Exact date ENTIRE Elizabeth line will open revealed with new shorter journey times across London

THE exact date London’s ENTIRE Elizabeth line will open has finally been revealed – over three years after it was originally set to be unveiled.

Travel across the capital is set to be transformed by Crossrail, which will slash journey times and revolutionise transport links.

Dubbed the “most significant addition to our transport network in decades” by Mayor Sadiq Khan, Londoners can’t wait for the new line.

The Elizabeth line has received final authorisation by the Office of Rail and Road, finally putting an end to the constant setbacks.

It means commuters can now officially add May 24 to their calendars as the opening date after rail regulator ORR signed off the project.

They approved all of the swanky new stations – except Bond Street, which will open later – as suitable for full passenger use.

The overall routeway for the line’s complex track and tunnel infrastructure was also given the green light.

After spilling way over budget and years behind schedule, the long-awaited purple line now has just 11 days before its debut.

It promises to cut journey times across the capital, whizzing commuters from Paddington to Canary Wharf in just 17 minutes.

And the jaunt from Abbey Wood in south-east London to Paddington will take half its usual duration – reduced to just 29 minutes.

Transport for Londonn says the “stunning” £20billion project will also provide an additional 10 per cent capacity.

They blasted through the initial budget for the job, which was £14.8billion, with the Government forced to add a further £4billion.

Construction began in May 2009 at Canary Wharf before tunnel work started in May 2012.

The transport top dog hopes to boost the post-pandemic return to work, as the country continues to try and get back to normal.

This has even influenced the date of the official opening day, with May 24 selected in honour of the current “Tuesday to Thursday” office working patterns.

TfL said that for the initial stages of operating, the line will not run on Sundays “to allow a series of testing and software updates”.

ROYAL REVEAL?

But it will run a special service during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

This has fuelled rumours that the Queen may do the honours of opening the new high-frequency service ahead of her milestone.

The Monarch unveiled the purple roundel for the Elizabeth line back in February 2016.

Londoners will be glad to see the back of the costly project after years of heavy disruption in the city centre.

But the purple line looks to be worth the wait – despite being more than three years overdue after construction delays and difficulties installing complex signalling systems.

It will initially operate in three sections – the western section between Reading, Heathrow and Paddington, the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood, and the eastern section between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

There will be 12 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood from Monday to Saturday 6.30am to 11pm.

‘TRULY HISTORIC’

Work will continue during engineering hours and on Sundays to allow a series of testing and software updates in preparation for more intensive services from the autumn.

But despite the central section boasting beautiful new stations, Bond Street is not yet ready, meaning trains will pass through without stopping until “later this year”.

TfL hope the spectacular fleet of 70 nine-carriage trains will support crucial regeneration across the capital, and estimate it will add £42billion to the UK economy.

Andy Byford, Transport for London’s Commissioner, said: “I am delighted that we can now announce a date for the opening of the Elizabeth line in May.

“We are using these final few weeks to continue to build up reliability on the railway and get the Elizabeth line ready to welcome customers.

“The opening day is set to be a truly historic moment for the capital and the UK, and we look forward to showcasing a simply stunning addition to our network.”

Ahead of the grand opening, Elizabeth line signage will continue to be uncovered across the network.

The Tube map will also be updated to keep travellers in the loop.