Huge win for rail passengers as major line to get 10 more trains to meet 'strong demand'
The line is one of the UK's newest but expectations for growing demand has forced authorities to invest in more new trains.
The Elizabeth Line in London is to get ten new trains, in news that will is certain to be welcomed by passengers in Essex, the capital, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
The line, opened in May 2022, has been ferrying passengers into central London and through to Heathrow Airport.
However, Sadiq Khan had previously branded the line "not good enough" following a slate of techincal failures. The worst of which saw around 4000 passengers stranded near Ladbroke Grove in December 2023.
The Mayor of London allocated almost £140 million to combat the issues on the line, and now the Government has secured 10 new trains from UK firm Alstom.
The Department of Transport said of the move: "The government has today (14 June 2024) confirmed funding for TfL to procure 10 new Elizabeth Line trains from the UK-based train manufacturer, Alstom.
"Following careful consideration of TfL’s business case, the government has approved TfL’s request for funding for the additional trains.
"The trains are needed due to strong passenger demand, expected growth on the Elizabeth Line, and will allow TfL to increase capacity on the network in the coming years."
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In February, Express.co.uk reported that only one in three trains to Paddington arrive on time.
Marcus Jones, the office's new route director, admitted performance "hasn't been good enough" and that the network has been "consistently letting down customers".
He added that they "cannot guarantee a service every day".
