BBC News - East London Line officially opened by Boris Johnson

The new East London Line has been opened to the public, forming part of the London Overground network.

A "preview" service of eight trains an hour will run between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction, between 0700 BST and 2000 BST, from Monday to Friday.

Full evening and weekend services will begin on 23 May, when 12 trains will run each hour.

Trains will travel through Whitechapel station and Shoreditch High Street, a flagship Zone 1 station.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who officially opened the route, said: "This new railway will bring jobs and opportunities to communities up and down the line, massively improving access for hundreds of thousands of people.

"This type of investment is essential if London, throwing off the shackles of recession, is to emerge with the ability to grow, prosper, and secure its position at the summit of world cities, to the benefit of all Londoners."

I have no idea about the Class 378 Electrostar trains

which look pretty boring, but no doubt DoDo will fill us in.....

As for the £1bn cost of the line - well, the resulting windfall increase in property prices in Hackney started years ago once it became clear the line was a goer, and it will probably now accelerate (at least in relative terms).

Of course, if at least part of the multi-billion pound increase in Hackney and other land values had been taxed, the line could have paid for itself many times over.

Oh well - that's Capitalism.