Portal:London transport/London transport news/Archive
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Archive News
The following items previously appeared on the News section of the London transport Portal:
2006
[edit]- 11 September – The Waterloo & City line has now reopened following a five-month closure for a major upgrade by Metronet.
- 15 September – Construction is now underway on the new Hammersmith & City line White City station, which will form part of a major new transport hub at White City.
- 17 September – Piccadilly line services to Heathrow Terminal 4 (T4) station resumed service on the morning of Sunday 17 September, signalling the latest milestone in the project to extend the line to Heathrow Terminal 5 (T5).
- 27 September – The Central line was named as the best rail link in London at the National Rail Awards, held in the capital earlier this month.
- 6 October – The Docklands Light Railway London City Airport DLR station has scooped the Community Rail Award for best 'Local Transport Integration Project'.
- 7 November – 40 years for Jubilee line bomb plotter, terror plotter Dhiren Barot told he must serve at least 40 years for bomb plans.
- 17 November – Work begins on the new DLR station at Langdon Park.
- 20 November – Wood Lane and Shepherd's Bush Market to join Tube map.
- 30 November – The Piccadilly line is 100 years old on 15 December. To celebrate the centenary of one of the Tube's most well-loved lines, London Underground (LU) is planning a series of events.
- 4 December – Londoners are once again set to benefit from free travel this New Year's Eve, thanks to a deal announced today by Transport for London (TfL).
- 5 December – Eleven stations currently managed by Silverlink Metro will become the responsibility of LUL when the North London Railway transfers to TfL next November.
- 5 December – Docklands Light Railway (DLR), part of Transport for London, has scooped the London Planning Award for 'Best Public Sector Planning Organisation'.
- 6 December – TfL Commissioner reveals plans to upgrade Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.
- 6 December – Metronet Rail today unveiled the look of new air-conditioned Tube trains, which will run on four of the 12 lines on the London Underground.
- 7 December – On 10 December, the stretch of the North London line from Stratford to Canning Town will close in order for its conversion to DLR operation.
- 8 December – Annual Tube Christmas alcohol safety campaign launches, London Underground and British Transport Police today officially launched its annual Christmas alcohol safety campaign.
- 11 December – The project to extend the Docklands Light Railway to Stratford International reached a major milestone, with part of the North London line transferring to DLR.
- 13 December – An extra public exhibition is being held today as part of the consultation on route options for the extension of Croydon Tramlink to Crystal Palace.
2007
[edit]- 15 January – Ken Livingstone and Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy today opened a newly improved Finsbury Park Transport Interchange, one of the busiest stations outside of central London.
- 17 January – The London Underground has become the first public body to join the Ethical Trading Initiative.
- 22 March – The new Transport for London website has launched.
- 26 March – Ford joins London campaign to reduce the number of cyclists injured in collisions with HGVs.
- 28 March – Transport for London (TfL) today revealed that over the last year London Underground (LU) carried one billion passengers for the first time in its 144-year history.
- 3 April – New-style Bus Saver tickets are now on sale after the tickets had to have a complete make-over to help combat the biggest counterfeit operation ever seen on the capital’s transport system.
- 4 April – Transport for London revealed that during 2006, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) carried more than 60 million people, a first in its 20 years in operation.
- 12 June – Faster, cheaper, easier Oyster ticketing has led to a massive reduction in tickets sold at stations, heralding changes in the way some Tube stations will be operated and passengers cared for, London Underground (LU) said today.
- 11 April – This year’s annual taxi fare revision has been held down below the rate of inflation.
- 30 September – Transport for London has announced that fares on buses will be 10p cheaper using Oyster so down to 90p. This is being funded by revenues from other public transportation, with no increase in costs.
- 27 November – Visitors to the Bond Street area will be able to find their way around with ease from today (27 November), thanks to a new system of pedestrian information called Legible London.
- 6 December – Transport for London (TfL) is bringing Congestion Charge penalties into line with the rate of penalties issued by London Boroughs for traffic and parking offences.
- 9 December – St. Pancras International low-level station has opened. First Capital Connect will serve this station.
- 10 December – A new station on the Docklands Light Railway was opened today at Langdon Park, Tower Hamlets, providing better access throughout London's public transport network for thousands of residents.
- 27 December – Transport for London revealed today that Friday 7 December 2007 was the busiest day on the Tube ever.
- 31 December – The New Year will see a single fares freeze on buses, the Tube, Docklands Light Railway and trams.
2008
[edit]- 15 January – With the start of the Low Emission Zone on 4 February, Transport for London (TfL) today reminded operators with vehicles that don't meet Low Emission Zone standards to make sure that they have taken all reasonable steps to comply, for example, by fitting their vehicles with emissions abatement equipment.
- 21 January – The London Low Emission Zone, which aims to reduce harmful emissions from the most polluting diesel-engined lorries, coaches, and buses goes live on Monday 4 February.
- 21 January – Bombardier To Supply 24 Diesel Multiple Unit Cars To Angel Trains In 44 Million Euro Contract For The UK.
- 2 February – Shepherd's Bush underground station on the Central line closes for eight months of rebuilding and refurbishment works including the reconstruction of the surface building and replacement of escalators.
- 16 February – Last District line train to be refurbished carries passengers for the last time today (15 February 2008).
- 18 February – Fifth Anniversary of Congestion Charge that changed transport policy across the world. Today (17 February) is the fifth anniversary of the central London Congestion Charge.
- 13 March – The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has given the Capital its first glimpse of an improved Docklands Light Railway service that will form a central part of the transport infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
- 17 March – Transport for London has announced that it is to take over running Tramlink in order to reduce costs, have better integration and focus more on investment.
- 18 March – TfL will be running up to 16 buses an hour to serve the new Heathrow Terminal 5. The changes to the TfL bus service will be introduced on Saturday 22 March in readiness for the opening of Terminal 5 on 27 March.
- 31 March – A giant 350-tonne bridge has been lowered into place by a crane for the East London Line extension through Shoreditch.
- 29 May – A bridge for the East London Line extension collapses over tracks near Liverpool Street station, halting trains. An enquiry is underway.
- 1 June – A ban on the consumption of alcohol on the Underground leads to the closure of six stations when protests got out of hand.
- 30 June – Giant cinema-style screens to beam movie trailers and advertising to Tube passengers
- 2 July – Twickenham Bridge celebrates its 75th anniversary on the 3rd of July.
- 4 July – TfL announces a competition for designing a new iconic bus for London, to be based on the Routemaster.
- 7 July – The second phase of the London Low Emission Zone begins, affecting buses and coaches, and lorries over 3.5 tonnes. New emission standards are set and a 28 day warning is given to vehicles that do not comply.
- 28 September – Shepherd's Bush station on the West London Line opens, adding a new station to the London Overground service.
- 5 October – Shepherd's Bush Underground station on the Central line reopens after major rebuilding works.
- 12 October – Wood Lane Underground station on the Hammersmith & City line opens to serve the forthcoming Westfield London shopping centre.
- 12 October – Shepherd's Bush Underground station on the Hammersmith & City line is renamed Shepherd's Bush Market to distinguish it from the Central line and London Overground stations of the same name.
2009
[edit]- 12 January – The Docklands Light Railway extension from King George V station to Woolwich Arsenal opens, providing a new crossing of the River Thames
- 15 May – PM Gordon Brown starts the construction of the Crossrail at Canary Wharf.
- 21 July – First train of 2009 Stock enters service on the Victoria line
- 29 July – First Class 378 unit enters service on the North London Line
- 27 September – Imperial Wharf station opens on the West London Line
- 9 October – Docklands Light Railway platforms at Bank are to close for a month on 24 December for upgrade works.
- 15 October – Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces increases to the London congestion charge from £8 to £10 per day by December 2010 and the introduction of an automatic payment charge of £9 per day.
- 26 October – New Docklands Light Railway station at South Quay opens, 200 metres east of the old station, to enable 3-car trains to call here.
- 27 October – A baby is born on route 394 bus as a woman goes into labour on her way to Homerton hospital.
- 29 October – A fuelling facility for Hydrogen-powered buses will be built at Temple Mills, Stratford for use by buses on five buses operating on route RV1.
- 11 November – Coca-Cola is to sponsor the Underground's busking pitches from the end of the November.
- 14 November – Bendy buses on route 38 are replaced by double decker buses. All bendy buses will be withdrawn by the end of 2011.
- 19 November – TfL's lost property office donates hundreds of toys left on public transport to the Salvation Army.
- 23 November – Oyster cards are introduced on the Thames Clippers river boat services.
- 23 November – The Lewisham extension of the Docklands Light Railway is ten years old.
- 29 November – New ticket hall and escalators open at King's Cross St. Pancras station, significantly increasing the capacity of the station.
- 30 November – Stratford International station opens, initially for Southeastern domestic services.
- 7 December – TfL to introduce permit scheme to coordinate roadworks in London from 11 January.
- 13 December – Circle line begins operating over Hammersmith branch from Paddington to Hammersmith.
- 18 December – London Overground will be closed from Gospel Oak to Stratford between 20 February and 1 June 2010 for line, signalling and platform upgrades.
2010
[edit]- 2 January – Use of Oyster cards is extended to all 350 National Rail stations in London area, bringing a single payment system into use for Underground, DLR, trains, buses and river services.
- 3 February – London's third Pegasus crossing becomes operational on the A3, creating a link for horse riders between Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park.
- 20 February – London Overground closes between Gospel Oak and Stratford for engineering upgrade works. The line is due to reopen on 1 June 2010.
- 23 February – The first of the Docklands Light Railway's extended trains come into use on the Bank-Monument station to Lewisham route. An additional carriage on each train will increase capacity by 50%.
- 11 March – Transport for London appoints Taylor Woodrow and BAM Nuttall as contractors for redevelopment of Victoria Underground station.
- 29 March – Transport for London announces that London Taxi fares will increase by 2.3% from 10 April.
- 27 April – London Overground "preview" services commence between Dalston Junction and New Cross/New Cross Gate.
- 7 May – Transport for London will take over Public-private partnership infrastructure maintenance contractor Tube Lines in a £310 million deal, bringing all maintenance operations back under TfL's direct management.
- 17 May – Transport for London reveals the design for the New Bus for London. It is to be built by Wrightbus and is expected to enter service in 2012.
- 23 May – The full London Overground service commences between Dalston Junction and New Cross/West Croydon/Crystal Palace.
- 1 June – London Overground reopens between Gospel Oak and Stratford after engineering upgrade works. The line had been closed since 20 February.
- 10 June – Transport for London signs a £700 million contract with a VINCI/BAM Nuttall joint venture for the upgrade of Victoria station. The works are to be completed by 2018.
- 24 June – Hammersmith & City line and Circle line services between Hammersmith and Paddington will close for upgrade works for three weeks from 24 July to 15 August. Upgrades will include platform lengthening and track work.
- 27 June – Transport for London completes take-over of Tube Lines.
- 4 July – London's first cable car system proposed to cross River Thames between Greenwich and the Royal Docks.
- 30 July – Transport for London launches Barclays Cycle Hire bicycle sharing scheme.
- 2 August – The first of 191 air-conditioned S Stock trains enters passenger service.
- 4 August – A £300 million contract is let for the upgrade of Bond Street station.
- 13 August – Following a failure of a coupling, an engineering train runs out of control on the Northern line for nearly four miles from Archway to Warren Street.
- 16 August – Services between Hammersmith and Paddington resume on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines following upgrade works.
- 5 September – The Central line gains an additional westbound platform at Stratford station, affording passengers improved access to/from the Jubilee line and the DLR, as well as the station exit.
- 28 September – Roundabout at Elephant & Castle to be removed and replaced with a traffic light signalled junction to improve traffic flow.
- 18 October – The renovation of Grade II listed Maida Vale Underground station receives National Railway Heritage Award
- 20 October – The western extension of the London congestion charge zone will be removed from 25 December. An automatic payment system will be introduced for the remainder of the system on 4 January 2011 and the minimum non-concessionary charge will increase to £9.
- 10 November – Transport for London announces that the Barclays Cycle Hire bicycle sharing scheme will be extended to include the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Shoreditch by 2012, with 2,000 additional bicycles being provided.
- 11 November – London Mayor Boris Johnson unveils a full-scale mock-up of the planned new Routemaster bus.
- 7 December – The Metropolitan line's Chesham shuttle service is replaced by through services to Baker Street.
- 13 December – Transport for London announces that the Circle line and District line will close between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road for four weeks of maintenance work in July and August 2011.
- 14 December – Charing Cross Road diverted to the east side of Centre Point until 2014 to enable the construction of the new sub-surface ticket hall of Tottenham Court Road Underground station.
- 18 December – London's first hydrogen-fuelled zero-emission bus begins running on route RV1. Further buses will be introduced on the route in 2011.
- 24 December – Last day of the western extension of the London congestion charge zone.
2011
[edit]- 12 January – 55 Broadway, headquarters of Transport for London, and the integrated St James's Park tube station are made a Grade I listed building.[1]
- 14 January – Latimer Road Underground station closes for three months for the platforms to be extended to take longer trains.[2]
- 31 January – Tramlink plans to lease ten additional trams for the service to increase service frequencies.[3]
- 28 February – London Overground link between Highbury & Islington and Dalston Junction opens three months early.[4]
- 24 March – Taxi fares will increase by 2.7 per cent on 2 April 2011.[5]
- 29 March – Transport for London will sell a special royal wedding Oyster card in the week before the 29 April 2011 wedding.[6]
- 2 April – Northern line platforms at Tottenham Court Road close until November 2011 for engineering works related to the expansion of the station for Crossrail.[7]
- 15 April – A scrap yard fire in Mill Hill, north London closes seven miles of the M1 motorway between junctions 1 and 4 owing to damage to the structure of a pre-cast concrete bridge carrying the road.[8]
- 18 April – Transport for London announces that work on the construction of the 1,100-metre (3,600 ft) long Thames Gateway Cable Car will begin in the summer. When complete, it will span the River Thames to connect the O2 Arena and ExCeL London.[9]
- 19 April – During the 12 months to 31 March 2011, ridership on the London Underground exceeds 1.1 billion for the first time. [10]
- 20 April – Network Rail publishes plans for the upgrade of London Bridge station, planned to be carried out between 2013 and 2018.[11]
- 21 April – Transport for London announces that the final leg of the Tour of Britain cycling race will be held in London on 18 September 2011.[12]
- 9 May – Transport for London and developer Treasury Holdings launch a consultation on the Northern line extension to Battersea. [13]
- 19 May – Birse Metro is awarded the £75 million contract to build a 1.3-kilometre (0.81 mi) long rail link between Surrey Quays and Queens Road Peckham. Completion in 2012 will enable London Overground services to be extended to Clapham Junction.[14]
- 22 May – Following completion of £550 million upgrade of the North London Line, London Overground introduces a new timetable that doubles the service frequency between Willesden Junction and Startford to eight trains per hour.[15]
- 27 May – London Mayor Boris Johnson launches Source London, a city wide network of electric vehicle charging points. Starting with 150 locations, the network is planned to expand to 1,300 locations by 2013.[16]
- 27 May – London Mayor Boris Johnson test drives the first engineering prototype of the low-emission New Bus for London, planned for introduction in 2012.[17]
- 31 May – City Cruises announces a new three deck, 37 metre-long 600 passenger River Liner. The boat is due to enter service in time for the London 2012 Olympics.[18]
- 2 June – French artist Daniel Buren commissioned to provide an artwork for the Tottenham Court Road Underground station.[19]
- 3 June – Crime on the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway fell by 7 per cent in the past year. Over the same period, crime on London's buses fell by 4 per cent.[20]
- 3 June – A new bridge under the A11 at Bow reconnects two sections of the Lee Navigation towpath enabling an uninterrupted walking and cycling route from the River Thames to Hertfordshire.[21]
- 7 June – Forgetful passengers left 207,000 items on Transport for London operated services last year, the highest number of misplaced items in the Lost Property Office's history.[22]
- 16 June – Heathrow Airport launches a noise reduction plan which aims to eliminate noiser aircraft by 2015.[23]
- 23 June – Strikes planned by transport union RMT over the sacking of a tube train driver have been called off following an employment tribunal decision that he should be reinstated in a non-operational role.[24]
- 29 June – 2.3 billion passenger journeys were made on London's buses in the last financial year, an increase of 60 percent since 2000.[25]
- 5 July – Network Rail submits a planning application for the redevelopment of London Bridge station.[26]
- 6 July – Construction work starts on the cross-river cable car between the Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsula.[27]
- 13 July – Transport for London confirms that the Circle and District lines will close between High Street Keningston and Edgware Road from 23 July to 23 August for track maintenance.[28]
- 18 July – SS Robin returns to the Royal Docks after three years of restoration.[29]
- 26 July – English Heritage adds sixteen Underground stations to the role of listed buildings and upgrades the status of three more.[30]
- 2 August – Author Tony Parsons appointed writer-in-residence at Heathrow Airport for the summer.[31]
- 12 August – Tugboat "Chiefton" sinks on the River Thames near Greenwich Pier. Two crew men are rescued, but one is missing.[32]
- 19 August – After being lifted from the River Thames, Tugboat "Chiefton" is placed on a barge to be taken away for investigations. The body of the missing crew man was discovered in the river on 15 August.[33]
- 22 August – Transport for London announces a consultation on proposals for a lane rental scheme to reduce disruption caused by roadworks.[34]
- 24 August – Following a month-long closure for track replacement, the Circle and District lines reopen between High Street Keningston and Edgware Road.[35]
- 31 August – The £210 million Docklands Light Railway extension from Canning Town to Stratford International opens, adding four new stations to London's transport network.[36]
- 8 September – North Acton Underground station wins "best cultivated garden" in Transport for London's Underground in Bloom competition.[37]
- 14 September – Transport for London announces that fares will increase from 2 January 2012 by an average of the Retail Price Index plus 2 per cent.[38]
- 18 September – British cyclists Alex Dowsett and Mark Cavendish win stages 8a and 8b and Dutch cyclist Lars Boom is the overall winner as the Tour of Britain finishes in London.[39]
- 19 September – The first section of the refurbished roof over King's Cross mainline station is revealed after up to 10 mm of paint is grit-blasted off and yellowed fibre-glass sheets are replaced with new glazing.[40]
- 20 September – Heathrow Airport formally unveils Heathrow Pods, a system of driverless electric vehicles which can carry four passengers along a 3.8 km guided route between Terminal 5 Business Car Park and the main terminal. Up to 500,000 passengers are expected to use it each year.[41]
- 22 September – New Tate to Tate & Service West Thames Clippers service will begin from St George Wharf pier on 3 October.[42]
- 28 September – Plans are unveiled for a new public square in front of King's Cross station which will replace the 1970s concourse extension.[43]
- 28 September – To provide additional trains on the District line, weekday tube services on the Kensington (Olympia) branch will end in December. Services will continue to run at weekends and for exhibitions.[44]
- 30 September – Temporary repairs will be carried out to the Hammersmith Flyover to keep it open whilst plans for permanent replacement are made.[45]
- 7 October – The Thames cable car is named Emirates Air Line following a £36 million sponsorship deal with Transport for London.[46]
- 17 October – Real time bus service information is now available via the internet for all of London's 19,500 bus stops.[47]
- 28 October – Stansted Airport hosts Exercise Orange, a large scale CBRN training exercise involving police, fire and ambulance crews.[48]
- 1 November – Network Rail awards contracts worth £450 million to Costain and Balfour Beatty for the redevelopment of London Bridge station and modification of its tracks.[49]
- 4 November – A Boeing 747-8F Superjumbo lands at Stansted Airport for the first time.[50]
- 16 November – Network Rail announces that the first 12-carriage trains will run on Thameslink services on 12 December.[51]
- 28 November – Northern line platforms reopen at Tottenham Court Road after seven month engineering closure.[52]
- 5 December – Blackfriars Underground station will reopen on 26 February 2012 after being closed since March 2009 for engineering works.[53]
- 9 December – The last bendy bus runs in London.[54]
- 14 December – Government funding is confirmed for the Croxley Rail Link to extend the Metropolitan line to Watford Junction.[55]
- 16 December – The first New Routemaster bus runs in London.[56]
- 21 December – From 3 January 2012 large vans and minibuses will be subject to London low emission zone controls. Buses, lorries and coaches will be subject to higher Euro IV emission standards.[57]
- 23 December – Urgent structural investigations close Hammersmith Flyover until the beginning of January 2012.[58]
2012
[edit]- 12 January – One lane of the Hammersmith Flyover opens in each direction for cars and light vehicles only whilst repairs to the structure continue.[59]
- 30 January – The service interval on the Bank to Woolwich section of the DLR is reduced to eight minutes and trains are extended to three cars.[60]
- 6 February – Transport for London starts a consultation on proposals for new river crossings in East London. Proposals include a new tunnel from Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula to relieve the Blackwall Tunnel and a vehicle ferry between Beckton and Thamesmead.[61]
- 10 February – From 8 March, the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme will be expanded into Tower Hamlets and parts of Shoreditch, Camden Town, Canary Wharf and Westfield White City with 2,300 more bikes and 4,800 more docking stations added.[62]
- 11 February – Tramlink services suspended in central Croydon until 16 February for track replacement works.[63]
- 17 February – Installation of air-cooling units begins on the platforms at Oxford Circus and Green Park stations on the London Underground.[64]
- 20 February – Blackfriars Underground station reopens after being closed since March 2009 for reconstruction.[65]
- 27 February – The first New Bus for London enters service, running on route 38 between Victoria station and Hackney. [66]
- 6 March – Google Street View will soon include 360° walk-through views of Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Victoria and Paddington stations.[67]
- 7 March – Repair works continue on the Hammersmith Flyover with new tensioning cables about to be installed in the weakest sections of the viaduct.[68]
- 8 March – The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme is extended into Tower Hamlets, and parts of Shoreditch, Camden Town, Canary Wharf and Westfield White City increasing the area covered to 65 km².[69]
- 13 March – The first Crossrail tunnel boring machine is unveiled.[70]
- 30 March – Planning permission is granted for Network Rail to reconstruct London Bridge station.[71]
- 30 March – British Waterways plans a floating market on the Regent's Canal at Mile End for the London Olympics.[72]
- 12 April – Installation of tensioning cables will begin on Hammersmith Flyover next week. The work, which will require overnight closures, will bring the structure back to full operation by June.[73]
- 15 April – After Addison Lee encourages its minicab drivers to ignore restrictions and to drive in bus lanes, Transport for London warns that they may face prosecution and lose of their private hire licence.[74]
- 20 April – World Airport Awards names Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 as the world's best terminal and Stansted Airport as the best for low-cost airlines.[75][76]
- 4 May – Phyllis, the first of the 1,000 tonne tunnel boring machines to be used in the construction of Crossrail starts boring at Royal Oak, heading towards Paddington.[77]
- 15 May – TfL announces that passenger journeys for 2011/12 hit a new annual record of 1.171 billion with trains travelling 72.4 million kilometres.[78]
- 18 May – The final two platforms to open at Blackfriars station are brought into use, enabling 700 more trains to serve the station each week.[79]
- 1 June – Up to 80 Underground stations will have wifi services by the end of July, with up to 120 by the end of 2012.[80]
- 3 June – A flotilla of 1,000 boats takes part in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames.[81]
- 11 June – To encourage less disruptive roadworks, TfL will charge utility companies up £2,500 per day for digging up roads in the capital.[82]
- 18 June – The Emirates Air Line cable car will open on 28 June, with single Oyster card fares costing £3.20 for the 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) journey across the River Thames.[83]
- 19 June – Four-masted barque Kruzenshtern, the second largest operational sailing ship in the world, will visit West India Docks for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[84]
- 25 June – A new station entrance opens for the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines station at Paddington.[85]
- 27 June – The proposed Silvertown Tunnel, planned to relieve the Blackwall Tunnel, is designated a nationally significant project, making it more likely to happen.[86]
- 29 June – Road markings for the Olympic Route Network are put on roads in advance of their usage from 25 July.[87]
- 10 July – Use of the hard shoulder of the M25 motorway by traffic will be permitted between junctions 5 and 7 if plans for a managed motorway upgrade to increase capacity proceed.[88]
- 13 July – The M4 motorway reopens after being closed for a week of emergency repair works on the Boston Manor viaduct between junctions 2 and 3 in west London.[89]
- 25 July – The Olympic route network of designated traffic lanes for London 2012 games participants comes into force.[90]
- 12 August – Increased passenger numbers during the London 2012 games saw the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground exceed normal levels by 30%, 100% and 47% respectively.[91]
- 20 August – Following the failure of its appeal against the Competition Commission's recommendation, BAA puts Stansted Airport up for sale.[92]
- 31 August – The Docklands Light Railway celebrates 25 years since its opening with 15 stations on 31 August 1987. Extensions mean it now serves 45 stations.[93]
- 6 September – Transport for London releases a limited edition tube map with station names replaced with those of 2012 Olympic medal winnings.[94]
- 13 September – Transport for London announces that the number of bicycles available under the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme will be increased to 11,000 to provide for the expansion of the scheme to Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Lambeth and Kensington and Chelsea by spring 2014.[95]
- 20 September – Transport for London places an order for 600 New Buses for London to be delivered in stages over the next four years.[96]
- 26 September – London Underground's oldest train is retired as the introduction of new rolling stock is completed on the Metropolitan line.[97]
- 1 October – Mayor of London Boris Johnson reintroduces free travel for Londoners over 60 years old.[98]
- 30 October – Transport for London starts second phase of consultations on east London river crossings, including a tunnel at Silvertown and a ferry at Gallions Reach.[99]
- 7 November – Fares on Transport for London services will increase by 4.2 per cent on average from 2 January 2013.[100]
- 19 November – Transport for London announces a consultation on changes to the London Congestion charging scheme, including changes to exemptions for green vehicles.[101]
- 9 December – The Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction section of the London Overground network opens.[102]
- 14 December – Mayor of London Boris Johnson seeks a ban on pedicabs operating in central London on road and passenger safety grounds.[103]
- 18 December – Tube train driving members of the union ASLEF plan to strike on Boxing Day in a dispute over extra pay.[104]
- 21 December – The first ship calls at the new London Gateway container terminal at Thurrock.[105]
- 31 December – Commissioner of Transport for London, Peter Hendy is knighted in the New Year Honours.[106]
2013
[edit]- 9 January – As part of the rebuilding of Heathrow Airport's terminal 2, the Frederick Gibberd-designed former control tower is being demolished.[107]
- 9 January – Royal Mail issues a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the first part of the London Underground.[108]
- 16 January – The pilot, Peter Barnes, and pedestrian Matthew Wood are killed when Barnes' helicopter crashes into a crane on St George Wharf Tower in Vauxhall.[109]
- 24 January – The Royal Mint issues two commemorative two-pound coins to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan Railway, the first part of the London Underground.[110]
- 5 February – Business group London First announces final route and station proposals for Crossrail 2 running from south-west to north-east London.[111]
- 13 February – Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces plans for an ultra-low emission zone for central London from 2020.[112]
- 28 February – Manchester Airports Group completes the purchase of Stansted Airport from Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA).[113]
- 8 March – Piling from a construction site breaks into the tunnel of the Northern City Line near Old Street station causing the temporary closure of the line.[114]
- 3 April – Docklands Light Railway services have carried 100 million passengers in the past year, a new record for the light rail system.[115]
- 30 April – Transport for London has submitted an application to the Transport Secretary for a Transport and Works Act Order, beginning the statutory review process for the extension of the Northern line to Nine Elms and Battersea.[116]
- 9 May – Greenwich will host a regatta of 50 tall ships in August/September 2014.[117]
- 14 May – Public consultation on Crossrail 2 begins and will run until 2 August 2013.[118]
- 22 June – Route 24 becomes the first to be operated completely by New Bus for London vehicles.[119]
- 2 July – Transport for London will take over the running of some services on routes from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford. TfL services are expected to start in 2015.[120]
- 24 July – Payment of London congestion charge fees in shops and petrol stations end. All payments must be made through one of the existing automatic payment methods.[121]
- 5 August – Transport for London seeks proposals from architects to convert 55 Broadway to a residential development once the organisation moves out of its headquarters.[122]
- 22 August – A survey by the Zoological Society of London found that the Thames estuary was home to 708 seals.[123]
- 16 September – Services on the Waterloo & City line are extended to operate up to 12.30 am.[124]
- 23 September – Overnight closures of the Hammersmith flyover will begin in October to enable structural repairs, drainage upgrades, waterproofing and resurfacing to be carried on the 1960s elevated road.[125]
- 27 September – Eurostar announces plans for a London to Amsterdam service to start in December 2016.[126]
- 4 October – Train manufacturer Siemens reveals a mock-up of a future tube train to be offered to London Underground when the next train supply contracts are tendered.[127]
2014
[edit]- 21 January – Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 2 will open on 4 June.[128]
- 11 March – Bob Crow, leader of the RMT union dies.[129]
- 26 March – The Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines will be closed between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge for three weeks in July and August for track replacement.[130]
- 27 March – Crossrail services will now serve Reading when the western section of the line becomes operational in 2019.[131]
- 9 April – Paying bus fares with cash on TfL buses will end on 6 July. Only payments by Oyster Card or contactless payment will be permitted.[132]
- 28 April – A new Pudding Mill Lane station opens on the DLR, replacing the original closed due to Crossrail construction.[133]
- 13 May – Heathrow Airport releases revised expansion proposals, with the third runway relocated further south to impact on fewer homes and include additional expansion of the M25 motorway.[134]
- 27 May – Crossrail slides a 120 metre long, 1000-tonne bridge into position over the Great Western Main Line at Stockley in west London.[135]
- 29 May – In an effort to resolve a dispute with the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association over the operation of Uber in London, Transport for London seeks judgement in the High Court on whether GPS-enabled phones using Uber mobile apps constitute illegal private use "taximeters".[136]
- 3 June – The new Terminal 2 opens at Heathrow Airport.[137]
- 11 June – Members of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association use their black cabs to stage an hour-long demonstation against Uber.[138]
- 8 July – Transport for London begins the search for a new corporate sponsor for the London Cycle Hire Scheme to replace Barclays in 2015.[139]
- 18 July – The contract to operate Crossrail services is awarded to MTR Corporation for eight years with an option available to Transport for London to extend the concession for a further two years.[140]
- 21 August – The £500 million contract to construct the Northern line extension to Battersea via Nine Elms is awarded to Ferrovial Agroman Laing O'Rourke.[141]
- 2 September – The Airports Commission short lists three options for airport expansion in the south-east: A second runway at Gatwick Airport and either a third runway or runway extensions at Heathrow Airport. The proposal for a new airport in the Thames Estuary is rejected. The commission's final report will be published in summer 2015.[142]
- 16 September – Oyster card readers at London Underground, DLR and National Rail stations and at Tramlink stops now accept Contactless payments.[143]
- 24 September – Transport for London announces that the London Underground will commence 24-hour weekend "Night Tube" operations on 12 September 2015.[144]
- 30 September – Transport for London begins consultations on proposals to extend the Bakerloo line south from Elephant & Castle to Beckenham Junction and Hayes via Lewisham with work expected to start in 2023 and complete in the 2030s.[145]
- 9 October – Transport for London presents the design for the New Tube for London a new tube train planned to replace existing rolling stock on the Piccadilly, Central, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines starting in 2022.[146]
- 12 December – Computer failures at the National Air Traffic Services at Swanwick cause major disruptions to flights in the London area and across the country.[147]
2015
[edit]- 14 January – A European Court of Justice judgment rejects a claim from Addison Lee that minicabs should be allowed to use bus lanes in the same way that black cabs are.[148]
- 30 January – After being suspended for three days due to flooding in the tunnels near Farringdon, Thameslink services resume through-running between Farringdon and St Pancras.[149]
- 4 February – Plans are approved to expand facilities at London City Airport to enable an increase from 70,000 flights to 111,000 flights per year.[150]
- 27 February – Transport for London announces Santander will replace Barclays as the sponsor of its cycle hire scheme. The scheme will be renamed Santander Cycles and Santander will pay £6.25 million per year for seven years.[151]
- 3 March – Transport for London publishers a consultation report on two new river crossings for east London at Gallions Reach and Belvedere.[152]
- 18 March – Transport for London places orders for two tunnel boring machines for the extension of the Northern line to Battersea.[153]
- 28 April – Transport for London seeks bidders to lease 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft) of undergrond space at the disused Down Street Piccadilly line station in Mayfair.[154]
- 13 May – The first mile-long section of new track for Crossrail services has been laid in south-east London.[155]
- 4 June – Tunnel boring works on Crossrail are completed with the final break through at Farringdon station marking the end of the excavation of 26 miles (42 km) of tunnels.[156]
2016
[edit]- 24 May – A spillage of fuel and hydraulic fluid in the Blackwall tunnel causes the northbound bore of the tunnel to be closed for clean-up and resurfacing of the road.[157]
- 14 June – Transport for London introduces Quietway 1 running between Waterloo and Greenwich, the first of a series of Quietways, pedestrian and cycle routes planned to follow quiet roads and footpaths avoiding traffic.[158]
- 20 August – 50,000 passengers use the Night Tube on its first night of operation.[159]
- 8 September – Analysis of remains uncovered during excavations for the Crossrail station at Liverpool Street uncover the DNA of Yersinia pestis responsible for the Great Plague of London.[160]
- 24 September – Gospel Oak to Barking Line closes until February 2017 to enable the second phase of modifications to tracks and bridges needed for the electrification of the line.[161]
- 1 October – Tower Bridge closes for three months for replacement of the road deck.[162]
- 2 October – Transport for London will unveil a memorial to Frank Pick at Piccadilly Circus Underground station on 7 November, the 75th anniversary of his death.[163]
- 26 October – Following many years of review, the government has approved construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport in preference to proposals for other airport expansion projects. The new runway will be constructed to the north-west of the existing runways and over the M25 motorway.[164]
- 29 October – Completing the M25 motorway, the final section between junctions 19 to 23 was formally opened 30 years ago by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.[165]
- 30 October – The Queen Elizabeth II bridge between Dartford and Thurrock which carries the southbound lanes of the A282 road over the River Thames was opened 25 years ago by the Queen.[166]
- 31 October – All of London's Black cabs are enabled for card and contactless payment.[167]
- 9 November – Seven people are killed and more than 50 injured in a derailment on the Tramlink near Sandilands tram stop in Croydon.[168]
- 6 December – Waterloo, Victoria, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Euston, Stratford, Paddington, King's Cross and Clapham Junction are nine of the top ten busiest main line stations in the United Kingdom.[169]
- 16 December – Night Tube services begin operating on the Piccadilly line.[170]
2017
[edit]- 17 January – A new northern ticket hall opens at Victoria Underground station.[171]
- 9 February – TfL publishes proposals for consultation on the proposed extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham included proposed sites for two stations in Old Kent Road and stations at New Cross Gate and Lewisham. If approved, the extension is planned to open in 2028/29.[172]
- 17 February – The GLA will introduce a £10 daily emissions surcharge for vehicles not meeting Euro 4 emissions standards that enter the London congestion charge zone. The charge will apply from 23 October 2017.[173]
- 11 April – Tunnelling starts on the Battersea extension of the Northern line with the first of the two tunnel boring machines starting work. Tunnelling is expected to take six months to complete.[174]
- 27 May – An IT systems failure causes all British Airways flights around the world to be cancelled, leading to delays at Heathrow Airport.[175]
- 22 June – The first of the new British Rail Class 345 trains to operate on the Elizabeth line comes into service, running between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.[176]
- 13 July – The final timetable for Elizabeth line services is published with off-peak services in the central section increased to 20 trains per hour and Heathrow Terminal 5 station being added to the service.[177]
- 20 August – South Western Railway replaces South West Trains as operator of South Western franchise services from London Waterloo. The franchise will run until 18 August 2024.[178]
- 31 August – 30th anniversary of the opening of the Docklands Light Railway between Island Gardens and Tower Gateway or Stratford.[179]
- 14 September – The installation of the permanent track for the Elizabeth line is completed with the last piece installed at Whitechapel station.[180]
- 22 September – Transport for London announces that it will not renew Uber's licence to operate when it expires on 30 September as it considers that the company "is not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence".[181]
- 16 October – Transport for London announces consultation on two proposed London Overground stations in the Old Oak Common area: Old Oak Common Lane and Hythe Road.[182]
- 23 October – Greater London Authority introduces the "T-charge", a £10 toxicity charge for pre-Euro 4 vehicles to drive into the London congestion charge zone that is paid additionally to the standard congestion charge.[183]
- 30 October – The first examples of a new model of the Santander Cycles bikes come into use. Manufactured by Pashley Cycles, it will gradually replace the original model.[184]
- 8 November – Tunnelling is completed for the Northern line extension to Battersea Power Station.[185]
- 20 November – Night Overground services will begin operating between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction on Friday and Saturday nights from 15 December.[186]
- 30 November – The Mayor of London announces proposals to extend the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (due to come into force in April 2019) London-wide for Lorries, buses and coaches from 26 October 2020 and to the boundary of the North Circular and South Circular roads for cars, vans and motorbikes from 25 October 2021.[187]
- 15 December – Night Overground services begin operating between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction.[188]
2018
[edit]- 15 January – The London Overground's Gospel Oak to Barking line reopens after completion of electrification works to enable electric trains to replace diesel.[189]
- 30 January – The Mayor of London announces plans for a further six cycle routes across London totalling 36 kilometres (22 mi) in length.[190]
- 22 February – Night Overground services extend from Dalston Junction to Highbury & Islington.[191]
- 26 February – First test train runs through Elizabeth line tunnels between the Plumstead and the Connaught Tunnel in North Woolwich.[192]
- 10 May – Transport for London receives permission from the Department for Transport to begin development of the Silvertown Tunnel [193]
- 20 May – Transport for London's TfL Rail replaces the Heathrow Connect service from Paddington to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 4 [194]
- 8 June – Transport for London announces that the Ultra Low Emission Zone due to be introduced on 8 April 2019 will be extended to the North and South Circular Roads on 25 October 2021. [195]
- 12 June – The Rotherhithe Tunnel is 110 years old. [196]
- 31 August – The opening of the Elizabeth line has been delayed from December 2018 to Autumn 2019 to provide time for infrastructure to be completed and trains to be test. [197]
- 12 September – Updated plans for the Bakerloo line extension are published including improved interchanges at Elephant & Castle and omission of a station at Bricklayers Arms.[198]
- 20 September – Cycle Superhighway 6 is extended from Farringdon to King's Cross.[199]
- 21 September – Heathrow Airport will hold future consultations on its expansion in January and June 2019.[200]
- 1 October – The first stage of expansion plans at Stansted Airport are completed with new stands for planes improving efficiency.[201]
- 22 October – Following completion of lift installations, Victoria Underground station is now fully step-free accessible.[202]
- 20 November – London Underground Limited signs a contract with Siemens Mobility for 94 new 'Inspiro London' trains to come into service from 2024 on the Piccadilly line.[203]
- 5 December – Sir Terry Morgan resigns as chairman of Crossrail Limited and HS2 Limited.[204]
- 11 December – The government grants a further loan of £1 billion to Crossrail to fund project overspends and it is announced that the delayed opening date of Autumn 2019 is not going to be achieved.[205]
- 19 December – Repeated drone sightings around Gatwick Airport lead to closure of the airport and hundreds of flights being cancelled until 21 December.[206]
2019
[edit]- 13 February – Transport for London reports that £53.5 million was spent in the development of the cancelled Garden Bridge that was planned over the River Thames.[207]
- 20 February – Transport for London begins a four-week consultation in Sutton of an app that allows users to book minibus seats in advance of a one year trial.[208]
- 8 April – The Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into operation in central London.[209]
- 10 April – Hammersmith Bridge closes indefinitely to vehicles due to critical structural faults being identified. Repair costs are estimated to be at least £40 million.[210]
- 11 April – Developer Canary Wharf Group proposes a new underground line from Euston to Canary Wharf to connect High Speed 2 services with the east London business zone.[211]
- 25 April – Crossrail announces that the central section of the Elizabeth line will be completed and opened between October 2020 and March 2021, except for Bond Street station, which will open later.[212]
- 1 May – Requests for judicial review of the government's decision to approve the third runway at Heathrow Airport are rejected by the High Court.[213]
- 3 June – Meridian Water station opens as a replacement to nearby Angel Road station in London Borough of Enfield.[214]
- 5 June – Transport for London begins a consultation on plans to lower the speed limit on all roads within the congestion charge zone to 20 miles per hour.[215]
- 14 June – Transport for London announces that tunnel and track work are complete on the Northern line extension from Kennington to Battersea Power Station.[216]
- 9 July – An engineering train derails on the approaches to Victoria station blocking lines into the mainline station and disrupting services all day.[217]
- 6 August – The Gospel Oak to Barking line is operated using only electric trains for the first time.[218]
- 23 August – Despite previous proposals to redevelop the site, Transport for London will continue to operate Victoria Coach Station as a central London transport hub.[219]
- 3 September – Closed since April 2019, the first phase of repair works begins on Hammersmith Bridge. The estimated total cost of the repairs is £120 million.[220]
- 6 September – Transport for London announces plans to lower speed limits to 20 miles per hour on 8.9 kilometres (5.5 mi) of main roads that it controls in central London.[221]
- 9 September – After 86 years at Baker Street, London Underground's Lost Property Office will move to Pelham Street in South Kensington in October.[222]
- 24 September – Transport for London issues Uber with a two-month operator licence extension to the existing conditional licence.[223]
- 26 September – TfL Rail will take over the operation of stopping services between Paddington and Reading replacing GWR on 15 December. From 2 January 2020 contactless payment will be available on the route.[224]
- 14 October – Transport for London begins a new 10-week public consultation on the extension of the Bakerloo line to New Cross Gate and Lewisham with two new stations in Old Kent Road.[225][226]
- 17 October – Mike Brown with leave his role as Transport Commissioner in May 2020.[227]
- 25 November – Transport for London announces that it will not grant Uber a new private hire operator's licence due to a "pattern of failures". Uber will appeal the decision and will continue to operate during the appeal process.[228]
- 25 November – Transport for London signs a PFI contract for the design, construction and operation of the Silvertown Tunnel.[229]
- 15 December – TfL Rail begins operations between Paddington and Reading.[230]
2020
[edit]- 10 January – Crossrail announces that Elizabeth line services through central London are expected to begin in the summer of 2021.[231]
- 27 February – A judicial review decides that the government failed to consider its Climate Policy when approving Heathrow Airport's third runway.[232]
- 2 March – Transport for London introduces a 20 mph speed limit on central London roads it manages.[233]
- 4 March – Transport for London announces proposals for a pedestrian ferry service between Rotherhithe and the Isle of Dogs.[234]
- 23 March – Transport for London suspends the charges for the Congestion Charge Zone, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone until further notice.[235]
- 24 April – Transport for London places 7,000 staff on furlough.[236]
- 15 May – Transport for London reinstates charges for the Congestion Charge Zone, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone and announces that congestion charge will be increased to £15 from 22 June and hours of operation will increased to 7 am to 10 pm seven days per week.[237]
- 27 May – Andy Byford, former President of the New York City Transit Authority is appointed as Commissioner of Transport for London, starting in the role on 29 June.[238]
- 10 June – Demand for the Santander Cycles hire system achieves its highest ever number of hires in a week and Transport for London announces plans to introduce 1,700 additional bicyles bringing the fleet to more than 14,000.[239]
- 5 August – A third escalator will be installed at Marylebone Underground station replacing a fixed start before the existing escalators which date from 1943 will be replaced one by one.[240]
- 13 August – Having been closed to road vehicles since April 2019, Hammersmith Bridge is closed to pedestrians and cyclists following the discovery of more microfractures in cast iron thought to be caused by high temperatures.[241]
- 28 October – Tunnelling work at Bank Underground station is completed as part of improvements of the stations facilities.[242]
- 28 October – Repairs to Hammersmith Bridge are expected to cost more than £125 million and take up to 6.5 years, the panel established to manage its repair advises.[243]
- 1 November – Transport for London obtains £1.8 billion financial support from the government to help cover the shortfall in revenue caused by COVID-19-related reductions in passengers.[244]
- 17 November – Transport for London plans to hold a 12-month trial for the rental of e-scooters.[245]
- 1 December – Borrowed from the Department for Transport, an £825 million grant will be made from the Greater London Authority to Transport for London to complete works on Crossrail so that the line can open in the first half of 2022.[246]
- 9 December – Crossrail begins running eight trains at once through central tunnels for system testing close to normal operational levels.[247]
- 21 December – Transport for London commences feasibility work to investigate extending the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.[248]
2021
[edit]- 4 January – Test passenger trains run on the Northern line extension between Kennington and Battersea Power Station stations.[249]
- 27 February – Piccadilly line platforms at South Kensington station close until Spring 2022 to enable escalators to be replaced.[250]
- 30 March – Transport for London appoints Thames Clippers to provide a temporary pedestrian ferry at Hammersmith.[251]
- 28 May – Santander extends sponsorship for Santander Cycles to 2025.[252]
- 7 June – Rental e-scooter trials begin in Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Richmond.[253]
- 22 July – The inquest into the deaths in the 2016 Croydon tram derailment rules that they were accidental.[254]
- 28 July – Transport for London begins a consultation on congestion zone charges, including restoring the normal weekday end time, making weekend charges permanent and applying charges on bank holidays.[255]