Transport for London (TfL) is marking its 25th anniversary by celebrating the landmark achievements since it started transforming the capital’s transport network.

London’s transport commissioner Andy Lord and London transport museum CEO Elizabeth McKay unveil the TfL 25 Roundel

London’s transport commissioner Andy Lord joined 25 buskers to celebrate TfL’s 25th anniversary at Liverpool Street Underground station today (27 January), and also unveiled a new roundel and series of new posters marking the improvements to public transport since TfL was established.

Highlights since TfL has been onboard include the arrival of the Elizabeth line, the launch of the tram system and the modernisation of the London Underground. Other debuts include TfL’s online Journey Planner, the first multi-modal system of its kind in the UK, and the arrival of the Oyster smart card and contactless payment in 2003.

Cycle hire and more than 250 miles of cycle paths have transformed London’s streets, while the Mayor’s Vision Zero plan is working to create a safer London for all.

Work is ongoing to make London’s extensive bus and taxi network zero-emission, with 1,800 electric and hydrogen buses now in service, said to be the largest fleet in Western Europe.

Andy Lord said: “TfL 25 will showcase the many ways we have improved the lives of all Londoners socially, culturally, economically and environmentally, with an exciting year of activity planned for everyone to enjoy.

“We are also really excited to look ahead to the next 25 years, delivering new projects for Londoners, benefiting both the capital and the UK as a whole. Among the things we’ll be working on this year are the introduction of new DLR and Piccadilly line trains, and the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, which will happen alongside our important work to make the network as inclusive and accessible as possible, to enable everyone to enjoy all that London has to offer.”

Some of TfL’s key achievements:

2000 – TfL’s tram system launched – since then, it has carried more than 590 million passengers

2002 – TfL’s online Journey Planner launched, the first multi-modal system of its kind in the UK, allowing customers to plan journeys across several modes

2003 – The Oyster smart card was introduced

2004 – TfL’s education programmes, now known as TfL Travel for Life, have supported more than three million children to travel towards a brighter, safer and more sustainable future since 2004

2005 – TfL’s entire fleet of buses became fully wheelchair accessible

2005 – The introduction of free travel for children on TfL services

2006 – The launch of Baby on Board badges

2008 – The first wide aisle ticket gates were installed at Tube stations as part of TfL’s commitment to make the Underground accessible for wheelchair users, older people, parents with children and travellers with luggage

2008 – Priority seating launched, encouraging customers to give up seats for pregnant women, as well as people with disabilities or those less able to stand, making travel easier and safer for all

2009 – iBus was fully rolled out. iBus gave London next stop audio and signs, information on all buses and live information on apps and website

2010 – The first ever air-conditioned, fully walk through Tube train on the Metropolitan line launched, designed to make life easier for people with disabilities and keep customers more comfortable

2010 – Since 2010, more than 137 million journeys have been made on TfL cycle hire bikes, which are now called Santander Cycles. The scheme now includes e-bikes and has doubled the number of cycle hire points across the city since its introduction

2010 – London’s streets become the first in England to trial pedestrian countdown technology, which tells pedestrians how long they have to safely cross the road

2012 – TfL helped millions to attend the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games and kept the rest of the city moving

2012 – TfL introduced manual boarding ramps on the Tube to significantly improve accessibility in advance of the Paralympic Games, contributing to the most accessible Games at the time

2012 – The 60+ Oyster photocard was introduced

2016 – The Night Tube launched – with 7.8 million passengers in the first 12 months

2016 – The introduction of the Hopper fare – unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour of first touching in, for the price of a single fare

2019 – The first Cycleway launched in 2019, and today London’s cycling network is spans more than 400km, the same length as the Tube network

2019 – TfL launched the world’s first lorry safety scheme (Direct Vision Standard Scheme) to help improve the visibility of people walking, cycling or riding e-scooters or motorcycles. Since its introduction, fatal collisions have fallen by 49%

2021 – The Northern line was extended to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms – the first major Tube extension this century – enhancing access to transport for customers

2022 – The Elizabeth line launched, increasing rail capacity by 10%, the biggest increase in the capital in 70 years and creating the UK’s most popular railway service

2023 – The 1,000th zero-emission bus launched on London’s network

2023 – The Care Leaver Oyster photocard was introduced

2024 – The first phase of the Superloop was completed, connecting outer London boroughs more quickly with express bus services

2025 – The first new Piccadilly line air-conditioned trains will start to be introduced on the TfL network

2025 – The first new DLR trains will come into service

2025 – TfL will finish converting its bus shelter lighting to LED – currently at 95% of shelters – to create safer, brighter and more welcoming spaces across the network for customers