Update - 9 March 2026: It is now officially live!
This is a quick news update to announce that Greater Anglia will extend contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing from 8 March 2026. The launch was originally expected in December 2025, but was delayed due to technical issues.
Travellers will soon be able to use contactless bank cards to travel to and from Stansted or Southend Airport without needing a paper or mobile ticket.
Let’s hope it is not delayed again! 🤞
Every year, transport fares rise in line with inflation and the Retail Price Index across many areas of the UK and globally. This significantly impacts certain people, particularly those who are unemployed, receiving benefits, or on a low income.
The Precedent Set by Council Tax Consultation
This is a follow-up to my previous article about the most common journeys on the London Underground and other services in 2023.
I can reveal that Transport for London (TfL) has published the most common journeys for the London Underground (LU), National Rail (NR), Elizabeth Line (EL), and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as of 2025.
Bear in mind, we are still in 2025, and the data for this year is only available up to and including 1st November.
With so many London Underground stations at the top, here are 100 journeys.
Request ID: FOI-2907-2526
Date published: 17 November 2025
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| Map of stations that will offer contactless ticketing |
Update - 23rd February 2026
Please read the latest article here.
Update - 3rd December 2025
Noooooooooooooooooo! 😞
The Rail Delivery Group has announced that the expansion of contactless ticketing to Stansted and Southend Airports in London has been delayed.
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| © TfL |
In a recent Freedom of Information response, Transport for London (TfL) revealed an update on the proposed West London Orbital railway. This planned passenger rail line in England will use existing tracks to connect Hounslow in the west with Hendon and West Hampstead in the north. Its aim is to improve links across west and northwest London, support new homes and jobs, and reduce road congestion, mainly by restoring passenger services and adding new stations along the route.
Request ID: FOI-2015-2526
Date published: 08 September 2025
We would like to raise awareness that, during the Christmas period, there are ongoing consultations that are worth taking part in.
Integrated National Transport Strategy: a call for ideas
Mayor announces TfL fares package for 2025, with a freeze to bus and tram fares
This is a follow-up to my previous article about Transport for London (TfL), in which a response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request mentioned the use of Passenger Emergency Alarms (PEA) by wheelchair users in the event of missed assistance at Tube and railway stations.
The FOI response below provides detailed information, such as the height of the PEAs and the Call For Aid (CFA) help points inside some of their trains.
Request ID: FOI-2221-2425
Date published: 04 November 2024
The Department for Transport has released data revealing how much compensation train operating companies (TOCs) in the UK have paid to passengers since 2016. This compensation, guided by each company's Passenger’s Charter, includes various schemes: delay repay compensation, traditional charter compensation, and discretionary payments. In this article, we'll take a closer look at compensation trends from 2020 to 2024, focusing on noteworthy changes and the factors at play.
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| Poster by Hong Kong PHAB Association |
Although I'm not a wheelchair user, I have volunteered to help in a small tweet thread instructing on what to do in the event of missed assistance (staff deploying a wheelchair ramp) at railway stations. I decided to share the instructions in my article because users who are not registered with X are unable to see other posts.
This is a follow-up to my previous article about the most common journeys on the London Underground for the year 2023.
I can reveal that Transport for London (TfL) has published the most common journeys for the other modes, including National Rail (NR), Elizabeth line (EL) and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
I can confirm that we hold the information you require, which is provided in the attached spreadsheet. This provides the total counts for origin destination pairs for all rail journeys we have data for in 2023. Note that these counts are derived from completed journeys where the customer tapped in and out using either an Oyster card or a contactless payment card. Journeys completed using a paper ticket, and incomplete journeys (i.e. where the passenger did not tap in or out for whatever reason) are not captured in the data.
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| Map of the Overground with line names |
London’s Overground lines to be given new names and colours in historic change to capital’s transport network
• For the first time ever, each of London’s six Overground lines will be represented by a new name and line colour
• The new names have been chosen through engagement with customers, stakeholders, historians, industry experts and local communities
• New names, line colours and maps will make it easier for customers to navigate the London Overground and further build ridership, while celebrating London’s diverse communities and histories
In a historic re-imagining of London’s public transport network, each of London’s six overground lines will for the first time ever be given a unique name and line colour. This significant change, which will include a major update to London’s world-famous Tube map, will make it easier for customers to navigate London’s transport network while also celebrating the city’s diverse culture and history.
Last updated 23rd November 2025
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| The presence of transport enthusiasts at the New Routemaster launch day on February 27th 2012. Photo by TfL Press |
I've been reading some reports by enthusiasts on social media that they are not allowed to take photos or videos inside train stations or even in public areas outside of railway property as they take photos or videos of buses and trams.
I’m not saying anything negative about the transport staff and their management; the whole purpose of this article is to educate on the encouragement and importance of transport enthusiasts, which includes bus spotting and railfan/train spotting.
I know this news is slightly overdue, but I would like to specifically mention on my website that the One Day Travelcard is saved as Transport for London (TfL) and the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the train operating companies, agreed to retain the One Day Travelcard.
Rail Delivery Group:
Rail Delivery Group, Department for Transport and Transport for London reach agreement to save Day Travelcards for train passengers
Train companies, represented by Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and Transport for London (TfL) have reached an agreement which means Day Travelcards can continue to be bought by customers as part of their train tickets to London.
I've been reading the draft TfL Business Plan 2023 (for the Wednesday 7th December 2022 Board meeting) and they are still considering withdrawing from the Travelcard Agreement as part of meeting the conditions of the funding agreement with the Government.
After a very long wait, the Elizabeth Line finally opens for passenger service. Today (24 May 2022) has certainly been energetic, especially for people who took the very first train service to travel through the new tunnels which run from Paddington to Abbey Wood, via Canary Wharf.
Let us have a look at the press release from TfL on the opening of the Elizabeth line.
From Transport for London
Services on the transformational railway will start running from 06:30 this morning between Paddington and Abbey Wood