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The first Elizabeth line train has come into service in east London, ahead of the launch of Crossrail next year.

From Thursday morning the brand new train – part of a fleet of 66 that will operate on the new line – will serve a TfL Rail route between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

It came into service at shortly after 10.30am.

By autumn 11 new trains that will serve the Elizabeth line are expected to be rolled out on the route.

The £14.8bn Crossrail project, which began in 2009 at Canary Wharf, does not officially open until December next year and building work is still being carried out.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted that our first state-of-the-art Elizabeth line train has entered service on the TfL Rail service.

“It gives Londoners a first look at a new service that will transform travel across London and the south east when the line opens.”

The trains running on the Liverpool Street to Shenfield route will initially be 160 metres long and made up of seven carriages, but will later be extended to nine carriages and the full length of 200 metres to carry up to 1,500 people.

Mike Brown, London’s Transport Commissioner, added: “This is an important day for rail travel and for the millions of passengers who will use the Elizabeth line when services start in December next year.

“The trains are a great showcase of British design and manufacturing with air-conditioning, interconnected carriages, improved customer information and dedicated space for wheelchairs.

“The introduction of this first train gives customers a feel for the huge improvements that are to come when the Elizabeth line opens.”

Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure project, is 85 per cent complete and will run from Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

When fully open in 2019, it will increase central London's rail capacity by ten per cent, carrying over half a million passengers per day.

It will travel through 42km of tunnels under London and is expected to carry 200 million passengers per year.