Portal:London transport

The London transport portal

Selected article
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow, located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom. It is the world's second busiest airport in terms of total passenger traffic and it handles more international passengers than any other airport in the world. The airport is owned and operated by BAA. Located 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) west of Central London, flying at Heathrow began in World War I when a military airfield was laid out to the south-east of the hamlet that gives the airport its name. In the years preceding World War II, the airfield was used for manufacturing and testing by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was requisitioned by the government in 1943 for expansion as a RAF base although it saw little use as such. After the war it became a civilian airport with the first flight on 1 January 1946. In its early days Heathrow had as many as six short runways arranged as a star, but now has two parallel main runways spanning east-to-west and five operational terminals. In January 2009 a controversial third runway was approved by the UK government, but this was cancelled in May 2010 following a change of government. (Full article...) All selected articles
Selected biography
Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield, PC, Kt, TD (8 August 1874 – 4 November 1948) was managing director, then chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London and later chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board, during the London Underground's greatest period of expansion. Stanley was born in, Derbyshire, England. In 1880, his family emigrated to Detroit in the United States. In 1888, at the age of 14, Stanley left school and went to work as an office boy at the Detroit Street Railways Company. His abilities were recognised early and Stanley became General Superintendent of the company in 1894. In January 1907 he became general manager of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) and after improving the company's fortunes, he became managing director in 1910. In 1914, he was knighted in recognition of his services to transport. After a period as President of the Board of Trade during World War I, Stanley became chairman of the UERL in 1919 and, in 1920, was made Baron Ashfield, of Southwell in the County of Nottingham. Throughout the 1920s, Stanley and Herbert Morrison worked on plans for a unified transport organisation for London. The London Passenger Transport Board was created in 1933 with Stanley as chairman, a role he performed until 1947, overseeing major expansions of London's Underground network and integration of bus, tram and trolleybus services. (Full article...) All Selected biographies
Did you know...
...that the Westway, the West Cross Route and the East Cross Route are the only parts of the GLC's 1960s plan for the London Motorway Box to be built? ...that the Greenwich foot tunnel is classed as a public highway, and is therefore kept open by law 24 hours a day? ...that two people have had their coffins transported on the Underground: William Gladstone and Dr Barnardo? ...that trains on the Waterloo & City line never see the light of day? ...that at Euston Underground station, a passenger changing between the Victoria line and Northern line Bank branch will find that trains on adjacent platforms travel in opposite directions even though both are either northbound or southbound? More Did you know...
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Selected pictures

Image 1Southern approach to the Rotherhithe Tunnel that runs under the River Thames in east London between Rotherhithe and Limehouse.
Image 2Tower bridge; a bascule bridge across the River Thames.
Image 3Gondolas of the Emirates Air Line cable car cross the River Thames from Greenwich Peninsula to Royal Docks.
Image 4The multi-level junction between the M23 and M25 motorways near Merstham in Surrey. The M23 passes over the M25 with bridges carrying interchange slip roads for the two motorways in between.
Image 5Eurostar Class 373 trains at St Pancras station.
Image 6Tram 2548 calls at Arena tram stop. This is one of the trams on the Tramlink network centred on Croydon in south London.
Image 7An air raid shelter in a London Underground station during The Blitz.
Image 8Qantas Boeing 747-400 about to land at Heathrow Airport, seen beyond the roofs of Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow.
Image 9The original Hampton Court Bridge in 1753, the first of four on the site.
Image 10Escalators at Westminster Underground station descend between beams and columns of the station box to reach the deep-level Jubilee line platforms.
Image 11London Underground Battery-electric locomotive L16 designed to operate over tracks where the traction current is turned off for maintenance work.
Image 12Preserved AEC Routemaster coaches in London Transport Green Line livery.
Image 13Central London Railway poster, published in 1905.
Image 14Duck tour converted DUKW amphibious vehicle exiting the River Thames.
Image 15Original stations on the Metropolitan Railway from The Illustrated London News, 27 December 1862.
Image 16London General Omnibus Company B-type bus B340 built in 1911 by AEC. One of a number of London buses purchased by the British military during World War I, this vehicle was operated on the Western Front.
Image 17Thames Clippers service catamaran on the River Thames.
Image 18The south façade of King's Cross railway station London terminus of the East Coast Main Line.
Image 19A Hansom cab at Somerset House.
Image 20Stockwell bus garage, Stockwell, a Grade II* listed building.
Image 21London Overground Class 378 train on the East London Line in Hoxton.
Image 22Arguably the best-preserved disused station building in London, this is the former Alexandra Palace station on the GNR Highgate branch (closed in 1954). It is now in use as a community centre (CUFOS).
Image 2355 Broadway, headquarters of the UERL and its successors, is a Grade I listed building in Westminster designed by Charles Holden.
Image 24Helicopter landing at London Heliport, a jetty constructed in the River Thames in Battersea.
Image 25TX4 London Taxi at Heathrow Airport.
Image 26The Circle routes of Victorian London, comprising the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer Circle and Super Outer Circle.
Image 27The western departures concourse of King's Cross railway station.
Image 28View of Old London Bridge, circa 1632 by Claude de Jongh.
Image 29Ruislip Lido Railway's 12-inch (300 mm) gauge locomotive "Mad Bess" hauling a passenger train.
Image 30Albert Bridge, opened in 1873, crosses the River Thames between Chelsea and Battersea.
Image 31Woolwich Ferry boats "John Burns" and "James Newman" on the River Thames, 2012.
Image 32Early style tube roundel in mosaic at Maida Vale Underground station.
Image 33Vauxhall Bridge across the River Thames opened in 1906 and features sculptures by F. W. Pomeroy.
Image 34Day (left) and Night (right) sculptures by Sir Jacob Epstein on the London Underground's headquarters at 55 Broadway.
Image 35Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1887, crosses the River Thames in west London.
Image 36Victoria line 2009 Stock train at Euston.
Image 37Camden Lock or Hampstead Road Lock in Camden Town, north London is the only twin lock on the Regents Canal.
Image 38The New Routemaster built by Wrightbus has three entrances, two staircases and is designed to be reminiscent of the Routemaster.
Image 39Sailing ships at West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in 1810. The docks opened in 1802 and closed in 1980 and have since been redeveloped as the Canary Wharf development.
Image 40Planes waiting at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4.
Image 41Rail, road and river traffic, seen from the London Eye.
Image 42The newly constructed junction of the Westway (A40) and the West Cross Route (A3220) at White City, circa 1970. Continuation of the West Cross Route northwards under the roundabout was cancelled leaving two short unused stubs for the slip roads that would have been provided for traffic joining or leaving the northern section.
Image 43Hornsey Lane Bridge, Archway, more commonly known as "Suicide Bridge".
Image 44Archer statue by Eric Aumonier at East Finchley Underground station.
Image 45A tram of the London United Tramways at Boston Road, Hanwell, circa 1910.
Image 46Clapham Common Underground station north and south-bound platforms on the Northern line.
Image 47"Boris Bikes" from the Santander Cycles hire scheme waiting for use at a docking station in Victoria.
Image 48Shaftesbury Avenue from Piccadilly Circus, in the West End of London, 1949.
Image 49London Underground A60 Stock (left) and 1938 Stock (right) trains showing the difference in the sizes of the two types of rolling stock operated on the system. A60 stock trains operated on the surface and sub-surface sections of the Metropolitan line from 1961 to 2012 and 1938 Stock operated on various deep level tube lines from 1938 to 1988.