Editor's Note: Unfortunately, I couldn't be there today for this special day, but thankfully Laura Porter was able to get out there and check out London's new railway today and write up this report for everyone. Thank you, Laura! We'll soon forget the long delay and the enormous cost as the Elizabeth Line opens today (24 May 2022). This is the most significant addition to … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Elizabeth Line Opening Day First Person Report
Transport
In Pictures: Thousands travel on Elizabeth line on first morning of passenger service
Thousands of people traveled on London’s £18.9 billion Elizabeth line railway in the first few hours of operation on Tuesday morning. Hundreds of transport enthusiasts gathered at stations in Paddington, west London, and Abbey Wood, south-east London, to be on the first trains, which departed shortly after 6.30 am. Transport for London (TfL) commissioner Andy Byford said the … [Read more...] about In Pictures: Thousands travel on Elizabeth line on first morning of passenger service
Countdown to Elizabeth Line opening tomorrow!
London’s new £18.9 billion Elizabeth line railway opens on Tuesday. The delayed and overbudget line will boost capacity and cut journey times for east-west travel across the capital. Services will begin in new tunnels under the center of the city at 6.30 am. Large numbers of transport enthusiasts are expected to be on the first departures. The Elizabeth line … [Read more...] about Countdown to Elizabeth Line opening tomorrow!
New Tube map with Elizabeth Line published by Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) has released a new Tube map with the Elizabeth line included for the first time. The new east-west railway has been added to the map ahead of its opening on May 24. It is displayed as a double purple line rather than a solid line to “differentiate the Elizabeth line as a new railway as opposed to a London Underground line”, TfL said. The Queen … [Read more...] about New Tube map with Elizabeth Line published by Transport for London
UK PM Announces Support for Shelved North-South Crossrail 2 Line
Boris Johnson has called for another multibillion-pound railway to be built in London after marking the completion of Crossrail. The Prime Minister said the Government would back Crossrail 2 – a proposed north-south rail link across London – but the capital’s businesses would need to develop a plan to pay for it. He said: “The real thing for us now is to think about … [Read more...] about UK PM Announces Support for Shelved North-South Crossrail 2 Line
Queen beams in sunshine yellow for surprise visit to open Elizabeth Line in London
The Queen has made a surprise appearance to officially open the completed Elizabeth line, named in her honor. She was given an Oyster card and shown how to use it on a ticket machine. The 96-year-old monarch, who now rarely carries out public engagements outside of her royal residences, joined her youngest son the Earl of Wessex at Paddington Station for the royal visit … [Read more...] about Queen beams in sunshine yellow for surprise visit to open Elizabeth Line in London
Bank branch of Northern line reopens after ‘vital’ work to ease Tube congestion
A key London Underground section has been reopened following a 17-week closure for major improvement work. Services resumed on the Bank branch of the Northern line on Monday after what London mayor Sadiq Khan described as “vital” work to ease congestion. The closure enabled 550 construction staff to complete a new Tube train tunnel and passenger concourse at Bank station … [Read more...] about Bank branch of Northern line reopens after ‘vital’ work to ease Tube congestion
London buses given purple makeover ahead of Platinum Jubilee
Eight London buses have been given a purple makeover to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Transport for London (TfL) said the vehicles began displaying their commemorative wraps on the capital’s roads on Friday. The revamp was funded by operators Arriva, RATP, Abellio, Go-Ahead, Metroline, and Stagecoach. Passengers using the Elizabeth line, Jubilee line, or … [Read more...] about London buses given purple makeover ahead of Platinum Jubilee
Crossrail is Coming: Frequently Asked Questions about the New Elizabeth Line Opening May 24th
The long-awaited Elizabeth line will finally open on May 24. Here are 10 key questions that have been asked about it and about what impact it will have on transport journeys in London. What area will the Elizabeth line cover? It will run from Reading in Berkshire and Heathrow Airport in west London, to Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in south-east London, via the … [Read more...] about Crossrail is Coming: Frequently Asked Questions about the New Elizabeth Line Opening May 24th
Finally: London’s new £19bn Elizabeth line to open on May 24 – Crossrail Arrives!
London’s delayed and over-budget Elizabeth line railway will finally open on Tuesday, May 24, Transport for London (TfL) has announced. Services will initially operate from Mondays to Saturdays, allowing further testing and software updates to take place on Sundays. Crossrail – the project to build the new east-west railway – was due to be completed in December 2018 and was … [Read more...] about Finally: London’s new £19bn Elizabeth line to open on May 24 – Crossrail Arrives!
Qantas promises 20 hour non-stop flights from London to Sydney by 2025
Qantas has promised to start direct flights from Sydney to London by late 2025. The Australian airline has ordered twelve airbuses capable of flying non-stop to the UK and the US’s major cities. The long haul Sydney-London flight will take roughly 20 hours, making it one of the world’s longest. Qantas already provides a direct 17-hour flight between London and Perth. The … [Read more...] about Qantas promises 20 hour non-stop flights from London to Sydney by 2025
Santander Cycles – The History of Bicycle Share in London and How to Use It
London’s bicycle sharing program is one of the top means of public transportation in the city. Roughly 30,000 – 40,000 people take advantage of the Transport for London’s bicycle scheme on a daily basis. Bicycle sharing has been around since Amsterdam adopted the first program in 1965 and London first adopted it in 2010. Colloquially known as “Boris Bikes” since Boris … [Read more...] about Santander Cycles – The History of Bicycle Share in London and How to Use It
A Brief History of the Bakerloo Line
Like a lightning bolt running through the city, the Bakerloo line gets passengers where they’re going nearly as fast and has been doing so for over 100 years. Its name is a portmanteau of two parts of London through which it ran when it first opened in 1906. You might be interested to learn, however, that its history goes back well before this and into the 19th Century when … [Read more...] about A Brief History of the Bakerloo Line
Uber granted two-and-a-half-year license to operate in London
The ride-hailing company had previously been denied a license by Transport for London in November 2019. But a judge granted an 18-month license in September 2020, deciding it was a fit and proper company “despite historical failings”. We’re delighted to announce @TfL has granted Uber a new 30 month licence in London. TfL rightly holds our industry to the highest regulatory … [Read more...] about Uber granted two-and-a-half-year license to operate in London
Gatwick reopens south terminal as airlines ramp up schedules
Flights are ramping up from around 300 to 570 a day on Sunday, making it equivalent to opening a medium-sized airport overnight. The terminal has been dormant since June 15 2020 to reduce costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Its shops, cafes, and other facilities have undergone months of refurbishment, updating, and cleaning ahead of the reopening. Gatwick said the … [Read more...] about Gatwick reopens south terminal as airlines ramp up schedules
Crossrail Begins Running Daily Tests To Open Soon to the Public
Crossrail will operate empty trains for several weeks to ensure the service is “absolutely flawless” when it opens, the boss of Transport for London (TfL) said. Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, told reporters he does not want the launch of the capital’s new railway to be reminiscent of the botched opening of Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Hundreds of flights were … [Read more...] about Crossrail Begins Running Daily Tests To Open Soon to the Public
London’s Heathrow Airport Ends COVID-19 Mask Requirements
London's Heathrow Airport has announced that it will end the requirement to wear masks in the airport, based on the recent UK government announcement that all COVID travel restrictions and regulations will end from Friday. Here are the full details from the Heathrow press release in my inbox: Those traveling through Heathrow will no longer be required to wear a … [Read more...] about London’s Heathrow Airport Ends COVID-19 Mask Requirements
New Euston Station Unveiled – HS2’s Euston station to have ‘bronze or gold’ roof
HS2’s Euston station will feature a bold roof colored “bronze or gold” under new plans for the high-speed railway’s London terminus. Designers hope the “innovative” structure will be an “identifying feature” of the north London station, HS2 Ltd said. Its design will maximize the amount of natural light that reaches the concourse below. Declan McCafferty, lead … [Read more...] about New Euston Station Unveiled – HS2’s Euston station to have ‘bronze or gold’ roof
It’s going to be harder to hail a Black London Taxi as Cabbies stop searching for passengers due to soaring fuel costs
Cabbies in London are queuing at ranks rather than driving in search of passengers because of spiralling diesel costs. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said “extortionate” fuel prices are having a major impact on the drivers of the 10,000 diesel-powered black cabs on the capital’s roads. Latest figures from data firm Experian … [Read more...] about It’s going to be harder to hail a Black London Taxi as Cabbies stop searching for passengers due to soaring fuel costs
London Mayor unveils plan to expand Congestion Charge Zone to whole of Greater London
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) will be expanded to cover the entire city under plans announced by mayor Sadiq Khan to cut pollution and congestion. Mr. Khan has asked Transport for London (TfL) to consult on extending the scheme’s boundary from the North and South Circular Roads to the whole of Greater London by the end of next year. Drivers of vehicles that do … [Read more...] about London Mayor unveils plan to expand Congestion Charge Zone to whole of Greater London
London Alert: Warning over Tube services ahead of strike Tuesday and Thursday
London Underground is set to be crippled on Tuesday because of a strike by thousands of workers amid a warning there could be no Tube services because of the action.There will be a similar scale of disruption during a second walkout on Thursday, with a knock-on impact on Wednesday and Friday.Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are taking action in a dispute … [Read more...] about London Alert: Warning over Tube services ahead of strike Tuesday and Thursday
London Alert: Strikes by London Underground workers to go ahead next week
Strikes by London Underground (LU) workers are to go ahead next week after talks failed to resolve a dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out next Tuesday and Thursday (March 1 and 3), threatening disruption to Tube services across the capital. The RMT said during talks at conciliation service Acas … [Read more...] about London Alert: Strikes by London Underground workers to go ahead next week
Transport for London scraps face masks rule
Public transport users in London will no longer be required to wear face masks from Thursday. Transport for London (TfL) announced that face coverings will stop being a condition of carriage following the “shift in the Government’s approach” towards living with coronavirus. It added that “decreasing infection rates in London” were also a factor in its decision. The … [Read more...] about Transport for London scraps face masks rule
London Underground and bus fares to increase from next month
Fares on the London Underground and buses in the capital will rise from March 1, the mayor has announced. Sadiq Khan said pay-as-you-go fares will increase by 10p in zone one from £2.40 to £2.50 (this is the fare usually used by tourists who have an Oyster Card or use Contactless). Bus fares will increase by 10p to £1.65, while its Hopper fares – which allow unlimited … [Read more...] about London Underground and bus fares to increase from next month
London Gatwick to reopen south terminal next month as airlines ramp up schedules
Gatwick Airport has announced it will reopen its south terminal next month, to meet expected strong demand for air travel this summer. The terminal has been dormant since June 15 2020 to reduce costs during the coronavirus pandemic. It will reopen on March 27 as airlines ramp up their schedules. Gatwick made the announcement on the day travel restrictions for people … [Read more...] about London Gatwick to reopen south terminal next month as airlines ramp up schedules
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