Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall paid a visit to the London Transport Museum today to kick off Transport for London's 20th-anniversary celebrations.
The couple arrived from Clarence House with TfL Commissioner Mike Brown MVO on one of London's new electric buses. They were welcomed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and met a wide range of TfL staff responsible for keeping London moving every day.
Transport for London was set up in 2000 to bring London's transport together under one body. Since then, TfL has grown and improved London's transport to help support jobs and economic growth,
Throughout the past 20 years, TfL has:
- modernised vast swathes of the London Underground network, transforming the world's first metro system with rebuilt stations and new trains and signalling systems;
- transformed some formerly under-utilised and shabby orbital rail lines into the popular and reliable London Overground network;
- improved the ease with which people pay to travel – first with the Oyster card and more recently with contactless payment;
- helped London become a 24-hour city and boosted its economy after introducing Night Tube and Night Overground services;
- improved air quality for Londoners by introducing the world's first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone;
- established the largest, most accessible and greenest bus fleet in Europe;
- led London's cycling revolution, with London's cycle hire scheme and a network of safe cycle lanes and new safer junctions having been created across the city;
- boosted accessibility across the transport network, from increasing step-free access to the introduction of the now instantly recognisable Baby on Board and Please Offer Me A Seat badges.
His Royal Highness unveiled a TfL20 plaque to commemorate the visit. The couple was also presented with personalised “Prince of Wales” and “Duchess of Cornwall” roundels by London's Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown MVO.
What did the officials say?
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said:
“London has one of the best public transport systems in the world and Transport for London staff have worked tirelessly to further improve our network over the past 20 years.
“I'm delighted that HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in style aboard one of our electric buses, and it was a real pleasure to talk to them about TfL's achievements and future plans.
“With the Elizabeth Line, expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone and introduction of the world-first Direct Vision Standard all planned in the next couple of years alone, I'm sure Transport for London will continue to lead the way globally in the decades to come.”
Mike Brown MVO, London's Transport Commissioner, said:
“It was a privilege to host Their Royal Highnesses and introduce them to some of the women and men who throughout the past twenty years have kept London moving and made this city better, cleaner and safer for everyone.
“Our people have overseen some huge achievements since our creation at the start of the century against a backdrop of record-breaking customer numbers. Sustained investment in London's transport infrastructure has been vital in helping create a modernised Underground and rail, bus and road network which benefits businesses and the millions of people travelling across the capital every day.
“We face more challenges during the next twenty years and beyond, including meeting the needs of our ever-growing population, which we must respond to so that transport continues to support the growth and success of London.”
Hannah Resnick, Apprentice Project Manager at Transport for London, who met The Royal Highnesses, said:
As an Apprentice Project Manager at TfL, I have had the opportunity to build my professional network, develop my confidence and gain experience working in a fast-paced environment. I've been responsible for managing installations of state-of-the-art ticketing equipment across our network, as well as working on the Northern Line Extension and the upgrade of one of our oldest Depots at Neasden.
“TfL also has a Committee for Graduates and Apprentices, which I had the pleasure of acting as Chair for. With consistent support around me, I have achieved my qualifications and met other like-minded people, travelling on this exciting journey together, and it's great to be able to share this story with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today.”
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