Latest news with #LondonOverground
Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Free bus travel for over 60s update as calls for London scheme to be extended to rest of England
A huge campaign is being waged to try to get people in England the same concessionary travel as those in London do A proposal has been put forward to extend the free travel system, currently available to all individuals over 60 in London, across the entire country. A significant campaign is underway to provide the same concessionary travel benefits to people in England as those enjoyed by Londoners. At present, the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offer free bus travel to individuals from the age of 60. However, in England, it's up to local authorities - many of which are grappling with severe funding issues - to provide this service. As a result, most people only receive their free pass at the age of 66. This means that free travel for those aged 60 is only available in a few areas, such as Merseyside and London. In these locations, individuals can travel for free on transport services using an Oyster photocard. Unlike much of the rest of England, London residents enjoy free travel on buses, the Tube, trams, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line (excluding between West Drayton and Reading) and most National Rail services in London. They can travel for free on TfL services anytime Monday to Friday, except between 04:30-09:00, and can travel for free anytime at weekends and on bank holidays. A massive petition calling for free travel for all over 60s in England has just wrapped up on the Parliament website - attracting more than 100,000 signatures. This means MPs should now debate the issue, which could pile additional pressure on the Department for Transport (DfT) to outline its stance and specifically address the concerns raised. A date hasn't been fixed but is expected to be revealed shortly. The petition states: "We call on the Government to extend free bus travel to all people over 60 years old in England outside London. We believe the current situation is unjust and we want equality for everyone over 60. "Currently, people in England who do not live in London are not entitled to free bus travel until they reach the state pension age, which we believe has changed dramatically. As people get older some over 60s drive less and less, therefore we believe we need equality on public transport. It would mean England had the same provision as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland." This week brought fresh developments as Tory Nick Timothy questioned Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander in writing about whether people who benefit from the London free travel scheme could use it elsewhere in the country. This could have major ramifications as any nationwide scheme might lead to the concession being more broadly available. Mr Timothy posed a question to Ms Alexander, asking: "What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of passengers with a London Freedom Pass being able to travel for free in areas where the eligibility for free travel is set at an older age." Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, responded that it was up to local authorities to decide whether to allow free travel earlier. He explained: "The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently 66. In London, the Older Person's Freedom Pass is eligible to all London residents over the age of 66, which is the statutory eligibility for the ENCTS as set out in legislation." He further clarified: "This therefore means that there would be no instance where a passholder of London's Older Person Freedom Pass would be using their pass in an area where the eligibility for free travel is set at a higher age." He added: "Residents who live in a London borough and are aged 60 or over are eligible for the 60+ London Oyster photocard. This concession enables passholders to travel for free on Transport for London (TfL) services and cannot be used to board services outside of London, with the exception of a small number of National Rail services connecting into London. This is an additional concession, funded and delivered at the discretion of TfL." To see the petition on complimentary bus travel for those over 60 in England and to view th e comprehensive DfT response, click here.
Metro
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Double decker bus roof ripped off after crashing into railway bridge in London
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A bus roof was peeled off like a tin of tuna after it crashed into a railway bridge in south London. The bus hit the bridge on the A215 Portland Road this afternoon after the driver misjudged the height of the railway bridge. The crash forced the busy road to close near the high street and the Norwood Junction station ahead of the school run. The vehicle was operating as part of a learner driver's lesson, it is understood, suggesting that it was mostly empty when the crash happened. Footage shows how the bottom half of the bus managed to slip under the bridge, while the roof was peeled back, leaving the structure hanging at the back near other cars tailing the bus. Comedian Elliot Steel posted a clip of the unlucky bus, asking 'reckon he'll get the job?' Another person quipped on X: 'You can't park there sir.' More Trending London Overground, Southern and Thameslink services ground to a halt after the incident, with lines closed momentarily until the railway lines reopened. However, trains between London Victoria, Croydon, Surrey and Islington could be delayed by up to 15 minutes as service recovers. The crash was reported at about 12.30pm and the stretch of the road between Manor Road and the A213 High Street remains closed. Bus routes 130 and 197 have been diverted. Here are the train routes, which are expected to be disrupted until 3pm. London Overground between West Croydon and Highbury & Islington Southern between Caterham / Epsom and London Bridge, and also between West Croydon and London Victoria Thameslink between Brighton / Three Bridges and Bedford, between Horsham and Peterborough, and also between Brighton and Cambridge Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: London food trucks serving 'restaurant-quality' grub on the go including one in an old fire engine MORE: King Charles serenaded by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding singers at SXSW London MORE: Ryanair passengers injured after storm throws 'people against cabin roof'
Telegraph
19-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
TfL passengers lose out on Oyster railcard discounts after union order
A trade union has ordered frontline staff not to load railcard discounts onto London Overground passengers' Oyster cards. The RMT union said the move was because 'errors' by members had led to 'disciplinary action'. The move by the RMT – seen as one of the more militant unions – will see passengers forced to pay higher off-peak fares unless they travel to stations not on the London Overground. It comes after warnings that the UK faces a 'summer of discontent' from unions following the long-running bin strike in Birmingham that has left rubbish piled high on the city's streets. Labour offered billions of pounds worth of pay rises to unionised public sector workers last year, forcing Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, to raise taxes in the Autumn Budget. A copy of the RMT London Overground branch members' magazine, called Orange Is The New Black, revealed how the ban on loading discounts came about. 'We are aware that some members, including agency colleagues, have been performing this task in isolation. Unfortunately, some have faced disciplinary action for errors made while carrying out a duty strongly advised against by the union,' it said. 'Our stance remains clear: this is not part of the roles we do.' It went on to claim that Arriva Rail London, the Overground operator, had told staff to 'apologise and inform [passengers] that you are unable to do that activity' if asked to add discounts to Oyster cards. This, the newsletter said, only came about following pressure from RMT shop stewards who said it was not part of unionised staff's jobs to help passengers obtain discounts, although a company spokesman denied that such an instruction had been given. Rail union militancy has soared Adding Railcard discounts to an Oyster card is only possible if a staff member does it for you, according to the Transport for London (TfL) website. Railcards, such as Two Together or the Network Railcard, typically offer a one-third discount that applies to off-peak train travel. They can be loaded onto an Oyster card so the discount is applied to pay-as-you-go daily fare caps as well as Oyster Travelcard fares. A spokesman for Arriva Rail London said: 'London Overground employees have not been instructed to avoid applying discounts to Oyster cards. It has been acknowledged that this is not part of their job description, therefore we do not expect or request that colleagues undertake this task. 'We know that several colleagues are willing to perform this task for the benefit of our customers. We are therefore making training available for colleagues who wish to undertake this task at certain locations.' Rail union militancy has soared in the past few years, with the Government handing train workers 15 per cent pay rises last summer in an effort to quell ongoing strikes. That move backfired after train drivers, typically the highest paid staff in the industry, banked the backdated pay increases and stopped accepting overtime shifts, triggering cancellations over the winter. Hull Trains has been beset by strikes organised by Aslef, the drivers' union, after one of its members was sacked for falling asleep while driving 125mph long distance services. Internal letters seen by The Telegraph revealed that the individual had a history of doing so, and had been supported by bosses previously. Although a 56-day strike was called by Aslef over the sacking, the effect has been confined to minor disruption to the company's timetables.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TfL passengers lose out on Oyster railcard discounts after union order
A trade union has ordered frontline staff not to load railcard discounts onto London Overground passengers' Oyster cards. The RMT union said the move was because 'errors' by members had led to 'disciplinary action'. The move by the RMT – seen as one of the more militant unions – will see passengers forced to pay higher off-peak fares unless they travel to stations not on the London Overground. It comes after warnings that the UK faces a 'summer of discontent' from unions following the long-running bin strike in Birmingham that has left rubbish piled high on the city's streets. Labour offered billions of pounds worth of pay rises to unionised public sector workers last year, forcing Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, to raise taxes in the Autumn Budget. A copy of the RMT London Overground branch members' magazine, called Orange Is The New Black, revealed how the ban on loading discounts came about. 'We are aware that some members, including agency colleagues, have been performing this task in isolation. Unfortunately, some have faced disciplinary action for errors made while carrying out a duty strongly advised against by the union,' it said. 'Our stance remains clear: this is not part of the roles we do.' It went on to claim that Arriva Rail London, the Overground operator, had told staff to 'apologise and inform [passengers] that you are unable to do that activity' if asked to add discounts to Oyster cards. This, the newsletter said, only came about following pressure from RMT shop stewards who said it was not part of unionised staff's jobs to help passengers obtain discounts, although a company spokesman denied that such an instruction had been given. Adding Railcard discounts to an Oyster card is only possible if a staff member does it for you, according to the Transport for London (TfL) website. Railcards, such as Two Together or the Network Railcard, typically offer a one-third discount that applies to off-peak train travel. They can be loaded onto an Oyster card so the discount is applied to pay-as-you-go daily fare caps as well as Oyster Travelcard fares. A spokesman for Arriva Rail London said: 'London Overground employees have not been instructed to avoid applying discounts to Oyster cards. It has been acknowledged that this is not part of their job description, therefore we do not expect or request that colleagues undertake this task. 'We know that several colleagues are willing to perform this task for the benefit of our customers. We are therefore making training available for colleagues who wish to undertake this task at certain locations.' Rail union militancy has soared in the past few years, with the Government handing train workers 15 per cent pay rises last summer in an effort to quell ongoing strikes. That move backfired after train drivers, typically the highest paid staff in the industry, banked the backdated pay increases and stopped accepting overtime shifts, triggering cancellations over the winter. Hull Trains has been beset by strikes organised by Aslef, the drivers' union, after one of its members was sacked for falling asleep while driving 125mph long distance services. Internal letters seen by The Telegraph revealed that the individual had a history of doing so, and had been supported by bosses previously. Although a 56-day strike was called by Aslef over the sacking, the effect has been confined to minor disruption to the company's timetables. The RMT did not respond to a request for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- BBC News
Elizabeth Line: New technology shows which carriages are busy
Passengers at some Elizabeth Line stations can now see which carriages are the most full, Transport for London (TfL) has new technology works by displaying live loadweigh data, a calculation on how full a carriage is based on weight and which updates each time a train closes its doors at a station. The data is then shared across various customer information systems, such as next train indicator screens on platforms and apps like TfL Go and National Rail said it will help commuters choose a quieter space for a more comfortable journey and should also help minimise delays. Information is currently included on station screens at Ealing Broadway and Maryland to Brentwood, inclusive, as well as similar screens on London Overground customer information totems are also in use at Custom House, Paddington, and Stratford stations. TfL said these totems will help travellers plan their journeys across London using the various modes of transport available and will also offer onward journey information such as bus and walking will also see detailed service information on these totems in times of disruption to keep them better informed, TfL added.
