IT has been a long journey for MTR Elizabeth line (MTREL) since it operated its first trains between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield on May 31, 2015. While Crossrail and Transport for London (TfL) have been the public face of the development of the £19 billion new railway, MTREL, part of MTR UK, has not only been developing plans for operating the cross-capital line but also looking at the future.
On April 20, Rail Express took a trip in the cab of No. 345010 as it formed the 10.37 departure from Stratford running to Paddington.
Upon leaving the east London station, MTREL trains enter a new tunnel at Pudding Mill Lane. Before it departs, the train switches to Automatic Train Operation (ATO) with the driver there in case of an emergency. They can take over at any point, with the train running in ‘degraded’ operation, and this does happen.
However, the train essentially runs through the central section, where the maximum speed is 62mph, applying power and brakes itself, much like your car in cruise control. As part of the railway’s design, there are steep inclines on the approach to the stations which helps preserve energy. The
