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Category Archives: London Events
One year after opening the Emirates Air Line is bringing jobs and growth to east London
• The Emirates Air Line is successfully supporting regeneration and increasing footfall in Greenwich and Newham
• Since opening customer satisfaction has remained high at 93 out of 100 • The Emirates Air Line will begin a ticketing partnership with The O2 in August
Today marks the first anniversary of passenger services on the UK’s first urban cable car, the Emirates Air Line, and the Mayor says it continues to play a key role in supporting growth and regeneration in east London.
Since opening, the Emirates Air Line, connecting Greenwich and the Royal Docks, has flown over 2.4 million passengers across the Thames and customer satisfaction remains consistently high. Today Transport for London (TfL) confirmed that it is working with AEG Europe, the owners of The O2, to make Emirates Air Line boarding passes available on The O2 website from August. That means passengers will be able to buy e-tickets for a flight on the Emirates Air Line at the same time as they book their visit to The O2, or their Thames Clipper travel.
The Emirates Air Line was built to support current and future regeneration in east London and the balance between leisure users and regular users will change as this takes place. The popularity amongst leisure users means the Emirates Air Line is covering its costs while encouraging people to visit Greenwich and the Royal Docks. Passengers surveyed since the scheme opened have given the Emirates Air Line an average score of 93 out of 100, for both overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the service to others.
Regeneration of the area is already well underway as illustrated this month when the Mayor of London announced a £1.5bn deal with the Silvertown Partnership to transform Silvertown Quays in London’s Royal Docks into an innovative new quarter that will be able to accommodate more than 1,500 new homes, restaurants, cafes, galleries and leisure facilities both on and off the water, making it a thriving destination for Londoners and visitors to live, work and enjoy. Work on the first phase of the site is expected to begin in 2014/15.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The Emirates Air Line is doing exactly what it set out to do and supporting regeneration of an area with huge potential to provide new jobs and homes. The £1.5bn deal to transform the Silvertown Quays in London’s Royal Docks is a superb illustration of how providing new transport links like the cable car can be the perfect spur for economic growth.
“As the customer satisfaction scores show, Londoners and visitors from around the world thoroughly enjoy using this innovative transport experience and the new and exciting Emirates Aviation Experience opening in July next to the Greenwich terminal will be yet another fantastic reason to visit this rapidly developing area of London.”
Greenwich will soon be welcoming the arrival of the Emirates Aviation Experience, just next to the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula terminal, and the Emirates Royal Docks terminal will see the world’s oldest and only complete steamship – The SS Robin moored close by and open to visitors in 2014. Other exciting developments coming to the area include a new 452 room hotel next to The O2 with residential apartments in 2015. All of this development will directly benefit from the convenient and direct river crossing the Emirates Air Line provides.
TfL’s Head of the Emirates Air Line, Danny Price, said: “The Emirates Air Line is a great success – not only has it reached over 2.4 million passenger journeys already it is also covering costs and generating revenue for local businesses.
“We are delighted to be working closely with The O2, the partnership is another move towards promoting the Greenwich Peninsula as a destination location and provides customers with a convenient way to plan and book their visit. We will continue to work with the new and existing visitor attractions in the neighbouring areas to help to stimulate growth.”
The O2’s Director of Transport Strategy, Geoff Symonds, said: “The Emirates Air Line has been a resounding success on the Greenwich Peninsula and has contributed to record footfall at The O2 over the last year. The O2 welcomes the opportunity to work closely with TfL to promote the Greenwich Peninsula as a destination and provide a seamless ticketing solution for our customers. We hope this
partnership will introduce new customers to the Emirates Air Line and provide another great experience for customers coming to The O2.”
To celebrate the anniversary the Emirates Air Line has teamed up with rapper Lethal Bizzle, magician Magical Bones, rock band Don Broco and singer Passenger to offer MetroTravel readers the chance to win exclusive performances from the acts in private cabins 90 metres above the River Thames.
TfL announces shortlist of bidders to run Crossrail services
Transport for London (TfL) today announced the names of the companies shortlisted to bid to run Crossrail services.
The bidders are:· Arriva Crossrail Limited· Keolis/Go Ahead· MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited· National Express Group PLC
The Invitation to Tender is due to be issued in September and an operator will be appointed at the end of 2014. The successful train operator will start running the first services from May 2015 between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, taking over the stopping services currently operated by Greater Anglia.
The route through Canary Wharf, the City and the West End will open in late 2018, with the full route running in 2019. Howard Smith, Crossrail Director of Operations, said: “We are a step closer to appointing an operator for Crossrail. As our population grows faster than forecast, the case for stable and sustained investment in London’s transport network has never been stronger. Crossrail will help cut journey times across the city and will achieve internationally recognised high standards of reliability, train frequency and customer service. Crossrail will make it easier for people travelling across the capital, helping create jobs and supporting growth and regeneration along the route.”
When the Crossrail services are fully operational they will increase rail based transport in the capital by 10 per cent and along with the Tube upgrade ensure we can continue to move people efficiently around London.Crossrail will set the benchmark for passenger experience for European metro services. It will be integrated as part of the TfL network providing a fast, frequent service linking the east and west and relieving congestion on some of the busiest Tube lines.
Passengers using Crossrail will see reduced journey times and the new stations will be integrated with existing London Underground, DLR and National Rail stations making it easy for passengers to change between services.
Truck Stop
Largest collection of quality food trucks ever assembled in London. Plus cocktails, gin bar, Camden Town brewery beers.
The Truck Stop convoy rolls into town on 4th & 5th July and will feature the largest collection of quality food trucks ever assembled in London.
Alongside the UK’s best food trucks, there will be a craft beer bar, a roadside diner, a Camden Town Brewery keg party with a Rotary Smoke barbecue pit, a taco shack, a ‘secret’ Gin Bar and the Rotary cocktail bar; all packed onto the waterfront at Wood Wharf with live music and tons of seating and eating.
Tickets for Truck Stop are £10. When you arrive at Truck Stop you can trade your ticket in for 10 Truck Stop dollars which you can spend at any of our cocktail and craft beer bars.
TRUCK STOP
4TH & 5TH JULY – 5PM TO 11PM
WOOD WHARF
CANARY WHARF, E14 9SB
New school rate on the Emirates Air Line means pupils can swap classrooms for high flying cabins
Pupils from school years 1 to 11 can travel on the Emirates Air Line for just £1 when in a school group History, science or design and technology can be learnt 90 metres above the River Thames on the Emirates Air Line Transport for London (TfL) has today announced a new school rate for pupils from school years 1 to 11 travelling on the Emirates Air Line in a school group. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has approved TfL plans which mean schools in all of the London Boroughs can book a return journey on the Emirates Air Line for just £1 per student. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said: “What better way to learn about our city’s fascinating history than by travelling at 90 metres above the Thames on the Emirates Air Line, marvelling at its sleek design, whilst our fine capital unfolds underneath?. I am delighted that with the introduction of this special rate even more children can now enjoy one of London’s transporting triumphs!” Danny Price, TfL’s Head of the Emirates Air Line said: “We have introduced the Emirates Air Line school rate with the Mayor of London because we want to inspire young people and encourage learning about the scheme as a new urban transport experience in London. The Emirates Air Line is supporting regeneration and playing a vital role in attracting investment to the area so it is important that young people, as the future users and designers of transport, can benefit and be a part of that.” TfL’s London Transport Museum has been working closely with schools to support exciting lesson plans for all ages. The Emirates Air Line offers teachers a vast array of subject areas to choose from if they want to have a lesson in a cabin or include a visit to the Emirates Air Line as part of a school trip to the area. Pupils can learn about the history of south and east London and the Olympic Legacy, the areas on-going regeneration and sustainability and the art, design and technology behind the Emirates Air Line. Last week pupils from Sherington Primary School in Greenwich and Royal Docks Community School in Newham visited the Emirates Air Line. Diane Atkinson, Head Teacher of Sherington Primary School in Greenwich said: “The journey on the Emirates Air Line was an amazing opportunity for our children as part of their study of the local area. There are spectacular, unique aerial views of the river and surrounding landscape. The trip provided a perfect opportunity to study and discuss land use and the children had an exciting adventure on this unusual form of transport.” Schools may also want to visit The O2 which is close to the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula Terminal and has the British Music Experience, an interactive exhibition about British music history. The Crystal – a sustainable cities initiative by Siemens is next to the Emirates Royal Docks Terminal and is a great place for pupils to learn about innovative technologies that are driving future trends for a more sustainable world.
TwentyTwelve spin-off in the pipeline reuniting hapless Olympics planning team
BBC comedy chiefs are plotting a spin-off of Bafta-nominated Olympic mockumentary TwentyTwelve.
They hope to reunite the core team of hapless PRs including Jessica Hynes as Siobhan Sharpe, Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher, Olivia Colman as his PA Sally and Amelia Bulmore as Kay Hope.
A BBC insider said: “There is a real desire for this to happen.
“The show was such a fantastic success and writer John Morton is a genius, such a massive talent.
“It would be so great to get the team together again.”
Plans are in their early stages, with the spin-off likely to see dithering Fletcher taking on another major national project and hiring back his Olympic colleagues to help him out.
In the show, made in the style of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, Ian headed up the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission while Siobhan, who has her own PR company Perfect Curve, was head of brand.
One of the highlights was the development of a travel strategy – called Way to Go – in which pedestrians were banned from pavements.
Morton has indicated that a follow-up comedy could be possible, given the right circumstances. He said: “There’s been some talk about whether there can be a life post-Olympics and it’s tempting because I’d love to work with those actors again.”
The BBC2 series received widespread critical acclaim when it was shown in the run-up to the Olympics last year.
Viewers loved that many of the comedy’s ideas – such as problems with the countdown clock, complaints from animal rights organisations and a bell-ringing competition to mark the start of the Games – were echoed in real life.
Tomorrow Bonneville, Hynes and Colman will find out if they have won a Bafta for their individual performances, while the show is also nominated in the sitcom category.
TwentyTwelve has already been named best comedy by the Royal Television Society and won best sitcom at the Comedy Awards.
Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Duchess of Cambridge visit Baker Street Underground station as LU celebrates 150 years of serving London·
The Royal Party meet Tube staff and take a closer look at London Underground’s historic and future fleet· New S-stock train named “Queen Elizabeth II”
Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge visited Baker Street Underground station today (Wednesday 20th March) as part of a visit to mark the 150 th anniversary of London Underground (LU). As part of the visit, Her Majesty and Their Royal Highnesses met a cross-section of the staff who keep London moving every day including those who work on stations, trains and maintenance.
The Royal Party were also shown examples of LU’s past and future, firstly viewing the Metropolitan Railway Jubilee Carriage No 353, the oldest operational underground carriage in existence and used recently on a steam run to commemorate the 150 th anniversary. They went on to have a closer look at one of the new walk through air conditioned Tube trains which are being introduced on 40 per cent of the network, followed by Her Majesty unveiling a plaque naming the train “Queen Elizabeth II”.
Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground & London Rail, said: “Today’s visit was a huge privilege, helping us mark the 150 th anniversary of London Underground as well as recognising some of the staff who work tirelessly to keep London moving. It not only acknowledged our illustrious past but also the need to look to the future. “We are continually improving the network and our passengers are seeing the benefits including more frequent and reliable services on the Jubilee and Victoria lines and new trains now serving the Metropolitan line, which will be rolled out to 40 per cent of our network. The key to continuing this success, and supporting the economy of London and the UK, is sustained investment to enable us to provide a network fit for the next 150 years.” As part of the visit the Royal Party were also introduced to the team that restored the heritage carriage, as well as to representatives of the Railway Children charity.
Olympic Park Tour
Overview
Take an exciting behind-the-scenes tour and see how the Olympic Park is being transformed into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
From the moment you arrive, you’ll be part of the Onsite Team and will be issued with safety workwear. You’ll enjoy an exclusive “backstage” tour, including a bus trip into the Park and a journey up the UK’s tallest sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, with a chance to take in amazing views of the London skyline.
From the top of the sculpture you can see St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard, Canary Wharf and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. On a clear day, Wembley Stadium is visible to the north and Crystal Palace to the south.
The Park In Progress Tour is a journey through the Park’s past, present and future. You’ll gain an insight into future plans from a spectacular vantage point – the first opportunity to see what lies ahead.
Celebrating the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the tour is a chance to find out about the evolution of the Park’s iconic sporting venues and parklands into London’s newest destination.
Every day will give a different view as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park takes shape and gets ready to open to the public from summer 2013.
The tour begins from the Park In Progress Site Office, which is a short walk from Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station.