6 facts about London Transport that you may not know

London is famous for its transport all over the world!

It houses the oldest underground service in the world which dates back to 1863, a whopping 152 years since it was first established.  Its home to one of the most iconic transport systems in the world with its red double-decker busses and black cab taxis. Has a wide variety of other transportation methods including city wide bikes for hire courtesy of Santander; or the emirates air line cable cars which cross the river Thames.

 

The London underground which is commonly known as the “Tube,” services around 270 stations all across Greater London. 

First established in 1863, it has since expanded to be one of the most comprehensive and innovative metro services in the world. This is exemplified through London’s transition from steam to electric powered underground trains in the early 1890s, paving the way for the other world powers to follow suit.

Night Tube service is coming

Recently, Transport for London (TFL) has proposed that the underground should continue functioning through the night during Fridays and Saturdays (the busiest nights with higher demand for underground transportation than any other). So far this has only been approved for a small number of train lines and will only start following the September of 2015 however the future is bright with many expansions in the night services to be expected.


From the early hours of Saturday 12 September 2015, Londoners and visitors to the Capital will be able to travel on the Jubilee, Victoria and most of the Piccadilly, Central and Northern Tube lines all night on Fridays and Saturdays.

One of the train lines for which this service has been approved, is the Jubilee line.  The Jubilee line connects Willesden Green, Kilburn, Swiss Cottage and Dollis Hill to world famous landmarks such as Oxford Street, Bond Street and Buckingham Palace. This is especially important for young tourists for whom the capacity to operate 24 hours a day creates an exceptional opportunity to explore London’s nightlife. Conveniently, ShortLet-London has a plethora of fully serviced apartments dotted around the Jubilee line, meaning that if you decide to stay with us then you will gain the full benefits of London’s metro system.

Summary of the night-time service

• Central line: Trains will run between Ealing Broadway and Hainault / Loughton (no service between North Acton and West Ruislip; Loughton and Epping; or Woodford and Hainault)
• Jubilee line: Trains will run on the entire line
• Northern line: Trains will run on the entire line except on the Mill Hill East and Bank branches
• Piccadilly line: There will be a service between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5 (no service on the Terminal 4 loop, or between Acton Town and Uxbridge via Rayners Lane)
• Victoria line: Trains will run on the entire line

The frequency of the Night Tube service may vary by line and by branch, but on average there will be a train every 10 minutes or less. There is no plan to charge different fares and every station on the Night Tube network will be visibly staffed when trains are running.

Night Tube Map

 

Some info about London's iconic red busses and black cabs

London’s iconic red busses and black cabs also make up a large portion of the capital’s transport. Busses were first introduced during the early 1830s by George Shillibeer who had imported the idea from Paris, France. Busses remained horse drawn for almost a century until the early 20th century where busses transitioned to steam power and later petrol. The red colour we all know and love was also introduced in 1907, and has since been a staple of British transport.
The Hackney Carriage (known today as the black cab) was first introduced in 1662 and at the time was just a small horse drawn carriage. Today, these vehicles for private hire are a quintessential aspect of the British transport system. The London taxi company has also set out its vision for the future of these black cabs which involves green technology. Much like the new busses of London, the next generation of Black Cabs will be powered by electricity, and be much less noisy than the previous range. A chairman of the company even noted that these cars will be the most technologically advanced taxis in the whole wide world, make sure to come back in 2017 to try them out for yourself.

Future, present and past: London Transport Museum

If you want to learn more about the future, present, and past of British transportation, then you can always visit the London Transport Museum. Inside you will see and learn about all aspects of transportation in London, ranging from the history of busses, to future proposals in transportation innovation, and more. All information is easy to understand and is definitely kid friendly. There is also an added bonus of free admission for children under 12 years old - so don't be afraid to take your whole family here while on vacation in London. The Museum itself is located in Covent Garden which is only 10 minutes away from any of our conveniently located, fully serviced apartments, even on a busy day - all the more incentive to spend a day at the London Transport Museum.