Extra late-night trains will run from the capital from Wednesday to help people pay their respects to the Queen, as Transport for London predicted the late monarch’s funeral would be a bigger logistical challenge for public transport than the 2012 Olympics.
TfL has set up a dedicated command centre and enlisted a large number of volunteers from its ranks as it anticipates handling more than 1 million people travelling to attend the lying in state of the Queen in Westminster Hall and her funeral.
The Elizabeth line will run on a Sunday for the first time, almost two months before its planned seven-day opening, as both a tribute and additional capacity for people gathering in London.
TfL’s commissioner, Andy Byford, said: “I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is the biggest challenge TfL has ever faced – bigger even than the Olympics. We must rise to this challenge.”
National rail operators will offer additional night trains – although the services will be drop-off only and limited to major commuter routes out of the city.
A Network Rail spokesperson said customers should check journey planners and operators’ websites, as the additional services would not be widely advertised. Some engineering work has also been postponed to help trains run.
South Western, Southeastern and Greater Anglia are among operators expected to lay on limited night trains this week, when mourners will be able to queue to view the Queen’s coffin throughout the night.
No more intercity services will be added on other mainlines. Avanti West Coast, which operates trains between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, has failed to run a normal schedule for a month. However, industry sources said there remained ample capacity on most other operators’ services to the capital.
A normal weekday timetable is expected to run next Monday for the Queen’s funeral, rather than the reduced bank holiday schedule.
Passenger numbers across the UK were up by about 8% on Monday compared with a week ago, according to Network Rail, as people travelled to Edinburgh and London to mark the passing of the monarch.
TfL said Tube passenger numbers were up 7% from last week, and warned customers of “unprecedented demand” from Wednesday, with mourners expected to have to queue for up to 12 hours for the Westminster lying in state.
Stations near Buckingham Palace are exceptionally busy, and TfL has urged passengers to avoid Green Park if possible. Hyde Park Corner was used by almost 50% more people on Monday than before the Covid crisis.
Roads in central London are also expected to be busier, and TfL said people should avoid driving. Special “travel ambassadors”, as deployed during the 2012 Olympics, would be out across the public transport network to advise passengers.
Byford said TfL was implementing longstanding plans with the help of Network Rail, the Metropolitan police and the Greater London Authority.
Byford said: “My rallying call to TfL was, ‘The Queen was there for us in May’,” when she officially opened the Elizabeth line. “We now need to be there for her.”
Despite ongoing disputes involving TfL and national rail staff, unions have called off planned strikes and responded to requests for full cooperation during an exceptional time. Byford said: “They all wrote back and said ‘without qualification, you got it’.”
He added: “We’ve asked everyone to consider being a volunteer and we’ve been overwhelmed with the response. It’s a huge logistical exercise, we’ve got to keep people moving and to keep them safe and informed.”
Meanwhile, Heathrow flights will be rerouted or delayed to stop aircraft noise disrupting the ceremonial processions before the Queen’s lying in state and during her funeral.
The airport, whose flight paths for landing normally cross the capital, said some flights would be affected on Wednesday afternoon between 1.50pm-3.40pm to ensure silence as the coffin travels from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
A spokesperson said passengers would be notified by airlines of any changes. More were expected on Monday, with the Queen’s final resting place of Windsor also afflicted by aircraft noise.
