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Comment by billforsternz | Hacker News Reader

So does the new name ("Elizabeth line") imply that this is an expansion of the Underground - rather than a separate system? I know it sound like just semantics, but the DLR system for example is definitely quite distinct from the Underground, and I would like to know whether Crossrail will be too.

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It's "normal" railway. Big trains, which continue onto the national railway network after leaving the tunnel.

Visitors to London especially don't need to care about this, and the name tells then to treat it like the other underground lines: there will be trains every two minutes, and a special ticket isn't required.

Also, Crossrail 2 is being planned.

> a special ticket isn't required.

Excellent, I've been trying to figure this out; whether I will be able to just jump on/off using my debit (or Oyster) card as I currently do on the over/underground.

Any idea how far out of town this ticketing system will be usable? Will someone in Reading be able to use a contactless card without having to buy a paper ticket?

> Excellent, I've been trying to figure this out; whether I will be able to just jump on/off using my debit (or Oyster) card as I currently do on the over/underground.

Note that you can also use contactless or Oyster on National Rail within the zones, e.g. King's Cross to Alexandra Palace or Moorgate to Finsbury Park.

> Any idea how far out of town this ticketing system will be usable? Will someone in Reading be able to use a contactless card without having to buy a paper ticket?

At the moment no. One would hope that common sense will prevail.

People will be able to use contactless and oyster once the Reading side of the system is taken over by TfL in a year or so.

If I recall correctly, this is already the case on the other side of Crossrail (Shenfield/Brentford). It's also been introduced at Gatwick Airport recently.

You recall correctly - the Shenfield part has been switched on for Oyster/contactless

Crossrail seems to be original name for the Elizabeth Line, in case anyone else was confused by this comment. I'm guessing it will be part of the system, by sharing stations with the existing lines, but the platforms will be at different levels.

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/crossrail-to-become...

Sorry, I was assuming readers knew about Crossrail - which was presumptive. Note that the DLR shares stations with the pre-existing Underground system, and has platforms at different levels, but is still considered a separate system not part of the system.

I think the desire to see the greater system decomposed into various properly named subsystems in the most coherent way possible is something that is characteristic of a software development mindset.

As far as I know, Crossrail is the name of the project whilst the Elizabeth line is the name of the actual line. The Elizabeth line seems to be not quite an extension of the underground.

This video clears it up somewhat [1].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaBBg6Cyv9Q

Thanks, love this guy's passion. Summary of his position: No it's not a new underground line.

It has interrunning with GEML and GWML, so a separate system. As TfL basically owns most of it, it is co-branded the same way Overground and DLR are too.

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