all over the UK for more than 15 years, the news of improvements to the system are just great and we'll add that information to our agenda. Only one change. The London Visitor Travelcard is far more useful and much cheaper than the Oyster card any day. For economy and opportunities to meet citizens of Britain, public transportation is just a terrific way to travel.
Posted By Katharine Lancy on August 8, 2008, 10:38 AM
I will arrive and depart from Heathrow airport in October and feel the Heathrow Express is too expensive a method for getting in/out of town. I do not want to take a bus, so I wondered if I could purchase a less expensive rail option than the Heathrow Express, such as a "regular train" ?
If so what is the cost, and can/should I purchase it in the U.S. or at Heathrow ? I wouldn't mind adding a 2 or 3-day intra-London transport pass to it, if such exists. Thanks for any advice.
Posted By linda spiegler on August 8, 2008, 11:06 AM
I've traveled extensively in western Europe and I've never been in another city that was as easy to get around in as London. British public transport is awesome and I wish the US would learn some useful lessons.
Posted By Sara on August 8, 2008, 12:10 PM
I found London to be one of the easiest large cities to get around. Their "tube" goes practically everywhere already and this will only make it better! If only US cities would do this...
Posted By JLHalsted on August 11, 2008, 12:16 PM
Linda, you can take the Tube from Heathrow into the city. But it is slow and doesn't really have much space if you are carrying lots of luggage. If you are traveling light it is an OK option.
I will be using the dot2dot shuttle service when I go to London next week. Cost about US$50 round trip and takes me from the airport directly to the front door of my hotel and back again. All in a comfy looking MB van. Fares vary somewhat. Seemed like a good deal to me.
Posted By Glenn on August 11, 2008, 12:17 PM
In response to Linda's question: Yes, there is a cheaper option called HEATHROW CONNECT. It leaves from the same platforms in termials 1,2,&3 as the Heathrow Express. It also serves Termial 4 but not Terminal 5. And it ends up at the same place: Paddington Station. It costs about half as much as HEX and connects to the Tube in a couple of places before it gets to Paddington.
Posted By Ed Ferrell on August 11, 2008, 12:26 PM
For £12.90 you can get a return ticket on the Heathrow Connect which will take you all the way to London Paddington which is better than the £28.00 the HEX charges. I've never taken it as we usually land at Gatwick.
Posted By Deborah on August 11, 2008, 12:34 PM
Dot2Dot is more like $75 a person roundtrip, and if there's 4 in your party the price per person goes down a little but it's still $64 a person--
not a good deal IMO.
Posted By Dave on August 11, 2008, 12:49 PM
Linda,
Be very careful to watch non refundable fares as if your plane is late they will not budge.
Good luck.
Posted By Rich from Wheaton on August 11, 2008, 5:32 PM
Linda, the Picadilly Line is your best bet into central London. If you go to an end car, you should have room for your luggage. It's alos best if you can avoid rush hour. The Oyster Card, in general, works out cheaper than daily passes. Don't worry about trying to get it from the States.
Posted By Sharon on August 11, 2008, 5:40 PM
I've always used travelcards on previous visits to London - last time I bought a 3 day 1 & 2 zone card and a 7 day 1-6 zone card. BUT now I believe the Oyster card to be cheaper, as some days I travel less than others. Any opinions?
Pat from Sydney Australia
Posted By pat thompson on August 11, 2008, 6:24 PM
Linda,
I went to London in May and used the Picadilly Line from Heathrow Terminal to central London. It's pretty convenient and very inexpensive (about 4GBP one-way from Heathrow to Earl's Court Tube station). No need to buy any advance tickets from the US.
Posted By Tess on August 11, 2008, 6:51 PM
I generally spend only a small part of my trip in London, so I buy a BritRail pass or a BritRail England pass, which is good on the Gatwick Express and the Heathrow Express, as well as trains all over the country.
Unless your baggage is very light, the underground is not a good option, as many, many stairs must be negotiated, whereas there are none at Paddington and Victoria railway stations.
Posted By Thirza Sloan on August 11, 2008, 7:27 PM
London has a fantastic transport system. However, on my last couple of trips there I noticed that some of the platforms and trains were getting ever more crowded. So now I primarily take the bus. Suffereing from claustrophobia, I find the Tube is no place to be.
At any rate I definitely recommend the Tube (or the bus) to anyone visiting London.
Posted By Carl on August 11, 2008, 8:27 PM
I feel London is really easy to get around IF you have an understanding of the buses and tubes.
The night buses rock.
I still prefer NYC where our subway and buses run 24/7.
Also, as mentioned above the Oyster card is a great thing for visitors to invest in (it's 3 pounds plus your travel costs). If you stay 5 days or more, the weekly card pays off and then some. Just go to the station when you arrive, fill out the paperwork and pay the 3 pound fee. Bring a passport picture!!!
As for getting to Central London instead of the Paddington Express or Connect, take the Piccadilly line. Yes, it takes one hour, but it also costs next to nothing and takes you a lot closer to where one wants to be. That is if you want to be in Central London. I suggest Holborn or Bloomsbury, BTW.
Yes, there are lots of hotels near Paddington in Bayswater and Marlybone, but, trust me, you don't want to stay there. They are in the middle of NOWHERE and it's difficult to get from there to anywhere! An alternative is Pimlico, but beware the dodgy hotels. It's cheap, near some of the theatres, and is near Victoria Station. Still, Bloomsbury is the best central location.
Posted By Stevin on August 11, 2008, 9:59 PM
Linda... just take the Tube from Heathrow into town. It is now in all the terminals.
Fastest is the Heathrow Express. But the Tube is adequate if you don't have a ton of bags to lug around.
Rick
Posted By Rick on August 12, 2008, 11:50 AM
After travelling on London Transport for 75 years (I'm 80) I've always found it easy to use. Not cheap, but with innovations like the Oyster Card which allows you to be flexible both in the period during which you want to travel, and your range of travel, I've always found it convenient.
Posted By George Clarke on August 12, 2008, 5:36 PM
An update:
Londonist reports today that the mayor unveiled a prototype for 2010 trains: "Boasting more spacious interiors and easier movement between carriages, the main bragging point is that the trains will feature air conditioning, a first for the Underground." Wow, London's really leaping into the 21st century!
http://londonist.com/2008/09/cooler_tube_trains_unveiled_by_mayo.php
Posted By Emily Haile on September 25, 2008, 2:56 PM