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News and Comment May 2022

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24 May - Crossrail whisks me to Canary Wharf in eleven minutes. Smoothly, quietly and fast

Your Elizabeth Line first train pictures are here. 47 of them from this morning’s trip. Either three and a half years late or 40 seconds. Take your pick.

More to come later…

Picture count now up to 97 after a trip to Paddington and back. Careful observation will show that the first train left 40 seconds late; Photo 26 shows the station clock and the doors closing. Photos 48 and 49 show the Abbey Wood platform and being beyond the Paddington barriers 31 minutes later. Even after walking around Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Woolwich stations the round trip took only an hour and 30 minutes.

The only problem I encountered was that after years of climbing into a South Eastern train I couldn’t stop myself raising my foot and almost stumbling over the platform level threshold.

When enjoying the benefits of this engineering marvel remember that we almost didn’t get the Abbey Wood branch. Thankfully in June 2010 our MP devoted her maiden speech to pleading for its retention.

Note: The first train out of Abbey Wood was driven by Monica and the first out of Paddington by Emma.

 

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