Good mornng, it is Tuesday 24th May 2022
i'm at Abbey Wood station
it's very quiet! where is everyone?
* CLICK *
oh there they are!
* CHEER! *
the tube map, is this is it?
this is it! there's a brand new
what's this little line the middle, look at that!
that's the Eliz purple like look
a purple line, that's the elizabeth line isn't it?
on the map!
WELCOME TO ABBEY WOOD STATION
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR TRAIN TRIP THIS MORNING TO PADDINGTON
it'll always be called 'Crossrail' right? * chuckles *
Mark, how are YOU feeling? - i'm feeling ...
a little nervous i think, oh .. this man
ah both of you in shot at the same time! - how are you Geoff?
How are you? - I'm excited, but a bit nervous i think
hugely proud, amazing to see so many people here today
but like Mark says, we've got a big day ahead of us
How bis was the queue outside, did you see the queue outside?
I reckon it was probably ... 600? 600.
* PA * We are ready to go and i hope everybody is ready * PA *
* PA * And .. 3 .. 2 .. 1 .. Go! * PA *
* Cheers *
Is this Pepper? - this is Pepper
I have won the internet with a purple-collared dog
the first dog on the Elizbeth line
How do you know there isn't a dog down at Paddington?
There isn't - woah, well maybe!
Good moring Woolwich!
Morning! - What's happening at Woolwich
We're just so excited!
that is Woolwich
quieter than i thought
You're all on the first train right, that is pretty exciting - YEEEAH!
Woolwich looks amazing - Do you live at Woolwich, madame?
So will you be using the line everyday? - Every single day
To get to where, to get to work?
To get to my gym, all the way in Ealing Broadway!
It is raining, if only it was purple raining!
Eeeeh! See what i did? No, it's actually raining
I should probably not get the train should I? I should get back on
Canary Wharf! Wow ...
Haven't been here since the open day in 2018
Yellow Escalators!
Now i'm not going to go up the escalators here
what we'll do, as i'll announce at the end
is today, i'm just sort of hopping out a little bit at every station
just to get to Paddington, and then for the rest of the week
i'll be working my way back with individual videos at each station
So ... this is the opening video
then i'll work my way back, so there's be a focus just on Paddington
and then there'll be a video that if focused just on Tottenham Court Road, and then i'll explore
each station, there'll be an individual video about
each station, working my way back
shout out to my production crew by the way, this is Karl and Beverly, morning!
GOOD MORNING!
nothern correspondent, you should be my .. American correspondent
it's 6:43, if we wait here seven minutes
what'll be funny is that the first one off of Paddington
will pass through at six fifty ...
so we should see who's on board that, right?
are you the first Paddington train?
we are * CHEERS! *
morning, morning!
* CHEERS *
waving, keep waving!
are you offering me a cake?
let's do it, Elizabeth line cupcakes! did you make these?
somebody made chocolate Elizabeth line cupcakes
oh, i don't think you can eat that bit hang on
* Laughter *
was the roundel edible? i didn't check
that'll be rice paper won't it?
that is rice paper, right, right? edible
so these .. are the limited edition
available, in all Elizabeth line, and i believe Zone 1 tube stations
because remember, Elizabeth line is not a tube station
*PA* Your next train to arrive on Platform A will be in three minutes *PA*
but if you're getting one, it's a deposit of five pounds
and then the minimum credit, is five pounds, so in effect it's a ten pound souvenir, effectively
if you want one, have you guys not all got one yet? - No!
You got one! - You've got one, yeah!
*PA* Welcome to your new Elizabeth line, the next train on platform A will be in two minutes *PA*
Jordan, what's happened with your ticket? - So i've brought out, my Oyster card
when i've got a Freedom pass, brought out the wrong ticket
So now i'm paying, for no reason!
Can i ask you the obvious question? - Yeah
Level boarding, how amazing is that for you?
It's ... absolutely amazing, so I live at West Drayton and
i have to get assitance before i get on and off the trains
so now, to be able to use this section
to be able to get on and off like anybody else would
it's absolutely ... it's game changing to be absolutely honest with you
absolutely game changing
genuine game-changing! - absolutely
Jordan, right? please to meet you - lovely to meet you Geoff
What have you found? there's roundel on the handles - Yes, there's little roundels on the handels!
yeah, i just recently noticed them
Wow .... it is very long that way
and it is very long ... that way
welcome to Whitechapel!
It's just the size of it!
it's just everything's been done .. saw it at Canarfy Wharf, saw it at Woolwich
HUGENESS!
there's the word the day! Hugeness!
I always like going with the word 'Capacious' though, is that ?
You have Capacious, i'll have hugeness
We've just come off the escalators, but look there's things like this
this is what i'll be doing in my more in depth videos, you've got little corridors
leads down to little lifts, so again
so reiterate, later on in the week
i'll be doing an individual video
at each station, focusing on ...
where the lifts are, where the escalators are ...
where the sneaky exists are we might be the first paying passengers to use this lift!
- it smells new it's got that new smell yeah!
it smells unused
it smells, new-ey, clean ...
- yeah no one's weed in it yet!
it's really long!
what is it? two hundred and what metres?
i've forgotten, i'll put it on screen! * laughs * WOW
*PA* Next station - Farringdon *PA*
What i've wanted to find all morning, was just like a regular commuter
who's not here, because they're ... a train enthusiast
What's your name, sir? - Hadam
So you don't care that this a special train? - No no you're just here as a regular commuter
How will this change your commuting journey?
it will mean that i don't have to change funny connections to the Northern Line anymore
i can't go straight up from Tottenham Court Road which will save five minutes
so your commute is between what stops?
between Liverpool Street and Finchley Central on the Northern line
and you've worked out how much time will this save you?
probably about 5 minutes
ok well that's nice nice - it's significant yeah
Ok, getting out Farringon!
Puurpple Traaaain!
*PA* this is the train to Paddington *PA*
right, i'm NOT getting out at Tottenham Court Road
we'll do it latter because we've got to get to Paddington for a coffee but Tottenham Court Road is ...
... definetely here a thing, good morning how are you?
that is a thing, we're gonna stay on the train right?
we're stay on, stay on
* DOORS BEEP * * THIS IS A TRAIN TO PADDINGTON *
so for those wanting to know, that's Bond Street where trains aren't stopping at all, on the test day
and on the preview day, they were stopping but they told you not to get out
and the trains aren't stopping at all at the moment at Bond Street
and they won't be until .. they're saying October?
Autumn? i think October
Bond Street, running a little bit behind schedule
will be open, at the moment ... non stop, through Bond Street
we have done it! at Paddington! morning morning morning, we made it
and again - in tomorrow's video
coming back here tomorrow, here's the escalators down to the Bakerloo line
and that's where i'll explore Paddington in depth
THE PURPLE TRAIN !!!
Once again, please move right down the platform, use all available space
your next Abbey Wood service will depart from this platform in two minutes
is is the LTM pop-up shop! what are you selling?
Moquette!
excellent socks you've got the socks as well!
i've got the socks why don't you put the socks on?
Now? -YES!
We're at Paddington, i've met John Bull
from London Reconnections
so because i'm ... i'm a big nerd
i stayed at Abbey Wood for about three/four trains
so you watched so i watched all the commuters coming in
'cause what i wanted to see was the fun part for me, because we love
this stuff we're always doing this stuff
right, the nerds are all here and we're lapping it up
right, but it's when the normal people get on the train, you can see the difference
i've met like ONE normal commuter so far this morning
so i've met a whole bunch, just watched them
in a non creepy way just coming back - i'm so glad you qualified that
and you can just see people going, "this is going to change my commute"
and the really uber nerd thing we did at LR is we did run the numbers a while back
TfL are saying roughly 4 years they'll get "full", we reckon
it probably means it's going to be about three
we were predicting it's going to be two
because this is a much busier service
so yes ... benefits of high frequency is you can just turn up and go
and that's what Howard Smith who runs this railway always said
he coined the idea, that thirteen minutes is how far a train has to be, for it to get busy
because people stop looking at timetables
he runs this railway, he knows what he's doing
it's the socks! what's your name? - Sonny how are you enjoying your socks
i am enjoying them ... GREAT
there we go - have you arrested anyone this morning for non-fares
no thanksfully, thankfully not! * laughs *
So we've got Mark, we've got Andy and we've got Howard
are you taking pictures of it?
we're taking pictures of our own train
you're exciting right? come on
is is everything you dream of Howard?
look down the train now .. isn't this exactly what it's all about?
you know, lovely train .. working as it should
look at the numer of people everybody, just ...
you know, using it exactly as we all dreamed of
and Andy just came up with the phrase about shrinking the city
Howard i think you should steal Andy's line, Howard is that what we've done?
We' re Shrinking the city!
we're shrinking the city because you're making people's commutes .. shorter? - we are indeed
* Caribbean music plays *
It's too much isn't it .. It's too much? Bev, Karl? too much
i'm running on fumes - i'm overwhelmed by purple
i will crash at somepoint, i wanna say
i've met a lot of lovely people today, what i have loved
igenuinely youtube, hi
if i've met you today, it's been beautiful
i've loved, meeting eveyrbody people are excited
if you've said hello, we've had our selfie taken, thank you i've loved it
if you saw me a tried to have a selfie taken and i had to run, i'm sorry
i will out everyday
so today - what's today? - it's Tuesday! thank you!
so wednesday thursday friday i'll be back out everyday, if you see me
come say Hi! let's just ride the train all week
celebrate it, and thank you, thank you all. it's been lovely
meeting everybody, thank you.
as a humble Youtuber, i don't get to interview the mayor
but Tom Edwards from the BBC does
did you have first dibs on the mayor?
well ... i didn't interview him early on and
he was very upbeat, very excited, but not as excited as you!
you're shacknig with ancicipation
i've only had three hours sleep, Tom!
you were a bit nervous you couldn't sleep properly?
we all went out last night, there was a big gang of us
oh dear - and we all hyoed ourselves up
burn the candle at both ends? - we burned ... i'm gonna crash, later
got to edit the video, but nice to see you - nice to see you
what does Tom Edwards think, now that it's actually up and running, what do you think?
oh beautiful, very impressive
yeah, and i think it is gonna change London
it's gonna redraw London, isn't it?
it's gonna shrink London really isn't it in some places?
that is an expression i've heard, they've shrunk London
they're copying my phrase!
alright Tom Edwards ... BBC!
Tom Edwards, BBC News .. back to you in the studio Geoff!
currently going up the escalators at Tottenham Court Road, now
we all know, and i'm here for a specific reason
that the Elizabeth line, is NOT an underground line, TfL themselves say that
it is part, of the National Rail network and that means of course
that you can use a National Rail ticket,
including an All Line Rover
which is why ... Roger is here - Hi Geoff!
you've got, a seven day all line rover - There it is
and we've deliberately come to TCR, which is an LU managed Tube Station - It is
as well at the Liz Line
and we just want to see of your National Rail all line rover ticket .. works
on the gateline - it would be a miracle because it doesn't work most National Rail stations!
ah, have we got an error, what have we got, what have we got?
we got a thirteen, what's a thirteen?
that's a great question!
is his ticket valid, he's got an all line rover - yes
well done! he passes the test! excellent
so all line rover tickets work? - well they work in theory
but they don't work in practise on the barriers
you need good staff, happy contented London Underground staff and they'll let you through
Matt Brown! - hey there From Londonist
do you remeber, when was it? we went on a little tiny construction train
was it two thousand and ... fourteen?
it was eight years ago? - Ooh! EIGHT years ago
i was half hoping this would be delayed two more years
so we coudl say we'd been on it a decade ago!
we went from .. where was it, Canary Wharf to Custom House?
limo penisular wasn't it? - limo, yeah does that still exist?
i don't know, i don't know!
but that was eight years ago ... - I got my little one Yeah, in that time you've had a child!
i've had two!
so when people ask, "how long does it take Crossrail to be constructed?"
the answer is ... two children's worth! - that's right *laughs*
all good videos, like all good musicals should end with a final sing song
so i've just brought some of my friends to sing a song
* CHEERS *
and this is Jemma, from the band ... - AboutBunny
who i discovered on, basically ... you did a TikTok
where you reference me, and everyone went "Geoff! you must meet this person!"
i was like .. i am the only person that's obsessed with this line opening
and everyone was like "no no no no no no no!"
and we've written some alternative lyrics
to the Prince song "purple rain"
which we've cunningly called ... - Purple Train
but the trouble is, your voice is gone
yeah, i've lost my voice but you know what, someone said 'bonnie tyler'
So ... Gemma has lost her voice slightly
- But the show must go on - THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
she'd gonna lead, we do we all know, we know how the Prince song goes right?
mainly join in with the chorus, right?
~ Never wanna be your off-peak lover ~
~ I only wanted to ride from end to end ~
~ Baby I've got a new line that i have found ~
~ It's such a shame, that our Tube Ride had to end ~
~ Purple Train, Purple Train ~
~ I only want to see you riding on the Purple Train ~
~ Honey, i know, i know timetables are changing ~
~ It's time we all reached out to something new ~
~ And that means you too ~
~ You say you want a new line, but you can't seem to make up your mind ~
~ And let me guide you to the Purple Train ~ - Alltogether!
~ Purple Train, Purple Train ~
~ I only want to see you riding on the Purple Train ~
YEAAH! * Crowd cheers *
And that, it how to open London's newest railway
press Subscribe! thanks, bye.
That's it! * Applause *