Airports / Buses
/ Coaches / Congestion
Charging Scheme / Crossrail
/ Dockland Light Railway
/ East London Line extensions
/ London Underground / 2012
Games / River services /
Station improvements / Thameslink
programme
The City’s position as the world’s leading international
financial and business centre is highly dependent upon good public
transport accessibility. Over 320,000 people commute to the City
each weekday and around 90% of them use public transport. City
businesses also place a high value on good international transport
links.
The City of London is situated at the heart of London’s
extensive public transport system. It is served directly by seven
Underground lines, 13 tube stations and seven mainline
stations; the major rail termini at London Bridge and Waterloo are
nearby. Frequent commuter rail services operate throughout London
and the wider South East region providing access to the City from
all points of the compass. The City is also served by 38 high
frequency bus routes and 24 night bus routes providing access
throughout central London and beyond. To complete this unique level
of accessibility, the City is served by the Docklands Light
Railway, a small number of commuter coach services, and river boat
services.
The City is also linked by rail to all of London’s airports, and
high-speed international and domestic rail services operate from
the nearby St Pancras International station. The City is well
served by the current range of transport services but the City
Corporation is not complacent and recognises the need for increased
transport capacity and better reliability to improve conditions for
existing travellers and to cater for projected future growth in
City employment. The role of the Strategic Transportation Team is
therefore to actively promote and procure further transport
improvements in partnership with other organisations including
Transport for London, Network Rail and other boroughs in order to
strengthen the City’s accessibility. A number of key projects which
the City Corporation has supported are now coming to fruition
including the Crossrail, Thameslink and East London Line
projects.
The City of London’s Transportation Division has produced a number
of documents setting out our policies and priorities; these can be
downloaded from the
Transportation page.
Airports
International travel is important for many City businesses. A
survey of City businesses in 2008 indicated that over 70% consider
easy access to an airport as critical or very important to their
operations. The City of London has direct rail access to four
airports. London City airport can be accessed by a direct DLR
service from Bank, in just 22 minutes. Gatwick and Luton are served
directly from the City by First Capital Connect services from
Blackfriars, City Thameslink and Farringdon. These rail links will
be improved under the Thameslink Programme of upgrades (see below).
Stansted Express services operate from Liverpool Street station.
There is not currently a direct rail service to Heathrow, but the
airport is easily accessed via the Piccadilly tube line, and by
Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect services from Paddington. One
of the benefits of the Crossrail scheme will be direct rail access
from the City to Heathrow.
An
aviation report (1.43mb) investigating
the importance of air travel to the City of London was published
in 2008.
Buses
The City of London works closely with London Buses to ensure
that services to the Square Mile are adequate in terms of capacity,
reliability and accessibility. The City of London is the Central
Sector Leader for the London Bus Priority Network (LBPN), working
in partnership with all of the local authorities and Transport for
London (TfL). The City of London has also been responsible for the
award-winning Route 38 Corridor Management Project, which has
implemented more intensive bus priority measures on this pilot
route.
In the short term, London’s buses can provide the capacity needed
to alleviate the overcrowding on the underground and some mainline
rail services. The City of London continues to work with various
partners to improve the journey experience of travelling by bus for
both our residents and our workers.
Coaches
Coaches of various types serve the Square Mile, including
tourist coaches visiting the major attractions in the City as well
as a small number of commuter coach services that offer an
alternative travel option for workers. There are currently
facilities to park coaches at a number of locations, including an
off-street coach park at the Tower of London, and there are
proposals to improve the provision for coaches around St Paul’s
Cathedral. The City of London is also a member of the London Coach
Forum, which aims to improve facilities for coach drivers,
operators and users across London. An interactive map of coach
parking in London is available on the
Transport for
London website.
Congestion Charging
The Mayor of London introduced a Congestion Charging scheme for
Central London in 2003. The City of London supports the principle
of the scheme, which is run by Transport for London. The Congestion
Charging zone was extended further west to include Kensington and
Chelsea in February 2007; however, the current Mayor of London has
pledged to remove the Western Extension Zone, with a consultation
taking place in summer 2010. By law, all money raised from
congestion charging is allocated to improving London's transport
facilities. A map of the zone is available from the
Transport for
London website.
Anyone (except those exempt or discounted) driving or parking a
vehicle on public roads in this area between 7am and 6pm, Monday to
Friday has to pay a daily charge of £8. Discounts and exemptions
are available to certain people (including residents and blue /
orange disabled badge holders) providing they register.
The City of London is unable to answer queries relating to the
Congestion Charge. The
Congestion Charging website has more details
of the scheme, including exemption information, how to pay the
charge and details on the Western Extension Zone consultation.
Alternatively, you can ring 0845 900 1234 for further
information.
Crossrail
This is a proposal for a new east-west railway under central
London.
The
scheme will provide a major increase in rail capacity and ease
the current crowding on the London rail network.
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) serves the City of London from
termini at Bank and Tower Gateway stations, providing a direct,
high frequency link to Canary Wharf, London City Airport and other
parts of east and south-east London. Trains on the Bank-Lewisham
line have recently been extended from two to three-cars, providing
a 50% increase in capacity on this route; trains on the other lines
will be similarly extended over the next few years. Tower Gateway
station has also recently been remodelled to provide an enhanced
passenger experience.
The City of London has worked jointly with TfL to investigate
options to extend the line westwards from Bank, although this is a
long-term aspiration and is not currently funded.
East London Line extensions
The City of London has long supported the scheme to extend the
East London Line to Dalston and Highbury and Islington in the North
and West Croydon and Crystal Palace in the South and welcomed the
opening of the line on 23 May 2010, providing a train every five
minutes through the central section. Although the route skirts the
boundary of the 'Square Mile', the City of London has supported
this project for the regeneration and new access benefits it will
bring to our neighbouring boroughs and the northern part of the
City; the new Shoreditch High Street station is within a 10-minute
walk of Liverpool Street station.
The City of London also supports “Phase 2” of the extension
programme, which will connect the line to Clapham Junction by 2012,
completing an orbital rail network around London. The East London
Line Group has been chaired by Deputy Archie Galloway, who is an
elected Member for the City of London, since 1997. More information
on this scheme is available from the
Transport for London website.
London Underground
The City of London is served by seven of the eleven Underground
lines (Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City,
Metropolitan, Northern and Waterloo & City), providing
excellent connectivity to all parts of London. Transport for London
are currently in the process of upgrading the Tube network,
gradually improving travelling conditions and increasing capacity
across the network. New air-conditioned trains are due to be
introduced on the sub-surface lines (Circle, District, Hammersmith
& City and Metropolitan) from 2011.
The City of London regularly liaises with Transport for London to
investigate options for increasing capacity and improving stations
on the Tube. Recently, St Paul’s station has benefitted from a
refurbishment programme, and discussions are currently underway to
improve Bank, a key interchange station in the Square Mile.
Elsewhere, various development projects have incorporated
improvements to some stations, including Blackfriars and Cannon
Street. More information about the Tube upgrade programme is
available from the
Transport for London website.
2012 Games
The City of London is working closely with the Olympic Delivery
Authority (ODA) to ensure that the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games are a success, whilst at the same time keeping the
City moving. A number of improvements have been made, or are
planned, for the public transport network that have been wholly or
part-funded by the ODA. These include a new DLR line from Canning
Town to Stratford International (serving the Olympic Park), a new
fleet of trains for the DLR, and a remodelled interchange at
Stratford Regional station. More information, including the draft
Olympic Transport Plan, can be found on the
ODA website.
River services
The City of London is bounded at its southern extremities by the
River Thames, providing an alternative transport option for both
business and leisure passengers. The City is served by commuter
services via piers at Blackfriars, London Bridge and the Tower of
London. In 2008, the City of London became a member of the River
Concordat, a group which exists to promote various improvements to
river services on the Thames, such as more accessible piers and
better interchange with other transport modes. More information on
river services can be found on the
Transport
for London website.
Station improvements
The City of London Corporation encourages transport providers to
improve their stations and there are several exciting projects
underway. For more information on Blackfriars station, please go to
the ‘Thameslink Programme’ section below.
The current Cannon Street station buildings were erected in the
1960s and 1970s, and considerable congestion now occurs during peak
periods. Passenger usage is expected to increase by 22% over the
next 10 years, so passenger access and circulation needs to be
improved. As part of the office redevelopment above the station,
the opportunity is being taken to upgrade both the National Rail
and Underground stations. In addition to substantially improving
passenger movement and providing more capacity for the future, the
new station will be brighter and have modern facilities including
new retail areas and a new ticket office. The Underground station
entrances and ticket hall will also be substantially improved. The
station is remaining open throughout the construction period and
train services should be unaffected. This £21 million project is
due to be completed in summer 2010.
Looking further ahead, discussions are underway to improve Bank
station by providing new entrance points from street level and
increasing capacity on the Northern line platforms. Crossrail will
enhance Liverpool Street and Farringdon stations by providing new
station entrances. It is also hoped that a second entrance to
Aldgate station can be provided, along with a remodelled bus
station, as part of the redevelopment of that site.
Thameslink Programme
This project will upgrade the existing services on the
Thameslink route (operated by First Capital Connect) to allow more
frequent, 12-car trains and will add new destinations to the
service. The scheme is very important for the future growth of the
City as it will provide a substantial increase in capacity and will
help to relieve overcrowding on the Northern Line and other rail
routes. The project includes the rebuilding and modernisation of
Blackfriars, London Bridge and Farringdon stations. In order to
lengthen the platforms at Farringdon to accommodate 12-car trains,
the Moorgate spur has been permanently closed. Blackfriars
Underground station is also closed until 2012, but these
disadvantages are more than offset by the overall benefits of the
scheme.
When completed in 2012, Blackfriars station will benefit from
lengthened platforms across the entire bridge (the first fully
cross-river station in London) that can accommodate longer trains,
an additional station entrance on the South Bank, and an improved
track layout to facilitate increased train capacity through the
central section of the route. Blackfriars Underground station is
also being rebuilt with wider platforms. In future there will be a
single entrance for the two stations and there will be escalator
and lift access to all platforms. The whole station will be
brighter with modern facilities.
Network Rail commenced works in the central area in 2009, allowing
the operation of 12-car trains by 2012, in time for the Olympics.
By 2015, improvements at London Bridge and elsewhere on the network
will enable the operation of more frequent trains and link
Blackfriars and City Thameslink to additional destinations such as
Cambridge, Kings Lynn and Peterborough. More information on this
scheme is available from
Network Rail and
First Capital Connect.
June 2010