TfL Ref: FOI-0113-2324

Thank you for your request which we received on 11 April 2024.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You specifically asked: 

1. May I please have a copy of any policy/guidance documents for LUCC to follow when writing service status messages for a line or mode.

The attached guidance is the current version of TfL’s customer facing language. We are guided by this document when we compose our customer messages. When we advertise delays, the information is available to station staff via our intranet they use this to compose public service (PA) announcements, whiteboard messages, etc. They are not precluded from using any of the phrases and in fact we expect everyone to use the same messages to give the customer confidence in the consistency of our messages.

2. For a previously fulfilled request (FOI-1999-1920), you provided the service status matrix for each of the London Underground lines. May I please have the equivalent for the other TfL modes that have such a matrix, namely the Elizabeth line, London Overground, the Dockland Light Railway, Trams, and the Cable Car.

Please find the service status matrix attached for the Elizabeth Line, London Overground, DLR and Trams. The Cable Car does not advertise intermediate service levels, the system is either open and operational or not (suspended due to high winds or a tall ship).

3. If any such list exists, may I please have a list of reasons that LUCC or LU-managed stations are prohibited from advertising as the reason for disruption/closures, or have any additional restrictions, despite them being available in any of the lists requested in parts 4-6 below.

4. May I please have a list, preferably in CSV format but others are acceptable, of the pre-defined list of reasons that LUCC can use to advertise a particular line/mode as disrupted in the service status - e.g. "due to train cancellations".

5. If it differs from the list in part 4, may I please have the pre-defined list of reasons that LUCC can use when advertising a station as (part-) closed on the TfL website/TfL Go app/TrackerNet API - e.g. "unavailability of station staff".

6. If it differs from the lists in parts 4 or 5, may I please have the pre-defined list of reasons that LUL-managed stations have in the form of PA segments when creating recurring service update PAs to play in their station.

In respone to your four questions above, there is no centrally held database of PA segments due to the different systems used at TfL stations. Station management systems were installed at various times, depending on when they were refurbished so the technical specifications vary. The PAs are controlled locally rather than centrally but we expect them to mirror the same reasons as are used on the network level messaging.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. 

Yours sincerely

Eva Hextall 

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London