Transport for London

Transport for London (TfL) is the integrated transport authority for the Capital, providing:

London Underground – London’s metro system, delivering more than 3.5 million passenger journeys a day. It has 11 lines covering 402km and serving 270 stations. During peak hours, more than 500 trains are in operation.

Surface Transport – London Buses, the TfL Road Network, maintenance of London’s traffic operations, including 6,000 traffic signals, licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles, London river services, Victoria Coach Station, Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone, Dial a Ride and Barclays Cycle Hire).

London Rail – Tramlink, the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, the Emirates Air Line and the development of Crossrail.

TfL has assessed and evaluated the future climate impacts on its assets and services, referencing the latest generation of climate projections, the 2009 United Kingdom Climate Projections (UKCP 09). There are a number of elements of London’s transport network that have the potential to be affected by weather related events, such as flooding, overheating, low temperatures and snow.

  • The TfL functions which are most likely to be affected by climate change include:
    • Those relating to the provision of public passenger transport including tube, rail, bus and river services
    • Functions as Highway Authority and Traffic Authority for GLA roads
    • Facilitation of the discharge of the Mayor’s general transport duty (which is a duty to develop policies and proposals for the implementation of safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport services to, from and within Greater London)
    • Implementation of the policies and proposals contained in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, in particular proposals which relate to adaptation to climate change

TfL has a well developed risk assessment and management process and has plans in place for managing resilience to today’s extreme weather events and planning for adaptation to those that climate change will bring. It is particularly considering these through its asset management programme and in the design of construction such as Crossrail.

Helen coordinates TfL’s environmental management activities. She brings together common programmes and reports on performance by a wide range of TfL departments and professionals. Helen Was responsible for delivering the TfL’s weather-related risk review in 2011 and produced the report for the Defra Adaptation Reporting Power.