Lockdown cracked my London Tube habit. I no longer dive underground as soon as a destination is suggested – I walk. However, just occasionally, I run out of time or get tempted, and it’s usually the Elizabeth Line that does the tempting.
Today I had to travel from Farringdon to Tottenham Court Road. My timings were on the edge by the time I reached Farringdon, so I walked down the two, steep and gleaming escalators to the curve of white tunnel that leads out on to the platform. Wide as a beach this stretched into the distance, everything muted, even the trains. I don’t think I heard a single announcement while I was down there, waiting briefly for the next train to hum in and whisk me on to Tottenham Court Road.
My return journey, a couple of hours later, and a few carrier bags heavier, was just as smooth. And empty. And relaxing.
I think the Elizabeth Line is such an achievement, well worth the 13 years it took to tunnel the 73 miles, east to west. It cost around £19bn which I can’t begin to imagine, but perhaps that’s what you have to pay if you want capacity for around 200 million passengers a year.
Thankfully there were not many of them travelling mid-morning with me today.
Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023
The Phraser 
I am also a great fan of the Elizabeth line. Especially as I can go all the way to Reading for free with my freedom pass. Sometimes it is good to be of an age! It’s not so good though when there are problems. On Sunday it got as far as hayes and harlington. Thousands of people needed to get to the airport! Fast. No replacement buses just the ordinary ones. We were lucky enough to get an Uber. Thank goodness. Greetings from Valencia. And what you say about travel is problematic right.
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That journey sounds so stressful. When transport links work they are wonderful. They are not so wonderful when they don’t. I am glad you made it to Valencia.
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Buongiorno,
I loved your posts when you lived in Naples, but frankly I no longer relate to most of the ones since then.
Thanks for all the entertaining and informative posts, but please do take me off your mailing list.
Best to you !
Tricia Reynolds Naples & Sorrento
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Hello Tricia, so good to hear from you, even though it is with the news that you’d like to un-subscribe. I am very flattered to think you’ve been receiving my posts for as long as you have. Unfortunately I think the unsubscribing has to be done from your end. I am due to put up another post this evening which will probably come through to you. At the very end of it, there should be a link for you to click to unsubscribe. Please do come back to me if you have any problems.
All the very best, and thank you for reading
Georgie
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