TfL Rail is the temporary franchise of two separate railway lines in London and its environs that will combine to form part of the Crossrail service when it opens in stages from December 2018 to December 2019. In December 2018 the TfL Rail name will be retired and the combined services known as the Elizabeth line.
TfL Rail was introduced in May 2015 when it took control from Abellio Greater Anglia of the commuter "metro" service between Liverpool Street in central London and Shenfield in Essex. That branch comprises the first 14 stations on the Great Eastern Main Line, with interchange at Shenfield for medium- and long-distance services beyond to East Anglia.
On 20 May 2018 TfL Rail also took over operation of the Heathrow Connect service between Paddington in central London and Heathrow Airport to the west (Heathrow Terminal 4 station being the terminus). That route has nine stations.
The service is operated by MTR Corporation under contract to Transport for London (TfL).
Between May 2016 and May 2017, TfL Rail carried over 47 million passengers on the Shenfield branch.
Video TfL Rail
History
In June 2013 TfL announced that Arriva, MTR Corporation, Keolis/Go-Ahead Group and National Express had been shortlisted to bid for the concession to operate Crossrail, which was under construction.
In July 2014 TfL awarded the contract to Hong Kong's MTR, for a duration of eight years with an option to extend by an additional two years.
MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Ltd was created as a new train operating company and took control of the "metro" service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield from the previous operator, Abellio Greater Anglia, in May 2015. The existing Class 315 trains were re-painted in TfL Rail livery, and appropriate branding, advertising and message boards were added at the 14 stations along the line. Every station is staffed, from the first train to the last of the day.
In May 2018 TfL Rail took over operation of the Heathrow Connect service between Paddington and Heathrow.
Maps TfL Rail
Route
The eastern (Shenfield) branch of TfL Rail runs over the existing 20 miles 16 chains (32.5 km) of track on the Great Eastern Main Line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. The future Crossrail route will retain the use of most of this track, except the portion between Liverpool Street and Stratford, where trains will use new underground tunnels to connect to the central section of the route.
The western (Heathrow) branch operates over part of the Great Western Main Line and the Heathrow tunnel between Paddington and Heathrow for 16 miles 38 chains (26.5 km).
Stations served or managed by TfL Rail:
Services
The typical Monday-Saturday off-peak service pattern on is:
Rolling stock
Shenfield branch
The eastern branch of TfL Rail operates with a fleet of long-serving Class 315 and new Class 345 trains.
The Class 315 trains will be gradually withdrawn in favour of the Class 345 units.
The Class 315 trains will continue to be maintained at the existing Ilford depot. The Class 345 fleet will be predominantly maintained at a new depot at Old Oak Common.
Heathrow branch
TfL Rail inherited five Class 360 units from Heathrow Connect when it took over operations on 20 May 2018. These trains will be used to operate the existing half-hourly (2tph) service to Heathrow while the Class 345 units will initially supplement this with with a half-hourly (2tph) service to Hayes and Harlington, a service formerly operated by Great Western Railway Class 387 units. Initially the Class 345 units will run with 7 cars being extended to the full 9 cars by mid-2019 after Shenfield services begin to serve Paddington.
References
External links
Media related to TfL Rail at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Crossrail website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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