Elizabeth line, the new London Underground line 0:47
London (CNN) -
A massive new underground train took paid-payers under the streets of London for the first time on Tuesday as the UK capital opened a new underground line that will transform travel around the city and is valued at $25 billion.
Huge crowds of train enthusiasts, commuters and excited locals gathered to catch the first of the new Elizabeth Line trains as they departed from Paddington Station shortly after 6.30am Many queued for hours.
Discover the details of the new London Underground line: Elizabeth line
The line, known as Crossrail before being renamed after the British queen, who visited last week, will dramatically cut journey times around London.
It's the biggest increase in rail capacity in the often traffic-clogged city in half a century.
On the occasion of the jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, a tiara of Princess Diana will be exhibited, this jewel had not been seen in public in decades
Its construction, an engineering marvel that had to circumvent the dangers of digging around the existing underground tangle of Victorian tube lines, sewer pipes, building foundations and ancient London cemeteries, has not been without controversy.
Light at the end of the tunnel: Crossrail was the largest engineering project in Europe at the height of its construction.
Originally scheduled to open in 2018, the railway, at the time the largest infrastructure project in Europe, was plagued by delays and a ballooning budget.
There is also a question mark hanging over how useful it will be after Covid-19 drastically reduced passenger traffic.
But for those who used the service on its first day, there were few worries as passengers enjoyed its spacious, air-conditioned cars, beautifully ventilated stations and smooth movement, a world away from the crowded and noisy experience of older underground lines.
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Despite the pandemic, the London Underground is packed with people
Among the first was Elizabeth Harding, 37, a health service employee from the city of St. Albans, north London, who stepped onto the shiny new rails in special "Elizabeth line" slippers after leaving home. at 3:30 a.m.
Elizabeth line themed shoes worn by Harding.
Barry Neild/CNN
"I like trains and my name is Elizabeth, and I have the shoes, so I had to come," she told CNN on the wide platform of Farringdon station as a train glided silently to its next destination.
"How often are you going to get the chance to be part of the opening of a new train line in London?"
'Trials and tribulations'
Harding says the line lives up to expectations.
"I think it's smooth, quiet and aesthetically pleasing," she said.
"I especially like the fabric on the seat, it's beautiful."
Will Folker, a 24-year-old London-based train enthusiast who works in sales, was also up early Tuesday to be among the first passengers.
"It's one of the biggest rail openings in the UK for quite some time, so I'm really excited to see it open after all the trials and tribulations," he said.
Folker also praised the experience of traveling on the new line.
"It's fluid, easy to use and punctual. It will make things easier for people coming into central London."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan pretends to wipe his brow in relief as the first Elizabeth line trains leave on time.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who spent Tuesday morning touring the new line and happily posing for selfies with customers and staff, spoke of his delight at the long-awaited launch of the line.
"Everyone should be very proud," he told reporters at Woolwich station in southeast London.
"We have the best railway in the world open to the public.
"The last time we had transport expansion on this scale was in 1969 when the Victoria line opened."
The line was hit by a minor mishap on opening day when an accidental fire alarm triggered a precautionary evacuation of passengers at Paddington, leading to a minor disruption to late morning journey times.
The distinctive upholstered seats of the Elizabeth line.
Image by Leon Neal/Getty
In normal operation, trains connecting Paddington in west London with Abbey Wood in the southeast could be seen at Tuesday's opening, with stops at key stations including the Tottenham Court Road shopping center and Canary Wharf financial district.
And when it fully opens later in 2022, the 99.7-kilometre (62-mile) network will also connect remote commuter cities, bringing a further 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London and Heathrow, the main UK international airport.
Ben Jones contributed to this report
London UndergroundQueen Elizabeth