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The first Elizabeth line trains have started running from Paddington ahead of the launch of Crossrail later this year.

On Monday night, a brand new Class 345 train ran into the London terminus for the first time and testing will now take place as far as Reading and Maidenhead.

TfL tweeted the news from the Elizabeth line's official Twitter account on Tuesday.

The line, named in honour of the Queen, is expected to open in phases just before Christmas with passengers set to use 10 new state of the art stations across London and the south east.

The first stage will see Paddington’s new Elizabeth Station open and link with Abbey Wood via central London.

The first Elizabeth line trains came into service in east London between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in June last year.

And its first Tube roundels were recently installed at stations across the capital.

The first service of the Elizabeth Line - In pictures 8 show all The first service of the Elizabeth Line - In pictures 1/8 A general view of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 2/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 3/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 4/8 A general view of the driver's seat inside an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 5/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 6/8 Train enthusiasts on board an Elizabeth Line train PA 7/8 A general view of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 8/8 London Transport Commissioner Mike Brown sits in the drivers seat of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 1/8 A general view of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 2/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 3/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 4/8 A general view of the driver's seat inside an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 5/8 Passengers on board the first Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 6/8 Train enthusiasts on board an Elizabeth Line train PA 7/8 A general view of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA 8/8 London Transport Commissioner Mike Brown sits in the drivers seat of an Elizabeth Line train as it enters service travelling from Liverpool Street station in London to Shenfield in Essex PA

New images were released of the purple TfL signs at Custom House, Farringdon and Tottenham Court Road stations ahead of Crossrail’s launch in December.

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.