All aboard – all the way to central London

ALL AREAS: It is set to be a momentous weekend for Maidenhead travellers as the Elizabeth line expands into central London tunnels.

From Sunday, those travelling from Berkshire can sit on one train without having to change at Paddington as Crossrail reaches another milestone.

The £18.9billion project has been hit with a series of major setbacks and was meant to be complete back in 2018, while there have also been concerns about funding shortfalls.

The Elizabeth line – named after the late Queen Elizabeth – is now scheduled to go full steam ahead into the capital for Maidenhead commuters.

During peak times there will be six trains per hour (one every 10 minutes) travelling to and from Maidenhead and central London. During off-peak times, there will be four trains per hour.

Customers will also be able to use the Elizabeth line seven days a week as Sunday services commence for the first time from this weekend.

The full line and final timetable – which will eventually stretch from Reading in the west to Shenfield in Essex – is not expected to open until May 2023.

Rail union RMT will take strike action on November 5, 7 and 9 in a dispute over jobs, conditions and pay.

Transport for London said it will be working with Network Rail to understand the impact of proposed industrial action on the Elizabeth line and will be advising customers to check before they travel.