London's new $25 billion subway line has 4 elevators that move sideways. They carry 17 people and are more efficient than a normal elevator. Take a look.

London's new $25 billion subway line finally opened earlier this year. The Elizabeth line took 13 years to build and will increase central London's rail capacity by as much as 10% when it's fully operational, according to Transport for London (TfL).

Stephen Jones

London's new $25 billion railway, which took 23 years to build, has finally opened. One station is big enough to fit the city's tallest skyscraper inside

2022-08-28

Aside from wider carriages and stations with artistic ceilings, the Elizabeth line also offers commuters the chance to experience something a little different: a ride on glass elevators that travel horizontally alongside an escalator, rather than vertically.

Stephen Jones

I commuted on London's new $25 billion railway line. It cost me $3, got me to work 20 minutes early, and transformed my journey.

The four horizontal elevators are at Farringdon and Liverpool Street stations. Both have platforms below existing buildings meaning it was difficult to install vertical shafts, Martin Rowark, Crossrail's procurement director said when the elevators were announced in 2012.

Crossrail Ltd

Source: Crossrail

In 2015, TfL said it anticipated that incline elevators, manufactured by the Finnish company Kone, would be up 50% more efficient compared to an ordinary vertical elevator like these, also at Farringdon station.

Stephen Jones

Source: Transport for London

A spokesperson for Kone said the elevators are more efficient to install because they don't require the digging of a separate shaft or walkways, but instead run alongside escalators.

Stephen Jones

Source: TFL, Kone

Insider went to Liverpool Street station which has two incline elevators. One is at street level.

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The other leads down to the lower levels.

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The elevators are separated from the escalator by a glass screen.

Stephen Jones

The elevator car is similar to a normal elevator, although it has doors on both sides and can carry 17 people.

Stephen Jones

The elevators have some similarities with a cable car, but are based on vertical elevators, the Kone spokesperson said. The elevators travel at a 30-degree angle along guide rails and are pulled along by a cable and counterweight.

Stephen Jones

The passengers operate them as they would a normal elevator by pressing a button. At Liverpool Street it took around a minute from pushing the button to arriving at the bottom.

Stephen Jones

TfL has designed all central London Elizabeth line stations to have step-free accessibility. The incline lifts enable passengers with wheelchairs, buggies, or large baggage to traverse the stations, while friends and family use the escalator that runs directly alongside them, Rowark said when they were announced.

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The shaft and the elevator car are clearly visible from the escalator.

Stephen Jones

It's not possible to take the incline elevators all the way to the platform at either station. Anyone needing to do so has to swap to a conventional elevator at the second level.

Stephen Jones

They're not the first horizontal lifts on TfL's network. The first, and only other, opened at Greenford underground station in 2015. TFL did not confirm exactly how much more efficient the lifts are to operate when asked by Insider.

Transport for London