I am really pleased that the central tunnels of the Elizabeth Line are finally open, but I share residents' disappointment that we will still not be able to access this section of the route until the autumn, without changing at Liverpool Street. A lot of constituents who bought homes around Harold Wood station in recent years did so because of Crossrail's promise, and it is very frustrating that due to mismanagement in City Hall, the full service will not be open until next year - nearly five years behind schedule.

Once fully operational, the Elizabeth Line will be a huge boost for the local area, allowing seamless travel right through the centre of London to Heathrow and to Reading. Those working in the city will find their commutes more comfortable with air conditioned trains, and London’s attractions will be within simpler reach. Harold Wood station itself is now much easier to access and I worked closely with Harold Wood residents to get station accessibility works expedited. Works were completed a couple of years ago and it is great that there is now step-free access and better toilets - good news not just for passengers with disabilities but older people and parents who want to travel with young children and buggies.

Many of my constituents in Upminster will access the Elizabeth Line by the Romford-Upminster branch of the London Overground, which, unfortunately does not benefit from step-free access at Upminster station. This service is accessed via Platform 6 at Upminster Station and is both the only platform at the station and the only stop on the London Overground branch not to have step-free access. This is a vital connection in the constituency, connecting residents with District Line Services and C2C services from Upminster Station to Elizabeth Line services from Romford. I have previously made applications, supported by local campaigns, for step-free access to be introduced at this platform and will once again highlight this gap within an otherwise very accessible rail service in the region.