Mayor checks out East London Line

The Mayor of London this morning visited Shoreditch High Street station, to promote the imminent opening of the East London Line, suggesting everything is on course to open on schedule. Mayors tend not to attend photocalls with delayed projects...

From TfL:

The East London Line is scheduled for completion in early summer, before it connects in the north with the rest of the London Overground network at Camden Road in January 2011.

The following year, the East London Line Phase 2 will connect Surrey Quays with Clapham Junction in the south.

When complete, the full line will create London's first orbital rail route, serving 22 of London boroughs.

The line will be served by a brand new fleet of 20 walk-through and air-conditioned Class 378 Electrostar trains with a capacity of 494 each, driver-monitored CCTV, wider doors and gangways and wheelchair spaces. A further 13 trains will join the fleet by 2012.

A total of 300 people will be employed on the line, half of whom will reportedly be hired from the boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark or Tower Hamlets.