Public transport, bus, tube, overground and national rail network
Public transport including buses and the tube in London are all managed by Transport for London (TfL) rather than the council. TfL also licenses taxis and Private Hire Vehicle drivers and operators. You can read about TfL’s plans to reduce emissions from these modes of travel.
The national rail network which serves central London, for example into Charing Cross station, is funded by the Government.
The bus, tube, overground and train networks do currently rely partly on burning fossil fuels. However, traveling by these modes is still far more sustainable than driving a car or hailing a Taxi or using a private hire vehicle. This is because the bus, tube and train are much more efficient with the number of people they carry.
Buses, taxis and private hire vehicles
TfL proposes to operate an all zero-emission electric and hydrogen powered bus fleet to tackle climate change. It has already funded the largest increase in electric buses when compared to any other European major city.
Taxis and private hire vehicles will also need to be cleaner in the years to come, so they can operate within London’s recently expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
Tube and train
All the tube and most trains serving Westminster are powered by electricity rather than diesel. This means that these modes of transport will become more and more green as the UK’s electricity grid becomes supplied by a higher proportion of renewable energy.
We are working with the Government to push rail operators such as Chiltern who are still using diesel trains in Westminster to move to cleaner options. Almost all other national rail services into Westminster are already powered by electricity.