FOI request detail

Why is 'Thameslink' the only 1 of London's 14 National Rail lines to be featured on (TfL's) Tube Map?

Request ID: FOI-1568-2223
Date published: 04 October 2022

You asked

Thanks for your recent answer on my FOI's enquiry about Thameslink that I asked you, just wanted to clear one more question that I had. As we discussed, the Thameslink line had been re-added after 22 years to the Tube Map in Dec 2020 to help provide alternative routes during the Covid-19 Pandemic & also helps with Step-free accessibility. Now that even the Northern Line's Bank branch upgrades have been completed, the Thameslink line appears to continue appearing on TfL's tube map for the foreseeable future. This just made me have 1 question: why was it that only the Thameslink Railway was chosen to be the 1 Train-operating company whose London Services have been shown on the Tube Map (of TfL)? [technically the London Overground & Elizabeth Line (formerly TfL Rail) also count as National Rail but they're operated by TfL and so, make sense for being on the Tube Map, but Thameslink is owned & run by a private company]. If we look at the London's Rail & Tube Services maps of today, we can see that London has a total of 14 National Railway Lines/ Operators (Train Operating Companies) that serve the Capital, so why was it that Thameslink was chosen as the 1 & only National Rail line to be shown on the Tube Map (rather than say Gatwick Express, or Southern Rail, or Chiltern Railways, etc.) instead? In other words, what made the Thameslink line stand out from the other 13 National Rail Operators of London? Was it because it was already shown in Tube Map's history back in the day between 1987-98 (for reasons I am not sure either)? The 14 National Rail lines are: • Chiltern Railways • c2c • East Midlands Railway • Gatwick Express • Great Northern • Great Western Railway • Greater Anglia • Heathrow Express (not technically part of National Rail) • London Northwestern Railway • South Western Railway • Southeastern • Southeastern high speed • Southern • Thameslink + International Rail services from St. Pancras International via Stratford International station.

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-1568-2223

Thank you for your request received by us on 3 October 2022, asking why Thameslink is the only National Rail line featured on the tube map.

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

Thameslink has been added to the tube map as it operates a through-London service, and highlighting this gives Londoners more options, as well as accepting pay as you go ticketing. 

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

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