Request ID: FOI-1047-2324 Date published: 14 July 2023
You asked
7.7.23 clarification:
Hi There regarding my request where I linked https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/underground_station_timetable_po#outgoing-721280 this request the person requested for the following back in 2017.
I would like to know if there are pdf’s that show the current services
“1.Can I please have copies of the Underground and Overground station panels showing train times/first and last/frequency etc. – these should ideally be correct for changes from 10th December 2017, and excluding the seasonal timetables for the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines. (These used to be on the website pre-Journey Planner, but I would require printable PDF’s or another similar format?) –“
Dear Transport for London,
Hello,
I see you previously responded to a similar request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/underground_station_timetable_po#outgoing-721280 where the person asked for pdf’s of the London Underground timetable posters.
I would like to know if there are current posters available showing service information.
We answered
TfL Ref: 1047-2324
Thank you for your clarified request received by us on 7 July 2023 asking for information about the updated London Underground and London Overground station panels showing timetable information.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
You asked: Can I please have copies of the Underground and Overground station panels showing train times/first and last/frequency etc. – these should ideally be correct for changes from 10th December 2017, and excluding the seasonal timetables for the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines. (These used to be on the website pre-Journey Planner, but I would require printable PDF’s or another similar format?).
I can confirm we do hold the information you require. However, to provide the information you have requested would provide a significant burden to our resources and therefore we are not obliged to provide this information in accordance with section 14 of the FOI Act.
To explain further, for most of our Tube lines, the first and last train posters are the timetable posters – note that for London Overground and the Metropolitan lines, they list out the train times throughout the day. The London Overground posters are route-specific but for all our Underground stations, the posters are station-specific. For some Underground stations, there are two posters per station for e.g. southbound version and northbound version. From checking our records, it appears that for London Underground alone, we have 423 different posters. This number is higher if we include the same for the London Overground and Metropolitan lines.
Therefore in order for us to fulfil your request, we would have to manually collate and send each of these timetables and as such, we consider this to be a disproportionate burden for us to undertake, compared to the benefit of answering the request, therefore we are refusing your request under section 14 of the FOI Act.
Our principal duty is to provide an effective transport service for London and we consider that answering this request would represent a disproportionate effort. It would be a significant distraction from our work managing the TfL network, requiring re-allocation of already limited resources and placing an unacceptable burden on a small number of personnel. We do wish to clarify that whilst we consider that your request falls under section 14(1) of the FOI Act, this does not reflect a conclusion that it has been your intention to deliberately place an undue burden on our resources.
On the specific application of section 14(1) we have been steered by the ICO guidance on the use of that exemption that can be found on its website here:
You will note that this guidance includes the following advice to public authorities:
“Section 14(1) may be used in a variety of circumstances where a request, or its impact on a public authority, cannot be justified. Whilst public authorities should think carefully before refusing a request as vexatious they should not regard section 14(1) as something which is only to be applied in the most extreme circumstances”;
“Sometimes a request may be so patently unreasonable or objectionable that it will obviously be vexatious….In cases where the issue is not clear-cut, the key question to ask is whether the request is likely to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation or distress…This will usually be a matter of objectively judging the evidence of the impact on the authority and weighing this against any evidence about the purpose and value of the request”;
“The public authority may take into account the context and history of the request, where this is relevant”;
“The information Commissioner recognises that dealing with unreasonable requests can place a strain on resources and get in the way of delivering mainstream services or answering legitimate requests.”
“Section 14(1) is designed to protect public authorities by allowing them to refuse any request which have the potential to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation or distress”.
“…the concepts of ‘proportionality’ and ‘justification’ are central to any consideration of whether a request is vexatious”;
The guidance includes some specific indicators to help public authorities judge whether or not a case should be considered vexatious. This includes the following:
“Burden on the authority: the effort required to meet the request will be so grossly oppressive in terms of the strain on time and resources, that the authority cannot reasonably be expected to comply, no matter how legitimate the subject matter or valid the intentions of the requester”;
“Frequent or overlapping requests: the requester submits frequent correspondence about the same issue or sends in new requests before the public authority has had an opportunity to address their earlier enquiries”.
“Disproportionate effort: the matter being pursued by the requester is relatively trivial and the authority would have to extend a disproportionate amount of resources in order to meet the request.”
We may be able to assist you if you ask for the posters for a specific station / a couple of stations.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
