The Elizabeth Line x A.J Wells & Sons
The recent opening of TfL’s new Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to London’s transport network for a generation. From London’s Mayor to famous Instagram influencers and most importantly the general public, all are praising the stunning new stations and modern trains and the positive impact on commutes and life in the capital. The opening coincided perfectly with the Jubilee Celebrations which meant the distinctive Royal purple colour used on the new Underground signage spilt onto the streets making the festivities feel even more special.
Read on to find out about the timeline for new station openings and A.J Wells’ significant ongoing contribution to the project.
The Elizabeth line, which is being delivered by Crossrail Ltd, will connect London’s employment centres and support new journeys through central London out to Essex, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. A total of 41 stations including 10 major new stations will span the 100km railway. The new line will massively improve people’s journeys and support regeneration across the capital and South East.
Elizabeth Line Features & Benefits:
- Journey times to key destinations including the City and Canary Wharf will be significantly reduced.
- The Elizabeth line (EL) will increase central London’s rail capacity by 10 per cent when fully open.
- All 41 stations will be step-free to platform level, with assistance available at all times.
- The EL will integrate with the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services.
- All stations will offer real-time journey information.
- Urban improvements that will include better walking and cycling facilities.
- Spacious, walkthrough trains with dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, buggies and luggage.
- Stations have been built to accommodate an additional two carriages per train for future growth.
- The EL will improve accessibility to major international gateways such as Heathrow.
- Help reduce cars on the road by providing new journey options.
Elizabeth Line Timeline
Opening
The Elizabeth line officially opened on the 24th of May 2022 with services from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Services from Reading and Heathrow to Paddington mainline, and from Shenfield to Liverpool Street mainline have been rebranded from TfL Rail to the Elizabeth line.
Later in 2022
The next phase will ensure that Elizabeth line services from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield can connect with the central tunnels without the need to change at Paddington and Liverpool Street. The earliest expected date for this is autumn 2022.
2023
The final phase, which will provide a fully integrated and seamless service across the entire line, will be implemented no later than May 2023.
Elizabeth Line Signage Production
A.J Wells has designed, developed, manufactured and installed thousands of signs including door plates and totems, directional signage, illuminated fascias and roundels for many of the new Crossrail, Elizabeth line stations. To learn more about available railway signage options click here.
Our state-of-the-art laser profiling and a high precision metal workshop allows highly accurate and efficient laser cutting with tolerances of just 0.2mm and the capability of cutting material from 0.5mm-25mm in thickness. This gives us the ability to manufacture designs with great complexity. Below is a video showcasing some of the metal parts fabricated during this process.
Selected Elizabeth Line Stations
“Impressive work as always by AJ Wells”
– Mark Wild Chief Executive Officer at Crossrail Ltd
Paddington
As well as thousands of signs across the network, A.J Wells & Sons also supplied vitreous enamel cladding. For the Bakerloo Line Link Project, A.J Wells supplied vitreous enamel printed white cladding panels in flat, convex and concave profiles. They were printed with individual patterns in one of two subtle grey colours to the clients’ specifications.
Tottenham Court Road
For much of the signage of this project, the designers requested toughened glass, for which screen-printing was done on the reverse. The signs in the image above had to be shaped to perfectly fit the curvature of the tube walls.
Liverpool St
We also manufactured vitreous enamel acoustic perforated paneling at Liverpool Street Station. Vitreous enamel is highly durable and fire resistant and an ideal material for the Underground where fire safety is paramount. We have the largest vitreous enamel plant in the UK and you can learn more about the process and our offering here.
Freestanding Totems
These three metre tall freestanding totems made from screen-printed toughened glass are a unique feature of the Elizabeth line. Designed, developed, manufactured and installed by A.J Wells & Sons, the wayfinding totems incorporate signage, lighting, speakers, CCTV and in some cases, help points. The photographs below show them in situ at Canary Wharf, Farringdon and Whitechapel Stations.
Please get in touch with the team via the link below to discuss your project or check out our extensive portfolio here.