Elizabeth Line on the London Underground
Elizabeth Line, London
The Elizabeth Line is a whole new tube line going east-west in London. Starting decades ago and originally called Crossrail, the line is now named the Elizabeth Line to honour Her Majesty The Queen. The Queen opened the line to coincide with her Platinum Jubilee. Only the central section is completed with Bond Street yet to open, none the less it is an amazing feet of engineering.
Super Sized
The first impression is the sheer scale of everything. None of those dark, narrow passages dating from Victorian times we are used to. Everything is on an epic scale; with light, spacious concourses and platforms at least twice the length of the rest of the London Underground. Tottenham Court Road’s second entrance is half way down Oxford Street!
Station Layouts
Below ground the majority of stations on the line are almost identical. With a huge central concourse with the platforms on either side – worthy of the Kiev Metro from the Soviet era.
Elizabeth Line Platforms
The new trains for the Elizabeth Line are hidden behind a wall of black glass. Making them much safer and stopping the screeching sounds and rushing winds. The only lighting is a continuous lightbox style white light that stretches the full length of the platforms.
The Elizabeth Line Trains
The new trains are much larger than before and air conditioned. It is now possible to walk from one end of the train to the other – without doors. Which makes the trains safer for those travelling alone of course, but it also feels so well thought through to maximise the space.
Waiting For The Perfect Moment
Perhaps surprisingly the line isn’t all that busy – yet. I found each perfect viewpoint, waiting until everyone had gone past from the latest train. Some of the shots have people in them, mainly to give scale to the architecture.
Camera Equipment
These hand-held photographs were taken with an F2.8 24-70mm zoom lens so that I could shoot at a maximum of 200iso.
More Information
Transport For London
Wikipedia
