TfL Rail

This article is about the former railway service serving London, Essex, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire run by TfL. For the current service, see Elizabeth line.

TfL Rail
A Class 345 at Shenfield
A Class 345 at Shenfield
Overview
OwnerTransport for London
Locale
Transit typeCommuter rail / rapid transit[1]
Number of lines2
Line number
  • Shenfield – Liverpool Street
  • Paddington – Heathrow Terminal 4 / Reading
Number of stations32 (22 managed)
Websitetfl.gov.uk/modes/tfl-rail/ Edit this at Wikidata
Operation
Began operation31 May 2015; 9 years ago (2015-05-31)
Ended operation23 May 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-23) (rebranded as Elizabeth line)
Operator(s)MTR Corporation
Reporting marksXR
Technical
System length36 miles 54 chains (59.0 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC

TfL Rail was the concession which operated commuter services on two separate railway lines in London, England and its environs whilst the Crossrail construction project linking these lines was underway. It ran from 2015 until May 2022, upon the opening of the Crossrail central section, when TfL Rail was rebranded as Elizabeth line and the name was discontinued.[2][3][4]

TfL Rail was introduced on 31 May 2015 when it took control from Abellio Greater Anglia of the commuter "metro" service between London Liverpool Street in central London and Shenfield in Essex. The branch comprised the first 14 stations on the Great Eastern Main Line, with interchange at Shenfield for medium- and long-distance services beyond to East Anglia. TfL Rail had also taken over operation of some services from Paddington to Heathrow Airport and Reading. Services were operated by MTR Corporation under contract to Transport for London (TfL). Between May 2016 and May 2017, TfL Rail carried over 47 million passengers on the Shenfield branch.

  1. ^ "TfL Rail: What we do". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015.
  2. ^ "MTR Crossrail – Crossrail Rolling Stock". Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  3. ^ Smith, Howard. "Crossrail – Moving to the Operating Railway Rail and Underground Panel 12 February 2015" (PDF). 12 February 2015. Transport for London. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  4. ^ Jobson, Robert (23 February 2016). "Crossrail named the Elizabeth line: Royal title unveiled as the Queen visits Bond Street station". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.