TfL has, just in time for the launch, released its latest tube map which now includes the Elizabeth line, along with a new sponsor and the London Overground extension.

New tube map (c) TfL

As with other mainline sized services, the Elizabeth line appears on the tube map as a double purple line rather than a solid line to differentiate the Elizabeth line as a new railway as opposed to a London Underground line.

The Elizabeth line will initially run 12 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood, Monday to Saturday. New stations are now in the final stages of preparations ahead of opening to customers including signage and customer information. The existing TfL Rail lines from Paddington to Heathrow and Reading, and from Liverpool Street to Shenfield become rebranded as part of the Elizabeth line from day one of opening and are also displayed on the map in Elizabeth line purple. Customers will initially be required to change at Paddington and Liverpool Street to access Elizabeth line services in the new central section.

The free TfL Go app will be updated to show the route as well as full accessibility information for users from launch day. Apps that use TfL’s open data feed will show new station locations and entrances.

The map has also been totally rebuilt, as usually they tweak a bit here and there, and overlaying the two highlights the changes, but this time pretty much every part of the map has had to change to fit the Elizabeth line onto the space. Also, at the moment, some of the joints are overly complicated by the splitting of the Elizabeth line at Paddington and Liverpool Street, which will be fixed at the end of this year.

New tube map (c) TfL

Away from the Elizabeth line, the new Barking Riverside station on the London Overground extension has also been added to the map, although it’s not due to open until later this year.

New tube map (c) TfL

The front cover of the updated pocket Tube map has been created by London-based artist, Joy Labinjo. Her original artwork, titled ‘Twist Out’, captures an intimate mother-daughter routine as a mother is seen preparing her daughter’s hair for a ‘twist out’ hairstyle, drawing on the artist’s life experiences and memories as a British-Nigerian woman.

New tube map cover (c) TfL

The new Tube map will also be sponsored by IKEA for the next 12 months, with markers showing the nearest public transport options to their stores. That means then that there’s still a sponsor’s name next to the London Cable Car, just not the Emirate’s one anymore.

New tube map (c) TfL

There’s also a dagger change for Heathrow Terminal 4 saying that it reopens next month, and South Kensington station’s Piccadilly line platforms, which have been closed for escalator replacement works are also now due to reopen next month. Also, East Acton station works which were due to be completed about now, have been changed to being completed in the autumn instead.

New tube map (c) TfL

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16 comments
  1. Brian Butterworth says:

    It is interesting that they’ve dropped the Liz Line link to Barbican on the map, even though you find one of the Farringdon Liz Line exit there.

    • ChrisC says:

      Explantion here

      https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/building-the-elizabeth-line-in-photos-54622/

      “The Farringdon station reaches almost to the Barbican tube station, but in the end, they decided not the link the two. However, there was a need during construction for a shaft to be dug down, so afterwards, they put in a lift. It’s only on the westbound platform on the Barbican and will not appear on a map, but it’s there for you to say you’ve used it at least once.”

  2. Mike says:

    Probably need a dagger for the Tottenham Hale Ikea – its planned to be closed!

  3. Basil Jet says:

    The IKEA logo on Tottenham Hale is hilarious. I’m now picturing someone walking a mile and a half with a dinner table balanced on their head. Silver Street overground station is a lot nearer to the IKEA.

    I hope McDonalds or Starbucks don’t sponsor the next tube map, or we’ll have a logo on nearly every station.

    • Brian Butterworth says:

      In fact it’s *Meridian Water* station is right outside Ikea. There is train direct from Tottenham Hale but it’s not on the Tube Map.

  4. Steve says:

    Not overly impressed with Woolwich rejig. The Arsenal DLR sration is integrated into the NR station so not sure why connected by the solid line and it looks Messy,but The same is used all tube NR Thames link interchanges… But Not for the Crossrail connections.

  5. Dan says:

    The whole things is a bloody mess.
    Bakerloo at Paddington – look all the way down the right 45 degree interchange to find the name; do the same at Liverpool Street for the Overground/Crossrail and you’re arriving at Moorgate, not Liverpool Street.
    Euston – just eugh!
    Finsbury Park – the Piccadilly blends too well into the accessible symbol so looks like it just passes striaght through.
    An extra kink for the Central to get it from Bethnal Green to Mile End – TfL obviously don’t care too much for geographical accuracy (see Nunhead) then it could have easily been shifted to the east of the Overground.
    There are many squashed stations that make you look again to work out where you are – Canary Wharf or West India Quay? Tottenham Court Road or Goodge Street

    Kennington however is probably the only bit that’s improved.

  6. Jon says:

    Is that the same map that was printed in 2018 diaries? 🤣

  7. JohnC says:

    I guess it has to be repeated ad nauseam. The Tube map is not and has not been since Beck’s first version in 1933 a geographical representation.

  8. James Bond says:

    The inclusion of the Elizabeth Line is right and proper, after all it is a TfL service along with the Underground, The DLR and the trams in south London. However Harry Beck’s iconic map is cluttered. Now the refurbished Bank branch of the Northern Line has re-opened it is time to delete the Thameslink lines. They are not part of TfL!

  9. Maurice Reed says:

    If any of you think you can do a better job then do one and submit it to TFL 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  10. Dan Coleman says:

    Oh dear. What an utter mess.

  11. Gerry says:

    @ Dan

    Strangely, the version of the Tube Map on the TfL website has scores of differences compared to Ian’s version, although they’re both dated May 2022. Some of the points Dan mentions seem to have been addressed to some extent, but Thameslink between the Elephant and Kentish Town is unnecessarily twisty.

    Sadly, both versions still omit the Great Northern line that provides a direct link from Moorgate and Old Street to Highbury & Islington and Finsbury Park.

    Let’s hope that the next version when the Crossrail branches have been joined up will be clearer.

    Just to make things even more interesting, London’s Rail and Tube Map has even more variations. It’s generally clearer (although at the expense of omitting Step Free info), it no longer shows the Chiltern line as serving Essex, but it suggests Crossrail calls at West India Quay and it omits the Crossrail connection at Moorgate !

  12. Chris Rogers says:

    Hmm odd it wasnt on TFL’s site when I looked. Tho I now see that it’s not in alpha order with the tube lines but in alpha order of the rail ones which come below the former. And it’s NOT the double line sugegsted but a single solid one. And why the heck does it seems to go thru a station ‘dot’ that is neither Canary Wharf (which it actually does) nor West India Quay? That will confuse the hell out of people.

  13. Bones of Jones says:

    The map has become a complete mess over the years.

    1)
    The positioning of some key station names are wrong.
    EG Oxford Circus have each word on different lines.
    EG Liverpool Street Station should be moved to above the H&C line (redrawing the central line to make space)
    EG Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street are confusingly close

    Part of the problem is the need to distinguish which lines allow step-free access from street to platform, and which allow street to train.

    This results in multiple circle symbols to show a single station on the map. This contravenes the simplicity of the original concept of the map by breeding monster stations with multiple circle symbols.

    Perhaps TFL should have two maps, one for simplicity for the general traveller, and one for step-free access. Both maps could be presented side-by-side at stations?

  14. jianzen says:

    I’m hoping there’ll be a walking connection between Oxford Circus and Bond Street Lizzie when it opens, so to provide the east Bakerloo and Vicky connections. Also noticed that Canary Wharf Jubilee is now only walking connected to Canary Wharf DLR and not Heron Quays DLR? Maybe to prevent a real monstrosity of walking connections on the Isle of Dogs.

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