Direct trains are now travelling from Essex to Heathrow Airport as part of changes to London’s Elizabeth line.
An updated timetable means trains will run from Shenfield in Essex, through east London to Heathrow Terminal 5 all day.
The airport will now receive six Elizabeth line trains an hour.
Trains will also now run about every two and a half minutes at peak times across Paddington and Whitechapel in central London.
More than 150 million journeys have been made on London’s Elizabeth line since it opened last May, with about 3.5 million trips each week.
Elizabeth line workers had planned strike action on its one-year anniversary on May 24 after a dispute over pay, but the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association said it had received a revised proposal from Rail for London Infrastructure and will consult members.
More than 2.5 million journeys were made on the route in its first week and now about 600,000 journeys take place on weekdays.
On Monday, the project’s final full timetable was introduced, meaning the Crossrail project has been completed.
The Elizabeth Line opens – in pictures
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Underground enthusiasts travel on the first eastbound train as the Elizabeth line opens at Paddington station in central London on May 24. Getty Images -
Crowds wait in line to board the first Elizabeth line train to carry passengers at Paddington station. PA -
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Andy Byford, commissioner at local government body Transport for London disembark the first Elizabeth line train to carry passengers, at Farringdon station, London. PA -
Passengers on an Elizabeth line train approaching Tottenham Court Road station. PA -
Passengers travel down to the Elizabeth line platforms at Paddington Station. PA -
The delayed and overbudget line will boost capacity and cut journey times for east-west travel across the capital. PA -
Passengers wearing Queen Elizabeth II masks – after whom the line is named – pose under a network sign. Getty Images -
A passenger holds a new Elizabeth Line Oyster public transport payment card design. PA -
Mr Khan poses for a picture on the first Elizabeth line train to carry passengers, at Paddington station. PA
There will be 24 trains an hour between central London stations, with 16 trains an hour during off-peak hours.
Peak hours will also be extended on the line. There will also be more services from Reading at those times.
The project is on track to break even by the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the Elizabeth line was now the most popular railway in the country and it had transformed travel across London and the south-east of England.
“An incredible 3.5 million journeys are made a week, as passengers enjoy the modern trains, beautiful step-free stations and reduced journey times," Mr Khan said.
“The Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to our transport network in decades and has proven to be much more than just a new railway, providing a crucial economic boost to the whole country and playing a vital role in drawing people back on to London’s public transport.
“The introduction of the final full timetable marks the completion of the Crossrail project, and I’m delighted that passengers will have even more frequent services to get them across the capital and beyond.”
