20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in August 2024
1) In 2023/24 TfL sold 3,143,828 One Day Travelcards (down 38% on 2018/19). They also sold 3,849,293 Weekly Travelcards (down 65%), 801,367 Monthly Travelcards (down 67%) and only 15,192 Annual Travelcards (down 80%). 2) Last year vehicles associated to the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan failed to pay 34 £160 fines issued for contraventions of the red route in London. 3) The fastest Superloop route is the SL3 which averages 14.8mph. In joint second place are the SL5 and SL7 (13.4mph). The slowest Superloop route is the SL6 which averages 8.7mph. In second place is the SL8 (10.7mph). 4) TfL refuse to provide a list of Underground depots and their locations because they consider that "the publication of this information would be likely to increase graffiti or security breach attempts on the network". 5) The loudest sections of the Central line (eastbound) are Holland Park to Notting Hill Gate and Stratford to Leyton, both at 95 dB. Westbound the loudest is Liverpool Street to Bank at 89 dB. 6) Touching a pink reader should never increase a fare. 7) In the last twelve months TfL received 2.4 million text messages requesting Bus SMS Live Arrivals information. This is up from 2.08 million SMS messages during the previous 12 months. 8) If you'd like a pdf copy of the October 1997 pocket tube map (which showed the Jubilee line under construction) here it is. 9) TfL's office block at Endeavour Square in Stratford contains 2644 workstations, but average daily occupancy in 2023 was only 450 (and drops off considerably on Mondays and Fridays). 10) TfL has no plans to provide dual language signs at any further stations. Any request would have to come from the local council, who would also be responsible for the costs of translation, manufacture and installation. 11) When Old Street station was temporarily renamed Fold Street (following the Burberry Street debacle) mitigations included a) signage changes limited to a maximum of 50%, b) no changes to cross-track signage, c) no changes to announcements on trains, c) no changes to announcements on platforms d) provision of stewards to aid confused customers, e) exclusion zone of no activity from gateline to Moorfields Eye Hospital exit. 12) Several bus stop tiles, bus stop names and bus shelter names along route H20 in Hounslow are either unhelpful or incorrect (for example "Lampton Road, Hounslow Civic Centre" should now be "Lampton Road") and TfL will look into reviewing this. [I thought I was obsessive, but whoever submitted this FoI is off the scale] 13) Current 2025 plans for the Rotherhithe Tunnel do not involve a full closure (except for the planned maintenance closure overnight every Monday). 14) The current state of the four escalators at Cutty Sark station is: 1) back in service since 16 August following safety defect issue, 2) back in service since 3 April following major overhaul, 3) out of service following the identification of a safety defect, 4) back in service since 23 July following major overhaul. 15) The next pocket tube map is expected to be released on 23rd September 2024. 16) If you list the locations of all the Santander cycle hire stations in alphabetical order, Abbey Orchard Street in Westminster comes first and York Way in Kings Cross comes last. 17) When designing a taxi rank, a length of 5,000mm per taxi is standard. 18) Across London 671 schools have gold Travel for Life accreditation, 105 have silver, 195 have bronze and 486 are getting there. 19) The reason there are so many weekend closures on the Windrush line a) is due to ongoing redevelopment work at Surrey Quays, b) was previously due to Crossrail works at Whitechapel. 20) Aboard new-style double decker buses on route 63, the feature the travelling public are least enthused by is wood-panel flooring.
