Elizabeth line’s improved May 2023 timetable released by TfL

Transport for London have published the May 2023 Elizabeth line timetable which marks the final major step for services across London.

Service levels will increase to 24 trains per hour. A year after the line initially opened and months since through running begun, final software upgrades will permit the full planned service.

For those of us in south east London on the Abbey Wood branch via Canary Wharf, service frequency will increase somewhat back to those glorious fist six months in 2022.

When the core section between Abbey Wood and Paddington opened the line saw trains running every five minutes. That then reduced to every eight minutes last December for much of the day (as always planned) and will soon increase to every five-six minutes in the peaks from May.

The Canary Wharf branch will still see last trains leaving central London rather early. The last train to Abbey Wood departs Tottenham Court Road at 00.04, for example on Monday to Saturday. The Stratford branch sees three more trains with the last train departing at 00.27.

On Sundays the last train to Abbey Wood departs Tottenham Court Road at 22:49.

Abbey Wood and Woolwich stations have both proven to be incredibly popular since the commencement of services. Abbey Wood increased from 220,368 journeys in April 2022 before Elizabeth line services up to 529,723 journeys in August 2022.

Woolwich saw 694,650 journeys in August 2022.

To the west of London the annoying waits outside Paddington will reduce, speeding up journeys from reading and Heathrow into the core section.

Service levels will change on 23rd May 2023 and the full timetable is visible here.