Transport in London
According to a Statista survey, London was ranked as the sixth worst city for commuting. Travellers lost 75 hours stuck in traffic each and spent 47 minutes commuting one way. Only 33% of travellers spend less than fifteen minutes commuting. Undoubtedly, people who live or work in London have the longest commutes compared to the rest of the UK.
Criteria to consider before starting to commute
Data across the world has shown that daily commuting has a negative impact on commuters' physical and mental health (e.g., insomnia, depression, obesity, etc.) and their overall happiness. For that reason, before you accept a job offer that may require lengthy travels to and from work, consider the following: “Is your salary worth the time you spend in public transport, the car, or on the streets?” The good news is that you have several options to find the balance between work and commuting in London. You can:
- Live in the outskirts but work in London. You will spend less on rent and more on travel, but you will earn a bigger London salary;
- Live and work in London. Your rent will be costly, but you will save money and time on travel;
- Live and work outside of London: your salary won't be as high, but you will pay less on rent, and you will have more time for your personal and social life.
Good to know:
London has the lowest levels of car ownership in the UK and the most commuters who travel on public transport.
Types of transportation for London commuters
Besides walking, the four most popular types of transportation in London are the London Overground, buses, the Tube, and cycling. To plan your London journey with interactive maps and live times, download the TfL Go travel app.
London Overground
The Overground consists of six main lines:
- Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford;
- Watford Junction to Euston;
- Gospel Oak to Barking;
- Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon;
- Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford;
- Romford to Upminster.
Good to know:
The London Overground lines will undergo name changes to reflect the city's diversity. The changes will be implemented by the end of 2024.
Useful links:
Bus
All buses in London are cash-free, meaning you need to have an Oyster card or use your contactless debit or credit card to pay for your journey unless you have a paper Travelcard or Freedom Pass for the elderly or disabled. Once on board, you can touch your card on the yellow reader next to the driver, show it, or pass it to the driver.
Good to know:
All London buses have a ramp, making buses accessible to those who need help getting on or off.
Good to know:
If you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus drives past, it has likely reached its seating capacity.
Important:
The following bus routes run 24 hours daily on Friday and Saturday: 34, 114, 123, 145, 158, 183, 296, 307, 319, E1, H32, W3, and W7. These services run twice an hour through the night, with W7 running three times an hour. There's also an extensive network of night buses to and from Night Tube stations.
The Tube
In a typical year, the Tube carries more than a billion passengers and makes four million journeys a day. Tubes start running from 5 a.m. and stop at midnight. The Elizabeth Line, launched in 2022, is the most recent Tube line and stretches more than 100km from Reading to Heathrow in the West through central tunnels across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East.
Cycling
Cycling in London during rush hour can be stressful, and it's not an endeavour for beginner cyclists. However, there are many cycling paths, and most traffic lights have areas reserved for cyclists. London has eight cycle routes or cycleways that link communities, businesses, and destinations in one cycle network. By 2024, there are plans to create 450km of new cycleways.
Good to know:
Transport for London offers online or face-to-face cycle training to improve your cycling skills.
Useful links:
Employers in support of commuters
If you are about to sign a new employment contract in London, ask your employer whether the company offers monthly or annual ticket loans since it's not feasible for all employees to pay these passes upfront. Besides, some companies offer a ‘cycle to work' scheme, allowing them to loan bikes to staff members without paying taxes on the bikes they have purchased.
