Portal:London transport

The London transport portal

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London transport

The London transport system is one of the oldest and largest public transport systems in the world. Many components of its transport system, such as the double-decker bus, the Hackney Carriage black taxi and the London Underground, are internationally recognised symbols of London.

Most transport services in London are controlled by Transport for London (TfL), an executive agency of the Greater London Authority. TfL-controlled services include the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, the London Overground, Buses and Trams, most of which accept payment by the Oyster card. TfL also administers the congestion charge zone and the low emission zone.

London has a comprehensive rail network with several major railway stations linking to the rest of the country. International travel is possible from St Pancras International which connects to mainland Europe through the Eurostar service, or from one of six international airports, including Heathrow or Gatwick.

The M25 is an orbital motorway which enables vehicles to avoid travelling through central London and is one of the busiest motorways in Europe.

More about transport in London


Buses	Taxis	Underground	Overground	DLR	Tramlink	National Rail	River Services	Heathrow Airport

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Selected article
The Oyster card is a contactless smartcard, with a claimed proximity range of about 10 cm. The scheme is operated by TranSys, and is based on Philips' MIFARE Standard 1k chips, provided by Giesecke & Devrient and SchlumbergerSema. The Oyster card may have been inspired by Hong Kong's transport system, which uses the similar Octopus card. As with the Octopus card and other pay-as-you-go smartcards, also notably in Japan, there is the potential for future expansion of the Oyster card to act as an e-money payment system. Travellers touch the card to a distinctive yellow circular reader (a Cubic Tri-Reader) positioned on automated barriers at London Underground stations to 'touch in' and 'touch out' at the start and end of a journey (contact is not necessary, but the range of the reader is only a centimetre or so). Tram stops and buses also have readers, on the driver's ticket machine or, in the case of articulated buses, near the other entrance doors as well. Oyster cards can be used to store both period travelcards and bus passes (of one week or more), and a pay-as-you-go balance. The system is asynchronous with the most up-to-date balance and ticket data held electronically on the card rather than in the central database. The main database is updated periodically with information received from the card by barriers and validators. Tickets purchased online or over the telephone are "loaded" at a preselected barrier or validator. Read more... All selected articles
Selected biography
Sir Joseph William Bazalgette, CB (28 March 1819 – 15 March 1891) was an English civil engineer. As chief engineer of London's Metropolitan Board of Works his major achievement was the creation (in response to the Great Stink of 1858) of a sewer network for central London which was instrumental in relieving the city from cholera epidemics, while beginning the cleansing of the River Thames. Bazelgette was also responsible for the design of the Albert, Victoria and Chelsea Embankments along the north and south sides of the River Thames and bridges over the Thames at Putney, Hammersmith and Battersea. He also prepared early proposals for Blackwall Tunnel and Tower Bridge. (Full article...) All Selected biographies
Did you know...
...that the ticket hall at Bank station is partly built in the crypt of Nicholas Hawksmoor's church, St Mary Woolnoth? ...that the first version of the Underground roundel was introduced in 1908, as a solid red disk and blue bar? ...that the shortest distance between two stations on the London Underground is 250 metres (0.16 miles), between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line? ...that trains on the Waterloo & City line never see the light of day? More Did you know...
Related portals
Transport Buses Trains London England

Selected pictures
Image 1Hornsey Lane Bridge, Archway, more commonly known as "Suicide Bridge". Image 2Day (left) and Night (right) sculptures by Sir Jacob Epstein on the London Underground's headquarters at 55 Broadway. Image 3The south façade of King's Cross railway station London terminus of the East Coast Main Line. Image 4The multi-level junction between the M23 and M25 motorways near Merstham in Surrey. The M23 passes over the M25 with bridges carrying interchange slip roads for the two motorways in between. Image 5The Circle routes of Victorian London, comprising the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer Circle and Super Outer Circle. Image 6Victoria line 2009 Stock train at Euston. Image 7Escalators at Westminster Underground station descend between beams and columns of the station box to reach the deep-level Jubilee line platforms. Image 8Qantas Boeing 747-400 about to land at Heathrow Airport, seen beyond the roofs of Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow. Image 9Rail, road and river traffic, seen from the London Eye. Image 10Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1887, crosses the River Thames in west London. Image 11TX4 London Taxi at Heathrow Airport. Image 12A Hansom cab at Somerset House. Image 13Sailing ships at West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in 1810. The docks opened in 1802 and closed in 1980 and have since been redeveloped as the Canary Wharf development. Image 14Clapham Common Underground station north and south-bound platforms on the Northern line. Image 15Original stations on the Metropolitan Railway from The Illustrated London News, 27 December 1862. Image 16Albert Bridge, opened in 1873, crosses the River Thames between Chelsea and Battersea. Image 17Tram 2548 calls at Arena tram stop. This is one of the trams on the Tramlink network centred on Croydon in south London. Image 18The original Hampton Court Bridge in 1753, the first of four on the site. Image 19A tram of the London United Tramways at Boston Road, Hanwell, circa 1910. Image 20Vauxhall Bridge across the River Thames opened in 1906 and features sculptures by F. W. Pomeroy. Image 21Southern approach to the Rotherhithe Tunnel that runs under the River Thames in east London between Rotherhithe and Limehouse. Image 22London General Omnibus Company B-type bus B340 built in 1911 by AEC. One of a number of London buses purchased by the British military during World War I, this vehicle was operated on the Western Front. Image 23The New Routemaster built by Wrightbus has three entrances, two staircases and is designed to be reminiscent of the Routemaster. Image 24London Underground Battery-electric locomotive L16 designed to operate over tracks where the traction current is turned off for maintenance work. Image 25Arguably the best-preserved disused station building in London, this is the former Alexandra Palace station on the GNR Highgate branch (closed in 1954). It is now in use as a community centre (CUFOS). Image 26Archer statue by Eric Aumonier at East Finchley Underground station. Image 27London Overground Class 378 train on the East London Line in Hoxton. Image 28Ruislip Lido Railway's 12-inch (300 mm) gauge locomotive "Mad Bess" hauling a passenger train. Image 29Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus, in the West End of London, 1949. Image 30Eurostar Class 373 trains at St Pancras station. Image 31Planes waiting at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4. Image 32Central London Railway poster, published in 1905. Image 33Tower bridge; a bascule bridge across the River Thames. Image 34The newly constructed junction of the Westway (A40) and the West Cross Route (A3220) at White City, circa 1970. Continuation of the West Cross Route northwards under the roundabout was cancelled leaving two short unused stubs for the slip roads that would have been provided for traffic joining or leaving the northern section. Image 35The western departures concourse of King's Cross railway station. Image 36Thames Clippers service catamaran on the River Thames. Image 37"Boris Bikes" from the Santander Cycles hire scheme waiting for use at a docking station in Victoria. Image 38View of Old London Bridge, circa 1632 by Claude de Jongh. Image 39Early style tube roundel in mosaic at Maida Vale Underground station. Image 4055 Broadway, headquarters of the UERL and its successors, is a Grade I listed building in Westminster designed by Charles Holden. Image 41An air raid shelter in a London Underground station during The Blitz. Image 42Stockwell bus garage, Stockwell, a Grade II* listed building. Image 43London Underground A60 Stock (left) and 1938 Stock (right) trains showing the difference in the sizes of the two types of rolling stock operated on the system. A60 stock trains operated on the surface and sub-surface sections of the Metropolitan line from 1961 to 2012 and 1938 Stock operated on various deep level tube lines from 1938 to 1988. Image 44Duck tour converted DUKW amphibious vehicle exiting the River Thames. Image 45Camden Lock or Hampstead Road Lock in Camden Town, north London is the only twin lock on the Regents Canal. Image 46Woolwich Ferry boats "John Burns" and "James Newman" on the River Thames, 2012. Image 47Preserved AEC Routemaster coaches in London Transport Green Line livery. Image 48Gondolas of the Emirates Air Line cable car cross the River Thames from Greenwich Peninsula to Royal Docks. Image 49Helicopter landing at London Heliport, a jetty constructed in the River Thames in Battersea. All Selected pictures
In the news
10 August – One person dies and two others are injured in a bus crash at Victoria bus station.[1] 20 September – Northern line extension from Kennington to Battersea Power Station opens.[2] 25 October – The Ultra Low Emission Zone extends to include the area of Greater London within the North and South Circular Roads.[3] 22 November – Transport for London announces a series of temporary overnight and weekend closures for repairs to the elevated section of Westway.[4] 15 January – Northern line Bank branch closes between Kennington and Moorgate for 17 weeks for construction works at Bank station.[5] Archive
Anniversaries
14 May 1908 – Central London Railway extends from Shepherd's Bush to Wood Lane. 1999 – Jubilee line opens between Stratford and North Greenwich. More for May