TfL installs first ‘iconic’ purple roundels ahead of historic Elizabeth Line opening

The design of the new Elizabeth line roundels has been revealed as TfL begins installing signage ahead of next year’s opening.

Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and the newly reopened Custom House station have all seen the first of the new line’s signage installed.

TfL have called the new purple design of the roundels “iconic” and have released a video of engineers installing them throughout London.

Mike Brown, London's transport commissioner, commented: “No other city is as defined by its transport system as London. The roundel is at the heart of our heritage, guiding Londoners and visitors to our city for over 100 years.

“Our state-of-the-art new railway, the Elizabeth line, will balance cutting edge engineering with the familiarity of traditional TfL design. Introducing the next generation of roundels to our stations brings us one step closer to the launch of the Elizabeth line this December.”

From December at the end of this year, the line will operate as three services from Paddington to both Abbey Wood and Heathrow and from Liverpool Street to Shenfield.

Val Shawcross, London’s deputy mayor for transport, commented: “The Elizabeth Line will truly transform travel across London and the south east. The installation of the roundels incorporating TfL's iconic design shows how close we are now to the line opening, with new stations right at the heart of central London.

“The new roundels also show the huge benefits that Crossrail has provided to the economy all across the UK. With businesses involved from Exeter, Glasgow and the Isle of Wight, it shows once again that Crossrail is a project that will not just benefit Londoners, but is benefitting the whole country.”

Crossrail chief executive, Andrew Wolstenholme, added: “TfL’s famous roundel has been updated for the Elizabeth line with installation now underway as part of the architectural fit-out of the new stations in central London and Docklands.

“The manufacture and installation of the Elizabeth line roundels by specialist suppliers from across the UK is another important milestone in the delivery of London's newest railway.”

The development of the Elizabeth line has affected stations across London, with the New Abbey Wood station building opening in October last year, and the £300m Bond Street upgrade revealed in November.

More information on the track system of the line can be found in the August/September 2017 edition of RTM which saw Chris Enoch, Crossrail’s railway systems project manager, discuss the complexities in the design and installation of the project.

Images and Video: TfL

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