30 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in June 2026
1) In the last 5 years no accidents have been recorded at Liverpool Street Station involving pushchairs being taken through ticket barriers. 2) During 2025 defibrillators were used on 50 occasions across the London Underground network. In each case the pads were required to be replaced. 3) Tube station poster withdrawal information: "We are moving away from posters with first & last times (with the exception of the Metropolitan line which is due to the frequencies on some parts of the line). They are being phased out and replaced with versions such as the attached, which directs customers to the online part of the website where comprehensive timetable information is available." 4) More people catch a southbound bus outside Hayes & Harlington station than catch a northbound bus (10% more, in fact). 5) Bus-related products licenced by TfL include The London Toy Company Bus Pull-along, Corgi New Routemaster Paddington set, Sun Star Models Routemaster, Bachmann EFE Road Leyland 'Seadog', London Sock Exchange socks, Uniqlo bags and Budgy Smuggler Bus Trunks.
6) The borough with the most roundabouts is Hillingdon with 99, followed by Bexley (63), Greenwich (53), Newham (52) and Brent and Enfield (50 each). The City of London has only one roundabout. Other boroughs with fewer than 10 roundabouts are Hackney (2), Islington (6), Camden and Hammersmith And Fulham (7 each) and Lambeth and Kensington And Chelsea (9 each). 7) All Elizabeth line stations have at least two ticket machines except Iver which has only one. Paddington has eight. 8) Thus far the Acoustic Rail Grinding Unit has been trialled in four locations: Epping → Debden (786m of Rail Defect Removal), West Ruislip → South Ruislip (1220m of Rail Defect Removal), Chalfont and Latimer → Chesham (4857m of Liner Rail Grinding), Hillingdon → Eastcote (1706m of Corrective Rail Grinding). 9) In January a planned safety review of bus stop bypasses was withdrawn. This is because some of the implementation dates of bus stop bypasses had been recorded incorrectly. No tenders have yet been issued for a replacement report. This will only happen after the database of bus stop bypasses has been reviewed. 10) The next tube map is due to 'go live' on 6th July 2026.
11) TfL do plan to reopen the stairs up to platform 1 at Notting Hill Gate, but as yet no maintenance has taken place as they are still trying to identify the source of the water ingress. 12) The electric buses on route 323 were requistioned to operate the Silvertown Cycle Shuttle in April last year. There are no plans for route 323 to revert to Zero Emission in the near future. 13) In September 2023 TfL adopted a staff policy which no longer allowed 5 working days to be compressed into 4 days with the same working hours. Individuals with pre-existing arrangements were unaffected. 14) Just to confirm, the Hopper hour is actually 62 minutes and the weekday peaks are actually 06:35-09:27 and 16:05-18:57. 15) TfL have been seeking a new vision for the London Cable Car. "The vision intends to see the LCC go from being a transport mode to one of London's must-do tourist attractions and, importantly, a commercialised leisure attraction." A preferred option has been outlined in a 44 page report, but alas so heavily redacted that it's impossible to guess how ghastly it will be.
16) £428,797.11 was spent installing netting across London Underground buildings between May 2025 and April 2026, including £104,847.46 to install netting at Northfields depot. 17) Bus drivers cannot talk to each other via their radios, they are only able to communicate with their specific route operator (or an emergency operator). 18) Five Central line trains have now been refurbished (up from two this time last year). It's expected that 6 further trains will enter service during this financial year, then 18 in 2027/28, 31 in 2028/29 and 25 in 2029/30. 19) Following discussions with the London Fire Brigade, community libraries have been reinstated at Acton Town, Cockfosters, Ealing Common, East Finchley, High Barnet, Kew Gardens, Kilburn, Northfields, Morden, Oakwood, Ravenscourt Park, Stamford Brook, Willesden Green and Woodside Park stations. 20) No DLR services are scheduled into Platform 3 at Mudchute in the current standard timetable, although it is occasionally used for during unusual/special service patterns (i.e. partial network closures).
21) A charge is levied on requests to close a bus stop as well as for bus
diversions where highway works are taking place. The current charge is £256 for the first day of bus stop closure and £86 a day thereafter. The bus diversion charge is a minimum of £1422. Diversion charges combine bus stop charges with consumables. 22) Last year the KSI risk rate for cyclists (Killed or Seriously Injured) was 0.980 per million km collectively travelled. Cyclists are 200 times more likely to be seriously injured than killed. 23) TfL's total advertising estate is as follows: i) at bus shelters 8382 static panels, 843 digital and 204 scrolling. b) at stations 16,479 static panels, 961 digital, 78 scrolling, 41 landmarks, 778 gatelines and 11,520 static on lifts, stairs and escalators. c) on trains 123,632 carriage panels. d) roadside 170 sites. 24) TfL's northernmost dedicated toilet facility for bus drivers is at Waltham Cross bus station, the easternmost is at Bluewater bus station, the southernmost is at Coulsdon Cane Hill Drive and the westernmost is at Uxbridge Belmont Road. 25) Since 2020 only three passengers have been fined for causing noise-based annoyance on the railway, two of them for singing.
26) Around 26% of 60+ Oyster photocard holders fail to complete the address check each year and need to reapply (if they remain eligible). 27) TfL have de-looped two gyratories (Stockwell and Archway) and four roundabouts (Elephant & Castle, Highbury, Old Street and Westminster Bridge South) since 2007. Other authorities have de-looped Aldgate, Brixton Hill, Stratford, St Paul’s, Walthamstow, Whipps Cross and the Kender Street Triangle. Gyratories under future consideration include Greenwich Town Centre, Holborn, Ilford and Shepherd's Bush. 28) There has been no left turn off the A2 Falconwood slip road into Riefield Road since 1978. 29) Mobile coverage is now available in 58% of tube stations and 45% of tunnels (and is planned to reach 100% by the end of the year). 30) TfL estimate that there are half a million mice living across the London Underground network.
