Pictured: The amazing SIDEWAYS lifts at Liverpool Street and Farringdon Crossrail stations

When the new Crossrail route – aka the Elizabeth line – opens in the coming weeks, it will feature four amazing sloping lifts.

There are two ‘incline lifts’ at Liverpool Street and two at Farringdon that run alongside escalators, moving up and down sideways lift shafts.

They are innovative features, but not a first for UK public rail transport. That honour goes to the incline lift at Greenford Underground station on the Central line, which was installed in 2015.

When the new Crossrail route – aka the Elizabeth line – opens in the coming weeks, it will feature four amazing sloping lifts, two at Liverpool Street (pictured) and two at Farringdon

Transport for London (TfL) said that sloping lifts are cheaper to install as they save the cost of excavating a lift shaft, can utilise existing escalator space and are 50 per cent more efficient than a standard lift as they only use half as much power to run.

At the time the incline lift was installed at Greenford Underground station, London Underground’s now Director of Engineering, said: ‘The new incline lift is spacious, quick, and provides much-needed step-free access to our customers at Greenford.

‘It is cheaper to install and cheaper to run and I am hopeful we can introduce this innovation elsewhere on the Tube network in the future.’

Crossrail said: ‘All Crossrail stations in central London will have step-free access from street to train. The new incline lifts offer an added benefit by allowing groups travelling together to have passengers with wheelchairs, buggies or large baggage to take an incline lift while friends and family take an escalator directly alongside.’ The incline lift above is at the Farringdon Elizabeth line station

Transport for London said that sloping lifts are cheaper to install as they save the cost of excavating a lift shaft, can utilise existing escalator space and are 50 per cent more efficient than a standard lift as they only use half as much power to run. The incline lift above is at the Farringdon Elizabeth line station

The Elizabeth line, pictured, comprises 41 stations. It cost almost £19billion to build

Crossrail added: ‘All Crossrail stations in central London will have step-free access from street to train. The new incline lifts offer an added benefit by allowing groups travelling together to have passengers with wheelchairs, buggies or large baggage to take an incline lift while friends and family take an escalator directly alongside.’

When the Elizabeth line fully opens, it will be a route of 41 stations from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through central London and to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

TfL claims that it will reduce congestion by increasing central London’s rail capacity by 10 per cent and will bring an additional 1.5million people within 45 minutes of central London.

It adds: ‘It will improve journey times, offer more choice and deliver an accessible world-class experience for millions of passengers each year.’

The capital’s new railway was initially planned to be opened in full in December 2018, and was set a budget of £14.8billion in 2010.

But the project’s total cost is now estimated to have ballooned to £18.9billion, including £5.1billion from the Government.

The line has been hit by construction delays and difficulties installing complex signalling systems.