Transport in London

London has an extensive and developed transport network which includes both public and private services. Journeys made on its integrated transport network account for 37% of London's journeys while private services accounted for 36% of journeys, walking 24% and cycling 2%, according to numbers from 2017. London's public transport network serves as the central hub for the United Kingdom in rail, air and road transport.

Public transport services are dominated by the city's executive agency for transport, Transport for London (TfL). TfL controls the majority of public transport, including the Underground, Buses, Tramlink, the Docklands Light Railway, London River Services, Elizabeth line and the London Overground.

Other rail services are either franchised to train operating companies by the Department for Transport (DfT) or, like Eurostar and Heathrow Express, operated on an open-access basis. TfL also controls most major roads in London, but not minor roads. In addition, there are several independent airports serving London, including Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe.

History

Further information: History of transport in London

London's public transport began with horse-drawn buses in 1829, which were later replaced by motor buses in 1902. Over time, private companies joined together to form a single bus service. The first underground railways were unified in 1902, and by 1913, they also took over the city's trams. In 1933, these services became part of the London Passenger Transport Board, operating under the name London Transport.

The management of London's transport changed many times over the years. In 2000, a new authority called Transport for London took over most services, making public transport easier to manage for the whole city.

Metro and light rail

Transport for London (TfL) runs three main railway systems in London. The biggest is the London Underground, also called the Tube, which was the world's first underground railway and started in 1863. Every day, more than 3 million people use it. It has 11 lines that connect different parts of the city.

TfL also runs the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in east London. This is an automatic light rail system that helps people travel around the Docklands area. The DLR is very important for East London and serves over 101 million passengers each year.

Another system is the Tramlink, which serves areas like Croydon and the surrounding boroughs. In 2011, it carried over 28 million passengers. The Tramlink connects with the London Underground and other rail services.

Heavy rail

Main articles: London station group and Rail transport in Great Britain

London is the center of Britain's railway network, with 18 major stations offering many types of services. Most parts of the city not covered by the Underground or DLR use suburban heavy rail services to reach these stations. These services are run by private rail companies and use the Oyster card system.

The main stations include Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. Paddington and Liverpool Street also have services on the Elizabeth line.

Other stations include Waterloo East, City Thameslink, Old Street and Vauxhall. London connects to Europe through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. High-speed Eurostar trains go to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, starting from St Pancras International. The route also goes through Stratford International and two stations in Kent, Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International.

Suburban and regional

Main article: Urban rail in the United Kingdom

London has a big network of trains for people traveling into the city from the surrounding areas. This network has 368 railway stations in the London fare zones, serving Greater London and nearby places. Most people (about 80% of 1.1 million) get to central London either by the Underground or by these train services.

Historically, London's train network spreads out from the center. Most trains end at stations around the edge of the city center. Two important lines cross London: the Thameslink route between Bedford and Brighton, and the Elizabeth line from Reading to Shenfield. A big project called Crossrail created the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022, adding a new way to travel across London.

While many central London stations are endpoints, some have lines going through to other parts of the city. London Bridge connects to Cannon Street and Charing Cross, and also has services on the Thameslink route.

London Overground

Main article: London Overground

In addition to lines going into and across London, there are also train routes that circle around the outer parts of the city. These are managed by Transport for London and are called the London Overground. This helps people travel across London without going into the very center.

The London Overground uses old railway lines to create a circular route with branches. It includes the oldest part of the Underground, the Thames Tunnel under the River Thames, finished in 1843. The services include routes to places like Richmond, Clapham Junction, Highbury and Islington, Surrey Quays, New Cross, Sydenham, Crystal Palace, and West Croydon.

Airport services

Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports have special train services. The Heathrow Express starts from Paddington and is run by the airport. The Gatwick Express starts from Victoria and the Stansted Express starts from Liverpool Street.

Operators

National Rail lines around London are run by different train companies. This started when British Rail was split up in the 1990s. These companies now work under contracts with the government.

Some of these companies are owned by governments or big companies from other countries. London Overground and Docklands Light Railway are run by private companies working for Transport for London. Heathrow Express is run separately.

National InterCity

Long-distance trains leave from several London stations to different parts of the UK:

• London Euston for the West Midlands, Wales, North West England and Scotland
• London King's Cross for the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, North East England and Scotland
• London Paddington for South West England, the West Midlands and Wales
• London St Pancras for the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and Kent
• London Liverpool Street for East of England
• London Waterloo for the south coast and South West England.

International

St Pancras has trains to cities in Europe like Paris, Brussels, Lyon and Marseille. Trips to Paris take about 2 hours and 15 minutes, and to Brussels about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Trains also go to Amsterdam.

You can also buy tickets to travel by train and ferry to the Netherlands or the Republic of Ireland.

Ticketing

Main article: Oyster card

London commuters mostly use special tickets to travel on public transport. The Oyster card is a small electronic ticket that works on many buses and trains in London. It lets people travel as much as they want on these services. There is also a paper ticket called the Travelcard that works in places where electronic tickets are not accepted. Both tickets use a system of fare zones to decide the price of a trip. The London Pass is a special ticket for tourists that includes travel and entry to some popular places.

Roads

London has many different types of roads, from big motorways to small side streets. The biggest roads are motorways and dual carriageways, which have special designs to help cars move faster. There are also smaller roads for local traffic.

Many of London's streets were built long before cars existed, so the roads can get very busy. People have tried to solve this problem for a long time. In the past, new wide roads were built, and plans were made for even more roads, but many of these plans were stopped because of costs and protests from people living there. Today, there is a focus on improving public transport instead.

Main articles: London congestion charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone

Because of the busy city centre, there are not many big roads that go straight into the middle of London. Some of the main roads that do go in include the A40, A12, A13, and A2. These roads help connect London to places far away, like airports and other cities.

There are also ring roads that go around London. The innermost one is called the Inner Ring Road, and there are two others that circle the suburbs. The biggest ring road is the M25, which goes around most of the city and is very busy, especially near Heathrow Airport.

None of these roads charge a fee to drive on them, except for the Dartford Crossing, which has a toll. Some other tunnels will start charging fees soon.

The big roads are helped by many smaller roads that connect different parts of the city. These smaller roads are used by local traffic and are managed by local authorities.

In 2003, a charge was introduced for cars entering central London during busy times. This helped reduce traffic congestion. The charge was later increased, and the area it covers has grown over time.

In 2019, a zone was created where cars must meet certain clean air standards to enter central London. This zone has since been expanded to cover more of the city.

Work has been done to make London's roads safer, such as lowering speed limits and improving road designs. There are also special rules for bigger vehicles to ensure they can see better. Education and training programs help keep everyone safe on the roads.

Cycling

Main article: Cycling in London

Cycling is very popular in London for getting around and for fun. In 2008, more than one million people in London owned bicycles, which was a big increase from the year 2000.

About 480,000 people ride their bikes in London every day. This growth happened partly because of a bike hire system started by Transport for London in 2010. By 2013, around 500,000 people used this system each month, with even more in July of that year. There are about 12,000 bikes available at 800 stations all over London.

Buses

Main article: Buses in London

London has a very large bus network with over 6,800 trips every weekday. About six million people ride the buses on more than 700 different routes, making it one of the biggest bus systems in the world and the largest in Europe. These buses help people travel around the city and carry more passengers than the Underground.

There are also special night buses that run all night on 100 routes. Over 2,000 of the buses in London are battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell buses, making London one of the top cities for clean buses in Europe.

The bus services are run by many different companies, but the city decides the routes, how often buses come, and the fares. Some of these companies are from other countries around the world.

Many of the buses are the famous red double-deckers, and they are all easy to get on and off. Since the year 2000, there has been a lot of work to make the bus system better, with more routes, more frequent buses, and better vehicles. By 2010, the number of bus rides in London had grown a lot since 2000.

Taxis

Black cabs and hire cars

The famous black cab is still often seen around the city. These drivers have to spend years learning all the streets to get a special license called "The Knowledge". All taxis in London are checked and given rules by the Public Carriage Office to make sure they are safe and fair. You can find black cabs on the street or at special places like train stations and busy areas. The price you pay is set by a machine in the car called a taximeter, and it depends on how far and how long the trip is.

Private cars that people call before getting in, known as PHVs or minicabs, cannot pick people up on the street. Since January 2023, new private hire cars must be cleaner and follow strict rules to keep the air healthy.

Bicycle taxis and pedicabs

Pedicabs are bikes with seats for passengers and have become popular with visitors in central London. The first company to bring them to London came from Cambridge in 1998. Today, there are about 5 to 10 companies offering these services. There have been discussions and plans to make sure these bike taxis follow the right rules too.

Airports

Main article: Airports of London

London has the world's busiest airport system, with over 170 million passengers using its six airports in 2017. The airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, and Southend.

Heathrow and Gatwick handle both long and short-distance flights, while Southend mostly serves European routes. Stansted and Luton focus on budget flights within Europe and domestic trips, and London City is popular with business travelers for short trips and local flights. London City is the closest airport to central London, located about 10 km east of the city center and connected by a quick train ride.

Heathrow, about 20–25 km from central London, is the busiest airport in Europe, handling nearly 80 million passengers each year. Gatwick, located about 40 km south of London, is the world's busiest single-runway airport, serving around 32 million passengers annually.

Southend, east of London, grew quickly to support the 2012 Summer Olympics and now connects to London through roads and trains. Stansted, the farthest airport at about 50 km north, mainly serves budget travelers. Luton Airport, about 45 km northwest, also focuses on budget flights and connects to London by road and train.

Other airports like Biggin Hill and RAF Northolt serve private planes and helicopters. Croydon Airport was London's first major airport but closed in 1959 after Heathrow took over.

Water transport

River Thames

See also: London River Services

The River Thames used to be one of London's main ways to travel. Even though it is not as busy today, there are more people using boats for fun and to go to work, thanks to an organization called London River Services that started in 1999. This group helps manage and promote boat trips and leisure rides on the river. Some boats are run by private companies, and London River Services takes care of five important stops in central London.

Canals

See also: Canals of the United Kingdom

London has several canals, like the Regent's Canal, which connects to other waterways across England. These canals were built a long time ago to carry things like coal and food. Today, they are mostly used for fun, with people enjoying boat rides, especially in the summer.

Cargo

Some large goods are still moved on the Thames. London's port used to be very busy, but most of it moved to a place called Tilbury in Essex outside of London. Today, the port is still important and is the second busiest in the UK for moving goods. The Port of London Authority looks after most of the port and helps ships travel safely on the river.

Cable Car

Main article: London Cable Car

The London Cable Car is a special cable car that crosses the River Thames. It started on 28 June 2012 and is run by Transport for London. Besides helping people travel across the river, it also gives riders a beautiful view of London.

The cable car line is 0.62 miles long and goes from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Victoria Dock, near ExCeL London. It uses a special kind of technology called monocable detachable gondola, which is cheaper and faster to build than other systems.

Accessibility

Main article: Accessibility of transport in London

Public transport in London has improved to help everyone, including those who use wheelchairs. Many train stations, including the Underground and Overground, were built before rules required easy access. But now, more stations have ramps and lifts to help everyone get around.

Buses, trams, and taxis in London are easy for everyone to use. London was one of the first big cities to have buses that everyone can get on and off easily.

Public transport statistics

People in London spend about 84 minutes each weekday using public transport, like buses or trains, to get to work or school. About 30% of passengers ride for more than two hours every day. On average, people wait about 10 minutes at a stop before their bus or train arrives.

In 2018, there were over 15,000 places to charge electric vehicles in the UK, with London having more than anywhere else. That year, people in England took 4.8 billion trips on local buses, which made up 58% of all public transport trips. There were also 1.8 billion trips on trains across England. Light rail and tram travel kept growing, reaching the highest number of trips since records began in 1983.