New rail line in London, the 'Elizabeth line,' named for the monarch
London is about to open a rail line fit for a queen.
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced Tuesday that the new "Tube" line currently under construction will be named the Elizabeth line, after the United Kingdom鈥檚 longest-serving monarch.
At the event, with the queen in attendance, Mr. Johnson said, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital, will carry from our country. As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.鈥�
Of course, the Elizabeth line is not the first to bear the name of an English monarch. The Victoria line, named for Queen Victoria, was opened in 1969.
Transport for London (TfL) says that the Elizabeth line, when completed, will London鈥檚 economy and infrastructure by many billions of pounds. For comparison, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) that for every $1 billion that is invested in public transportation in the United States, 24,000 jobs 鈥� those both directly and indirectly related to the industry 鈥� are created. The APTA also estimates that every $1 billion invested in public transportation also yields an economic impact of approximately $3 billion.
TfL estimates that the Elizabeth line will serve approximately 200 million people every year through service at 40 different stations in London, ten of which will be newly built just for this project. The other thirty are scheduled for renovation.
TfL also estimates that the Elizabeth line will improve rail capacity in England鈥檚 capital by approximately 10 percent. Research has shown that reducing congestion, in any city, can lead to positive shifts in consumer spending and also reduces operating costs for businesses, which in turn .
Congestion on the Tube and overcrowding at stations is a persistent problem in London and has risen dramatically in recent years. Figures from TfL show that the Jubilee line , with the number of incidents of service disruption rising to 90 in 2015. Those incidents alone resulted in more than 129,200 hours of extra travel time.
Stations are also severely impacted by congestion. Oxford Circus, one of London鈥檚 busiest stations, was closed more than 113 times last year, a rate of nearly once every three days, as a result of overcrowding. TfL partly聽 and delays to rerouting from Tottenham Court Road, which is being renovated and expanded to reduce congestion.
The new trains for the Elizabeth line will boast wireless Internet and air conditioning. They will also use an energy-management system that regenerates energy back into the train when it brakes to increase efficiency. The line is scheduled to open in December 2018 between Paddington and Abbey Wood, ultimately extending to Reading and Terminal 4 at Heathrow by December 2019. 聽
