Transport for London (TfL) has made a change to its TfL Go app so that it now greys out sections of the live Tube map that are closed due to engineering works or unplanned disruption.
That makes it easier to glance at the tube map on a smartphone and see what lines are running normally and plan a route around any grey zones that are best avoided. For example, at the moment, parts of the Bakerloo line and London Overground are closed for engineering works, so they show up in the smartphone app as greyed out on the tube map.
Screenshot from the TfL Go app
Alongside that, the step-free information on TfL’s in-station tube status displays has recently been improved to make it easier for customers to see when there is no step-free access at stations. The step-free information is also being provided at a line, direction and platform level, making it easier to plan a journey on the tube.
Ben Gammon, Head of Digital at TfL, said: “These latest updates to the TfL Go app and our in-station digital displays will further help customers see more easily if there are any delays on Tube or TfL rail services. By providing up-to-date information on journeys, as well as detailed accessibility information, we can help make it easier for customers to move around the city.”
The free TfL Go app has been downloaded more than four million times since it launched in late 2020, was developed in-house by TfL and provides real-time information for buses, trams, Tube and TfL rail services, as well as offering walking and cycling options across London.
The app is available here.
Earlier this year, TfL added fares information into the journey planner feature within TfL Go and last year TfL added real-time information on how busy London Underground stations were at any particular point of the day, using aggregated and depersonalised data from TfL’s WiFi network.
Is TfL Go the best app for tube info?
I continue to use Tube Assistant on Android to plan journeys, despite it being abandoned years ago and hence doesn’t include live status, nor an updated map with the Elizabeth Line.
Only about 10mb storage used, very clean design, it tells me how long each leg of my journey is, and it tells me which part of the train is adjacent to the platform exit I need – an invaluable feature for me.
Personally I use Tube Map by Mapway, which is regularly updated. Sadly a recently update removed the old fun facts and station maps which were interesting. You can pay to remove ads and view info such as carriage(s) closest to platform exit.
The ‘TfL Service Status’ app for Android by gomobilenow gives very easily read live status information of all rail services in London plus news of weekend closures.