London’s Elizabeth Line rail link finally opened

The Elizabeth Line train link in London finally opened on Tuesday, after being delayed and over budget, in the hopes of providing a much-needed economic boost.

Hundreds of people were in line outside Paddington station in west London to board the first train, which left at 6:33 a.m. amid applause (0533 GMT).

According to Transport for London (TfL), there had been 130,000 journeys by 10:00 a.m.

One of those on board was London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who told AFP that the line was a “game-changer for our country and our city.”

Khan’s predecessor as mayor, Boris Johnson, said that the project would increase the UK economy by £42 billion ($52 billion, 49 billion euros).

So yet, just one of the line’s three branches, from Paddington to Abbey Wood in southeast London, has opened.

Commuters sought to take advantage of the new route from a large hinterland with few speedy transportation options.

“I’m excited just to see how quick it actually is,” said Niyana Saratatt, 45, who works in central London.

“At the moment, I need to take a train, a bus and a tube. This will cut my journey in half. Everyone’s happy, ” She went on to say that she expects local housing values to climb.

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