Transport in London
Transport in London | |
---|---|
Taxicab, bicycle, pedestrian |
London has an extensive and developed transport network which includes both public and private services. Journeys made by public transport systems 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.[1] 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.[2]
History
Dates | Organisation | Overseen by |
---|---|---|
1933–1947 | London Passenger Transport Board | London County Council |
1948–1962 | London Transport Executive | British Transport Commission |
1963–1969 | London Transport Board | Minister of Transport |
1970–1984 | London Transport Executive (Greater London only) | Greater London Council |
1970–1986 | London Country Bus Services (Green Line only) | National Bus Company |
1984–2000 | London Regional Transport | Secretary of State for Transport |
2000(2003)–present | Transport for London | Mayor of London |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Transport_in_London.png/340px-Transport_in_London.png)
Early public transport in London began with
The London Transport name continued in use until 2000 (2003 on the Underground), although the political management of transport services changed several times. The LPTB oversaw transport from 1933 to 1947 until it was re-organised as the London Transport Executive (1948 to 1962).[4] Responsibility for London Transport was subsequently taken over to the London Transport Board (1963 to 1969), the Greater London Council (1970 to 1984) and London Regional Transport (1984 to 2000/2003).
Following the privatisation of London bus services in 1986, bus services were spun off to a separate operation based on competitive tendering, London Buses. On 3 July 2000, as part of the formation of the new Greater London Authority, responsibility for most of London Transport was taken over by a new transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), which is the publicly owned transport corporation for the London region now.[5][6]
However, because of the continuing controversy over public-private partnerships in connection with London Underground maintenance, the new GLA led by Mayor Ken Livingstone was not permitted to take control of the Underground until the PPP contracts had been signed. In the event, London Regional Transport continued in existence as the owner of London Underground Ltd until July 2003.[7] London Regional Transport was wound up on 15 July.
Metro and light rail
TfL operates three different railway systems across London. The largest is the London Underground, a rapid transit system operating on sub-surface lines and in deep-level "tube" lines. TfL also operates the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), an automated light rail system in the east of the city, and the Tramlink system.[8]
The London Underground and the DLR account for 40 percent of the journeys between Inner London and Outer London, making them the most highly used systems in all of London.[9] These three systems extend to most points of London, creating a comprehensive and extensive system. One major area missed by these systems is South London, which is dominated by a large suburban rail network.
London Underground
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Piccadilly_Circus_station_in_London_Underground.png/220px-Piccadilly_Circus_station_in_London_Underground.png)
Colloquially known as the Tube, the London Underground was the first rapid transit system in the world, having begun operations in 1863.[10] More than 3 million passengers travel on the Underground every day, amounting to over 1 billion passenger journeys per year for the first time in 2006.[11][12] The Underground has 11 lines, most of which connect the suburbs to Central London and together form a dense network in central London, linking major railway stations, central business areas and icons. The Underground serves North London much more extensively than South London. This is the result of a combination of unfavourable geology, historical competition from surface railways and the historical geography of London which was focused to the north of the River Thames. South London is served primarily by surface railways (the majority of London Underground's route length is actually on the surface rather than in tunnel).
Carrying nearly 50% of London's commuters, the Tube is the most heavily used mode of public transport in the area.[9]
Docklands Light Railway
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Docklands_Light_Railway_129_%286851775078%29.jpg/220px-Docklands_Light_Railway_129_%286851775078%29.jpg)
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated light rail system serving the Docklands area of east London. It complements the London Underground, largely sharing its fares system and having a number of interchanges with it.
The DLR serves over 101 million passengers a year and is an essential piece of infrastructure to
Partly thanks to the success of
Tramlink
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Tram_2548_at_Arena.jpg/220px-Tram_2548_at_Arena.jpg)
The Tramlink is a tram and light rail system serving Croydon and surrounding areas. It operates in the boroughs of Bromley, Croydon and Merton and Sutton and has 39 stations. In 2011, it carried over 28 million passengers, up from 18 million in 2001.[17]
The network consists of 39 stops along 28 km (17 mi) of track,[18] on a mixture of street track shared with other traffic, dedicated track in public roads, and off-street track consisting of new rights-of-way, former railway lines, and one right-of-way where the Tramlink track runs parallel to a third rail-electrified Network Rail line.
The system runs on its own right of way, mixed use rails and with street traffic. The network has connections with the London Underground, the London Overground and the National Rail system. There are several extensions planned for the system, such as expanding its coverage and further integrating it into the Underground system.
Heavy rail
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Greater_London_rail_frequency_map.svg/220px-Greater_London_rail_frequency_map.svg.png)
London is the focal point of the British railway network, with
The terminal (only) stations are
The through stations are
Suburban and regional
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Clock_and_view_over_concourse%2C_Waterloo_Station%2C_London.jpg/220px-Clock_and_view_over_concourse%2C_Waterloo_Station%2C_London.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Cross-london-rail.png/220px-Cross-london-rail.png)
London is the centre of an extensive radial commuter railway network which, along with Paris, is the busiest and largest in Europe, comprising 368 railway stations in the London Travelcard Zones, serving Greater London and the surrounding metropolitan area. Each terminus is associated with commuter services from a particular segment of this area. The majority of commuters to central London (about 80% of 1.1 million) arrive by either the Underground (400,000 daily) or by surface railway into these termini (860,000 daily).[19]
For historical reasons, London's commuter rail network is arranged in a radial form, and as a result the majority of services entering London terminate at one of the terminal stations around the edge of the city centre. Two long-distance National Rail lines currently go across London: the
Constantly increasing pressure on the commuter rail systems and on the Underground to disperse passengers from the busy terminals led to the multibillion-pound Crossrail project to develop the Elizabeth line. When it opened in May 2022, the Elizabeth line added further cross-London line passing through Paddington and Liverpool Street. New or upgraded stations have been provided at key city centre locations, linking to the Underground.[22]
While most stations in central London are termini, there are a few notable exceptions. London Bridge station has several through lines to the more central termini at Cannon Street and Charing Cross, and trains to the latter also call at
London Overground
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Unit_378005_at_Canonbury.jpg/220px-Unit_378005_at_Canonbury.jpg)
In addition to London's radial lines and cross-London routes, there are also several orbital National Rail lines connecting peripheral inner-London suburbs. These lines have been under the management of TfL since November 2007 and are operated by private contract under the London Overground brand. This commuter transport is operated as a rapid transit system with high-frequency services around a circular route with radial branch lines and is designed to reduce stress from the inner-city Tube network by allowing commuters to travel across London without going through the central Zone 1.[23]
London Overground was formed by joining a series of existing railway lines to form a circular route around the city and incorporates the oldest part of the Underground's history, the Thames Tunnel under the River Thames, which was completed in 1843. The routes comprise:
- The in the east.
- The West London line linking Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction with some trains to Stratford via the North London Line.
- The West Croydon, and Crystal Palace, and via the South London Line, Clapham Junction.
Other routes operated include:
- The Gospel Oak to Barking line which links inner North London to the northeastern suburbs, and was extended to Barking Riverside in 2022.
- The inner-suburban Watford DC line from Euston to Watford Junction.
- Suburban services from Liverpool Street to Chingford, Enfield Town and Cheshunt via Hackney Downs.
- The Romford to Upminster Line via Emerson Park.
Airport services
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/London_airport_links_map.png/220px-London_airport_links_map.png)
Airport | Train operator | Central London station | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
City | DLR | Bank/Tower Gateway |
|
Gatwick | Gatwick Express | Victoria |
Non-stop service, sub brand of Govia Thameslink Railway |
Southern | Victoria | Semi-fast and fast service via Clapham Junction | |
Thameslink | London Bridge |
Thameslink route service | |
Heathrow | Heathrow Express | Paddington | Non-stop service between Central London and the Airport, serves Terminals 2 & 3, then terminates at Terminal 5 |
London Underground | Several including King's Cross St Pancras | Piccadilly line service | |
Elizabeth line | Liverpool Street |
An all station suburban service that serves Terminals 2 & 3, then terminates at Terminal 4. Separate service to Terminal 5
| |
Luton | Thameslink | St Pancras/Farringdon/City Thameslink/Blackfriars/London Bridge | Thameslink route service |
East Midlands Railway | St Pancras International | Regional services from St Pancras to Corby | |
Stansted | Stansted Express | Liverpool Street |
Limited stop service, sub brand of Greater Anglia |
Southend |
Greater Anglia | Liverpool Street |
Operators
Unlike the Underground, which is a single system owned and operated by Transport for London, National Rail lines in and around London are run by a number of separate train operating companies (TOCs) under contract with the Department for Transport. This results from the privatisation of British Rail in the 1990s which split the former state railway operator British Rail into a number of smaller franchises in order to increase competition and allow railways to operate in a free market. This structure has now been abandoned in favour of operating contracts, for which the commercial risk is taken by the government. The former franchises were abolished in September 2020.[25]
Among the firms operating passenger services in London, some are owned by foreign companies or by state-owned railways of other European countries.[26][27][28] London Overground is operated by a private company under contract to Transport for London, as is Docklands Light Railway. Heathrow Express is not part of the National Rail contract system, being an open-access operator instead.
Train operator | Franchise/services | Parent company/owner |
---|---|---|
Arriva Rail London | London Overground metro service across London | Arriva |
c2c | Essex Thameside – local and regional/commuter services from Fenchurch Street to East London and South Essex | Trenitalia |
Chiltern Railways | Marylebone to North West London, Buckinghamshire |
Arriva |
East Midlands Railway | Regional services from St Pancras to Corby | Transport UK Group |
Elizabeth line | Cross-London regional / commuter service from Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west, through the centre of the city to Stratford and Shenfield in the east | MTR Corporation |
Govia Thameslink Railway | Victoria to North London, South London, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Kent and Sussex, also operate cross city services via the Thameslink route |
Govia |
Great Western Railway | West London and the Thames Valley |
FirstGroup |
Greater Anglia |
East Anglia franchise – local and regional/commuter services from Liverpool Street to Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, also operate the Stansted Express | Transport UK Group / Mitsui |
Heathrow Express | Non-stop service from Paddington to Heathrow Airport | Heathrow Airport Holdings |
London Northwestern Railway | Local and regional/commuter services from Euston to Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Birmingham | Transport UK Group / JR East / Mitsui |
South Western Railway |
FirstGroup / MTR Corporation | |
Southeastern | Blackfriars and high speed services from St Pancras to Kent |
DfT OLR Holdings on behalf of Department for Transport |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/St_Pancras_railway_station_MMB_E1_395025.jpg/220px-St_Pancras_railway_station_MMB_E1_395025.jpg)
National InterCity
Long-distance intercity services are provided at some London rail termini. Because the termini and intercity routes were largely built by competing companies, many termini serve cities in overlapping regions or different parts of the same region:
- 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 Waterloofor trains to the south coast and South West England.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/E320_Eurostar_nearest_the_camera%2C_older_Alsthom_stock_behind_at_St_Pancras.jpg/220px-E320_Eurostar_nearest_the_camera%2C_older_Alsthom_stock_behind_at_St_Pancras.jpg)
International
It is also possible to purchase combined train and ferry tickets on the Dutchflyer service to the Netherlands[30] as well as the Irish Ferries service to the Republic of Ireland.[31]
Ticketing
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Oystercard.jpg/220px-Oystercard.jpg)
London commuters mostly gain access to public transport services in London by using one of the inter-modal travel tickets provided by Transport for London. Oyster card is a credit-card-sized electronic ticket which offers almost unlimited use on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink, London Buses and National Rail services in the Greater London area.[32] Commuters entering London from further afield may rely on the older paper Travelcard (combined with a National Rail ticket) which offers the same inter-modal access but is valid at the regional railway stations not yet equipped to offer electronic ticketing. Oyster card is generally not valid outside the London fare zones or on certain airport express services.
Both Travelcard and Oyster card fares are calculated by using a system of fare zones which divides London's transport network into concentric circles numbered 1–6. Individual transport operators may also offer their own ticketing and fare tariffs for travel on one mode of transport.
The London Pass offers tourists visiting London a combination of the Travelcard and admissions to a number of tourist attractions for a set fee in advance.
Roads
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Space_taken_vs_numbers_in_City_of_London_%28transport%29.png/300px-Space_taken_vs_numbers_in_City_of_London_%28transport%29.png)
London has a hierarchy of roads ranging from major radial and orbital trunk roads down to minor "side streets". At the top level are motorways and
Most of the streets of central London were laid out before cars were invented, and London's road network is often congested. Attempts to tackle this go back at least to the 1740s, when the
A 1938 report, The Highway Development Survey, by Sir Charles Bressey and Sir Edwin Lutyens for the Ministry of Transport and Sir Patrick Abercrombie's 1943 County of London Plan and 1944 Greater London Plan all recommended the construction of many miles of new roads and the improvement of existing routes and junctions; but little was done to implement the recommendations. In the 1960s the Greater London Council prepared a drastic plan for a network of London Ringways including the construction of the London Motorway Box which would have involved massive demolition and huge cost to bring motorways into the heart of the city. Resistance from central government over the costs, and campaigns of objections from local residents, caused the cancellation of most of the plans in 1973. By the end of the 20th century policy swung towards a preference for public transport improvements, although the 118-mile (190 km) M25 orbital motorway was constructed between 1973 and 1986 to provide a route for traffic to bypass the London urban area.
Major routes
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/M25_motorway_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3930198.jpg/220px-M25_motorway_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3930198.jpg)
Due to the opposition to the Ringway plan and earlier proposals there are few
There is a technical distinction between the motorways, operated by the
From the north, clockwise (and noting a key commuter location served by each rather than the final destination), the major radial routes are the
There are also three
None of these roads have tolls, although the Dartford Crossing, which links the two ends of the M25 to the east of London, is tolled. The Blackwall Tunnel and Silvertown Tunnel will be tolled from 2025, with charges expected to be similar to the Dartford Crossing.
Distributor and minor routes
The major roads mentioned above are supplemented by a host of standard single-carriageway main roads, operated as part of the afore-mentioned TLRN. These roads generally link suburbs with each other, or deliver traffic from the ends of the major routes into the city centre.
The TLRN is supplemented by local distributor roads operated by the local authorities, the London boroughs. These non-strategic roads only carry local traffic.
Congestion charge and emissions charges
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Contributors_to_London_air_pollution.png/220px-Contributors_to_London_air_pollution.png)
In 2003, TfL introduced the congestion charge[35] for all non-exempt vehicles entering Central London during busy periods with the aim of reducing traffic congestion and improving journey times for buses, cars, and delivery vehicles. Within three years, traffic congestion within the operational area had dropped by 30%,[36] with delays dropping from 2.3 to 1.8 delay minutes per kilometre[36]: 4 , though its effectiveness is contested by critics. The charge was increased to £8 per day in 2005.[37] From 2007 to December 2010, the zone was extended to cover most of Kensington and Chelsea.[38][39] As of 2019, around 90,000 vehicles drive into the congestion charging zone each day, down from over 100,000 in 2017.[40]
In April 2019, the
From 25 October 2021, ULEZ will be extended to the North and South Circular, covering an area containing 3.8 million people.[43][44] Once the zone is expanded, an estimated 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries will pay the charge daily.[45] In August 2023 it was extended to cover all of Greater London, and is the largest low emission zone in the world.[46]
Road casualties in London
Fatal road casualties have decreased by half in since the mid-2000s, with a Vision Zero target of 2041 for no deaths and serious injuries on London's transport network.[47] Work to reduce road casualties has included:[47]
- introduction of lower speed limits (often 20 mph)
- redesign of junctions & removal of Gyratories such as Elephant and Castle
- introduction of segregated cycle laneson key corridors
- improving safety of larger vehicles like buses & heavy goods vehicles through the Direct Vision Standard(which ensures drivers have a reasonable view of the road)
- education and marketing (such as Think! Road safety campaign)
- training for vulnerable road users (such as motorcyclists and cyclists)
The following table shows the number of casualties, grouped by severity, on the roads of Greater London (including the City of London), over recent years. However, data from the years 2017 and onwards should not be directly compared with previously collected data due to the introduction of online self reporting.[48]
2008[49] | 2009[50] | 2010[50] | 2011[51] | 2012[52] | 2013[53] | 2014[54] | 2015[55] | 2016[56] | 2017[57] | 2018[48] | 2019[58] | 2020[59] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fatal | 204 | 184 | 126 | 159 | 134 | 132 | 127 | 136 | 116 | 131 | 112 | 125 | 96 |
Serious | 3,322 | 3,043 | 2,760 | 2,646 | 2,884 | 2,192 | 2,040 | 1,956 | 2,385 | 3,750 | 3,953 | 3,780 | 2,974 |
Total | 3,526 | 3,227 | 2,886 | 2,805 | 3,018 | 2,324 | 2,167 | 2,092 | 2,501 | 3,881 | 4,065 | 3,905 | 3,070 |
Slight | 24,627 | 24,752 | 26,003 | 26,452 | 25,762 | 24,875 | 28,618 | 28,090 | 27,769 | 28,686 | 26,526 | 26,102 | 21,275 |
Grand Total | 28,361 | 27,979 | 28,889 | 29,257 | 28,780 | 27,199 | 30,785 | 30,182 | 30,270 | 32,567 | 30,591 | 25,341 | 21,001 |
Cycling
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Santander_Cycles.jpg/220px-Santander_Cycles.jpg)
Cycling in London is a widely popular mode of transport and leisure activity within London. As of 2008[update] more than one million Londoners owned bicycles, an 83 per cent increase over ownership in 2000.[60]
There are currently an estimated 480,000 cycle journeys each day in the capital. The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London (TfL) of the capital's cycle hire system throughout the city's centre. By 2013, the scheme was attracting a monthly ridership of approximately 500,000, peaking at a million rides in July of that year.[61] Santander Cycles (originally named Barclays Cycle Hire) are available at 750 docking stations across London.
Buses
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/LT_518_%28LTZ_1518%29_Arriva_London_New_Routemaster_%2819394946574%29.jpg/220px-LT_518_%28LTZ_1518%29_Arriva_London_New_Routemaster_%2819394946574%29.jpg)
The London bus network is extensive, with over 6,800 scheduled services every weekday carrying about six million passengers on over 700 different routes making it one of the most extensive bus systems in the world and by far the largest in Europe.
Over 800 buses in the 8,700 strong bus fleet are
The
Operator | Routes | TfL routes | Parent company |
---|---|---|---|
Arriva London | London | Yes | Arriva |
Carousel Buses | Buckinghamshire | No | Go-Ahead Group |
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley |
Berkshire | No | FirstGroup |
Go-Ahead London | London | Yes | Go-Ahead Group |
Green Line Coaches | Express services to Berkshire & Hertfordshire | No | Arriva |
London Sovereign | North London | Yes | RATP Group |
London Transit |
North, West & Central London | Yes | RATP Group |
London United | West & Central London | Yes | RATP Group |
Metrobus | South and South-east London, and parts of Surrey, Kent, West and East Sussex | No | Go-Ahead Group |
Metroline | North & West London | Yes | ComfortDelGro |
Stagecoach London | South and East London | Yes | Stagecoach Group |
Sullivan Buses | Hertfordshire & North London | Yes | - |
Transport UK London Bus | London | Yes | Transport UK Group |
Uno | Hertfordshire & North London | Yes | University of Hertfordshire |
Many services are operated with the iconic red double-decker buses, virtually all using modern low-floor accessible vehicles rather than the traditional open-platform AEC Routemasters, now limited to two city centre "heritage routes" after a phase out in 2006. However a new Routemaster has come into service following the withdrawal of the articulated buses called New Routemaster which is a modern version of the Routemaster which started service in 2012.
The bus system has been the subject of much investment since TfL's inception in 2000, with consequent improvements in the number of routes (particularly night services), their frequency, reliability and the standard of the vehicles used.
Taxis
Black cabs and hire cars
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Taxis_-_Londres_-_London_-_photo_picture_image_photography_%289586469208%29.jpg/240px-Taxis_-_Londres_-_London_-_photo_picture_image_photography_%289586469208%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Cabs_in_London.png/310px-Cabs_in_London.png)
The iconic
Private hire vehicles (PHVs or minicabs) are cars which are not licensed to pick people up on the street. They must always be booked in advance by phone or the internet or at the operator's offices. From 1 January 2023, all PHVs licensed for the first time must be Zero Emissions Capable and conform to Euro 6 pollution standards.[68]
Bicycle taxis and pedicabs
There has been a move, led by Chris Smallwood, chairman of the London Pedicab Operators Association, to bring in more relevant legislation. Smallwood helped to draft an amendment to a bill to be put before the House of Lords that would introduce these 'lighter' pedicab regulations. This was followed in 2005 by Transport Committee scrutiny to determine the future of the then nascent industry. This led in turn, to a 2006 TfL consultation "for the introduction of a licensing regime that is appropriate for pedicabs and their riders".[70]
Airports
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Heathrow_Airport_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3994266.jpg/220px-Heathrow_Airport_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3994266.jpg)
The London airport system is
Heathrow and Gatwick serve long-haul, European and domestic flights; Southend is used mostly for European flights; Stansted and Luton handle low-cost European and domestic services; whilst London City caters for business passengers to short-haul and domestic destinations. A small number of long-haul flights depart from Stansted and London City.
The closest airport to the city centre is London City in the Docklands area, about 10 km east of the City of London financial district. A branch of the Docklands Light Railway links the airport to the City in under 25 minutes.[72]
Two other airports are at the edge of the city but within the Greater London boundary: Biggin Hill, around 23 km southeast of the centre, and London's principal airport, Heathrow, 20–25 km from central London.
Heathrow handles nearly 70 million passengers per annum, making it Europe's busiest airport. On the western edge of the city in the London Borough of Hillingdon, it has two runways and five passenger terminals, with the £4bn fifth terminal opening in 2008. It is connected to central London by the dedicated Heathrow Express rail service, the Elizabeth line local rail service and London Underground's Piccadilly line, and is connected to the M4 and M25 motorways.
Gatwick is just under 40 km south of central London in Sussex, some distance outside London's boundary. With a single runway and two terminals, it handles about 32 million passengers per year from domestic, short-haul and long-haul flights, and is linked to London by the Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Southern rail services, and by the M23. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the world.
An airfield at
In addition, RAF Brize Norton with direct flights to the Falkland Islands is less than two hours away by car.[74] Though not generally considered London airports, Birmingham Airport and Southampton Airport have been suggested as alternative airports for London due to the existence of direct rail links serving Central London.[75]
Airport transit
Four of London's airports provide varieties of
The
At Heathrow Airport, an automated people mover system called the
Water transport
River Thames
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/London%2C_Islington%2C_Regent%27s_Canal_%28102%29.jpg/220px-London%2C_Islington%2C_Regent%27s_Canal_%28102%29.jpg)
The River Thames is navigable to ocean-going vessels as far as London Bridge, and to substantial craft well upstream of Greater London. Historically, the river was one of London's main transport arteries. Although this is no longer the case, passenger services have seen something of a revival since the creation in 1999 of London River Services, an arm of Transport for London. LRS now regulates and promotes a small-scale network of river bus commuter services and a large number of leisure cruises operating on the river. Boats are owned and operated by a number of private companies, and LRS manages five of central London's 22 piers.[82]
Canals
London also has several canals, including the Regent's Canal, which links the Thames to the Grand Union Canal and thus to the waterway network across much of England. These canals were originally built in the Industrial Revolution for the transport of coal, raw materials and foods. Although they now carry few goods, they are popular with private narrowboat users and leisure cruisers, and a regular "water bus" service operates along the Regent's Canal during the summer months.
Cargo
Some bulk cargoes are carried on the Thames, and the Mayor of London wishes to increase this use.
Aerial lift
The
The service comprises a 0.62-mile (1.00 km) gondola line that crosses the Thames from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Victoria Dock, to the west of ExCeL London. The cable car is based on monocable detachable gondola (MDG) technology, a system which uses a single cable for both propulsion and support, used also on the Metrocable in Medellín, Colombia. The MDG system was reportedly cheaper and quicker to install than a more complex three-cable system which would have allowed larger-capacity cars.[86]
Public transport statistics
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transport in London, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 84 minutes, and 30% of passengers ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average length of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 10 minutes. The average length of a public transport journey is 8.9 km, while 20% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[87]
Figures from the DfT show in 2018 there were over 15,000 public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, with more devices per person in London. In Autumn 2018, crowding across both morning and afternoon peaks on trains into London was at the lowest level since 2013. People made 4.8 billion local bus passenger journeys in England, 58% of all public transport journeys. There were 1.8 billion rail passenger journeys in England. Light rail and tram travel also continued to grow, to the highest level (0.3 million journeys) since comparable records began in 1983.[88]
See also
- List of bus routes in London
- History of public transport authorities in London
- List of heads of public transport authorities in London
- London fare zones
- Transport in England
References
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We have the biggest wheelchair accessible bus network in the world
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External links
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- Official website of Transport for London, the executive agency in charge of most transport operations
- Department for Transport, central government department overseeing the national railway network
- London Campaign for Better Transport Archived 14 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, campaigns on local issues, and supports the national organisation in pressing for sustainable transport. A current project is a possible "Brent Cross Railway" in north London.