On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made a surprise appearance when she accompanied His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex to officially open the new Elizabeth Line at Paddington Station in London.

Upon their arrival, Her Majesty The Queen and The Earl of Wessex were greeted by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Commissioner for Transport for London, Mr. Grant Shapps, the British Prime Minister, Mr. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, Mr. Sadiq Khan, and dozens of Paddington station staff.

Thereafter, Her Majesty The Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening of the Elizabeth Line and purchased the first ticket using a commemorative Elizabeth Line Oyster card.

The new Elizabeth Line will run over 100km through central London from Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east to Reading and Heathrow in the west. The Elizabeth Line will serve 41 stations including 10 new stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.