Editorial style guide

Do not use this term

See also disability

Spell out on first mention in body text, including the abbreviation or acronym in brackets. Use upper case for all abbreviations and acronyms (except TfL and the Met): LU; BBC; RMT

After the first mention, always use the abbreviation or acronym: United Nations (UN). If the possessive is used, the abbreviation must also be possessive in the first mention: Transport for London's (TfL's)

If a term is only used once in a document, you don't need to include the abbreviation afterwards

Do not use full stops or include spaces between initials: TfL; BBC; mph; eg; No 10; WH Smith etc

Use 'm' (for millions) and 'bn' (for billions) for sums of money and measurable quantities: £10bn; 1bn litres of water. However, spell out for people and countable nouns: three billion commuters; 10 billion tickets

Use 'km' for kilometres with numbers 10 and above. Use 'kilometres' in full where numbers are spelled out in full. For example, 'three kilometres' and '12km'

Use lower case for standard measurements: kg; km; lb; mph but use upper case for KB; GB; MB

Exception: Spell out metres to prevent confusion with abbreviation for million

Note: 1) Do not include a space between the number and the unit: 20km; 50kph; 100KB

2) Never add an 's' to measurements: 20km, not 20kms

Use lower case for ie and eg, but avoid using these terms altogether where possible. Use 'that is' or 'for example' instead

Online exception:

There are a few recognisable acronyms that we do not always spell out in full in the first mention. These include TfL, DLR, DVLA and BBC

Try to avoid acronyms that are not immediately recognisable

On words commonly accepted as English, use only when they make a difference to pronunciation: cliché, exposé

Foreign words should be given their accents

The ease with which all passengers can gain access to our services 

See also disabled access

Online exception:

Specify whether you are referring to transport accessibility or website accessibility in every case

Always write out addresses as follows:
TfL Customer Service
4th Floor
14 Pier Walk
London SE10 0ES

See also contact details and phone numbers

Include a hyphen when using adjectivally. Example: I need to buy an adult-rate ticket

adult-rate season ticket

adult-rate Travelcard

adverbs

Do not use a hyphen after adverbs ending with '-ly'. Example: rapidly growing economy, carefully crafted answer

adviser

Not advisor

aeroplane

Not airplane

age

under-16s (n): Under-16s
under 16 (adj): If you are under 16 

over-60s (n): Over-60s
over 60 (adj): If you are over 60

XX-years-old

See also older people and youngsters

Americanisms

Favour British spelling and phrases: programme, not program (except for computer programs); realise, not realize; centre, not center. The only exception is proper nouns: World Trade Center; US Defense Department

among

Not amongst

ampersand (&)

Use only when included as part of a proper name: Hammersmith & City line; Waterloo & City line; Elephant & Castle station

Do not use as an abbreviation in titles or text, except in page titles on our website

Online exception:

We use the ampersand in headings that appear in site navigation and in some teasers where space is restricted. We never use the ampersand in text unless it is a recognised title or brand such as Hammersmith & Fulham or Marks & Spencer

anticipate

antisocial

Not anti-social

Asian communities

Use when referring to Chinese, Far East Asian, Indian, Japanese and Pakistani communities. If referring to an individual, it should be used as an adjective, not a noun: an Asian woman, not an Asian; Asian people, not Asians

Note: The term Oriental should not be used

See also race and ethnicity

bank holiday

Always use lower case except when referring to a specific (named) day: August Bank Holiday

Use only when referring specifically to bank holidays, otherwise use the more general term 'public holiday'

See also public holiday

Use 'bn' for sums of money and measurable quantities: £10bn; 1bn litres of water

Note: Do not include a space between the number and the unit: £1bn; £20bn

Spell out for people and countable nouns: three billion commuters; 10 billion tickets

See also numbers

Black, Asian and minority ethnic 

Spell out whenever space allows, rather than using BAME

Upper case 'Black' and 'Asian'

See also race and ethnicity

black cab

Use 'taxi' instead

Note: Black cab can be referred to at the first mention of 'taxi' if it is helpful to readers: we license taxi (black cab) services in London

blind

This term implies total sight loss. Consider using vision-impaired person/passengers etc if referring to people with some sight loss

Note: It is acceptable to use specific terms such as blind or partially sighted if it is relevant to the topic

See also disability

borough

Use lower case unless referring to a specific (named) borough: London boroughs; the London Borough of Brent

Borough Spending Plans (BSPs)

Do not use. Now the Local Implementation Plans (LIPs)

brand names

Our products and brands should follow this style guide to ensure consistency: Oyster card, not Oystercard; Congestion Charge, not Congestion charge

For other brands, do not use design or typographical elements that, in effect, turn a name or brand into a logo. This is to prevent confusion, especially for visually impaired readers

Do not use the ©, ® or ™ symbols unless legally required to

However in print and online, where a recognised brand includes a capital letter in the middle or a lowercase at the beginning, we usually retain those styles. For example, LinkedIn, YouTube and easyJet

British Transport Police (BTP)

Like 'police', the BTP should be treated as a collective noun and followed by a plural verb: the BTP are not the BTP is

See also police

bulleted lists

Start each point with a capital letter but do not use any punctuation at the end (not even at the end of the final point)

buses

Use lower case when referring to buses as a mode of transport. Example: London's buses also accept Travelcards

See also London Buses

Bus Pass

See Bus & Tram Pass

bus Saver

No longer issued except for corporate sales

bus station

Use lower case: Finsbury Park bus station; Edmonton bus station

business

Use lower case unless referring to a named organisation or firm. Example: We support the business; the Small Business Bureau

©

Do not use the © symbol unless legally required to

cab

In most cases 'taxi' should be used instead. 'Cab' must not be used when referring to private hire services. Normally 'taxis' and 'private hire services' should be listed separately

However, in some cases 'cab' can be used as a generic term to cover both taxi and private hire services. This will normally be when referring to minicabs rather than all private hire services (for example 'don't risk taking an illegal cab', 'illegal cabs are unsafe')

Capital

Use 'Capital' (with an upper case C) when referring to London

Use lower case when referring to other capital cities

See also London

capital letters

Avoid where possible as they are more difficult to read and can imply shouting

See also Accessibility for print on the Using plain English page; brand names; job titles; titles of sections/sub-headings etc

CCTV

See London

Phrase used to encourage checking for disruption before travelling

Child photocard

Only issued for National Rail

Our photocards issued to under-16s are 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard and 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard

child-rate season ticket

Not child rate season ticket (without hyphen)

child-rate Travelcard

Not child rate Travelcard (without hyphen)

closed-circuit television (CCTV)

collective nouns

Treat as singular, except staff and police: the committee has but the staff are; the police want

A pair and a couple are both plural

Use lower case after a colon unless it's followed by a proper name or a quote

Use instead of a dash to introduce a list

Never use colon and dash together (:-)

Use sparingly. There is no need for commas within addresses (23 Tooley Street) or dates (4 June 2018)

Do not use. Now the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

committee

Use lower case unless referring to a named committee: Transport Committee for London

companies/organisations

Always treat as singular: 'TfL is...' not 'TfL are'

See also abbreviations/acronyms and brand names

compass points

Use lower case except when including as part of a proper noun: north; east; south; west but South East England

See also London

Congestion Charge/Charging

Use upper case except when using charge or charging on their own: pay the charge online; when you enter the charging zone

Online exception:

Use Congestion Charge, not Congestion Charging. For example: Congestion Charge scheme, Congestion Charge zone

However it is acceptable to refer to the charging zone

Congestion Charging scheme

Use lower case when referring to 'the scheme' on its own

Congestion Charging zone

Use lower case when referring to the zone on its own. Example: People living within the zone are eligible for a discount'

See also addresses and phone numbers

Online rules:

Order your contact points as below (your list may only include some of these):

• Search our help & contacts section
• Email address ('Email:')
• Phone ('Phone:')
• Fax ('Fax:')
• Postal address ('Address:' or 'Post:')

The layout on the page should follow this format:

Label in bold, colon, details on one line except for Address/Post, where it will follow the usual address style and start on the next line. For example:

Guild of Registered Tourist Guides

Email: guild@blue-badge.org.uk
Phone: 020 7403 1115 (TfL call charges)
Fax: 020 7378 1705
Address:
Guild House
52d Borough High Street
London SE1 IXN

contractions

Contractions - such as 'don't', 'isn't' or 'can't' - can be used sparingly to make communications more friendly and less corporate. However, don't use them to such an extent that your text appears sloppy or rude

Not co-operate/co-operation

Not co-ordinate/co-ordination

coronavirus not Coronavirus / corona virus

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the coronavirus that emerged in 2019, whereas coronavirus is the virus. Refrain from using COVID-19 where possible and refer to coronavirus (pandemic) instead

Countdown

Crossrail Ltd

Not Cross Rail or Cross rail

Do not use Crossrail to describe services that will run on the infrastructure currently being built by Crossrail Ltd. Refer to the Elizabeth line instead

Refer to 'customers' rather than 'passengers'

Write out in full when possible. It is acceptable to refer to 'Superhighways' in longer documents to avoid repetition

Note: Each route is referred to as CS1, CS2 etc followed by the route name, so CS3: Barking to Tower Gateway, CS7: Merton to City, etc. This format will need to be replicated across all routes. Can use CS1, for example, on second reference

The scheme should always be referred to as safer rather than safe

Online exception:

Do not need to add colon and full route in every reference, particularly if it breaks character limits in heading

dates

Day, month, year, in that order, with no commas: 1 January; 1 January 2018; Sunday 1 January 2021; 01/01/21

Note: Do not abbreviate days or months if there is space for them to be spelt out in full

If necessary, abbreviate days and months to three letters (exception: Thursday - use five letters)

Do not use 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc

Do not add spaces on either side of hyphens when listing inclusive dates: 11-15 April, 2017-2018, 10 May-10 June

A forward slash is used when listing years in reports or titles: 2017/18

Don't use the full second year, so 2017-18, not 2017-2018

Use hyphens for longer periods: 2017-18

Use commas for non-consecutive years: 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023

Note: No spaces on either side of the forward slash

If abbreviating individual dates, also use forward slashes: 01/12; 01/12/17 not 01-12; 01-12-17

Do not use an apostrophe for decades, except when using the possessive form: the station opened in the 1960s but it is a 1960s' station

See also plurals and possessives

Online exception:

• Always include the year as it isn't always obvious online
• 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday (put different days on a new line, don't separate with a comma)
• 10 November to 21 December 2017
• When space is an issue, such as in ;tables and publication titles, you can use truncated months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
• Don't use 'quarter' for dates; use the months, for example: [dept] expenses, Jan to Mar 2017

Day Travelcard (Peak)

Day Travelcard
(Off-Peak)

deaf

This term implies total hearing loss. Consider using hearing-impaired people, customers, etc as it is a more inclusive term. However, it is acceptable to use deaf or hard of hearing if it is relevant to the topic or if referring to the deaf community as a whole

Note: The deaf community should be identified separately from the disabled community: disabled and deaf communities

See also disability and hearing-impaired

departments

Dial-a-Ride

Now London Dial-a-Ride. Write out in full on first mention. It is acceptable to refer to Dial-a-Ride in longer documents to avoid repetition. Do not refer to DaR

Online exception:

Refer to Dial-a-Ride not London Dial-a-Ride

disability

Use positive language about disability, avoiding outdated terms that stereotype or stigmatise. Do not use 'handicapped' or 'wheelchair-bound' and avoid referring to people as nouns (eg 'the disabled') or as suffering from, or afflicted by, a condition

It is preferable to use 'xxx' people rather than people with 'xxx': disabled people (not people with disabilities); hearing-impaired customers; vision-impaired users; wheelchair user; mobility-impaired passengers; people with learning difficulties

It is acceptable to use specific terms, such as blind, deaf or partially sighted if it is relevant to the topic

However, whenever possible, it is preferable to describe the barriers that disabled people experience rather than impairments linked to a person's medical condition: hearing-impaired passengers or people who use our services who may experience communication barriers; passengers who experience physical barriers

Note: This can also include people with luggage, pushchairs, bulky items or similar

Note: The deaf community should be identified separately from the disabled community: the disabled and deaf communities

See also able-bodied; blind; deaf

Use this term when referring to disabled accessibility, as 'accessibility' has a wider meaning.

See also accessibility

disabled person's Freedom Pass

Do not use. Now the Equalities and Human Rights Commission

discount-rate ticket

DLR

It is acceptable to use DLR instead of Docklands Light Railway in all instances

double-deck bus

Not Earn Your Travel Back

See also London 

See also London 

Do not use - use 'for example' or reword to avoid

See also abbreviations/acronyms

eLearning

The area doesn't have an ampersand (&)

Online exception:

Use the ampersand (&) for both station and area

The Elizabeth line is the new service which will run from Reading and Heathrow in the west through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. The service, route, trains and stations will fall under the term Elizabeth line

Only mention Crossrail when referring to the company Crossrail Limited or the Crossrail construction work

email

Not e-mail

Always give the full email address when providing a hyperlink

For example, 'email enquiries@tflcroydon.co.uk' not 'email Red routes'

Do not use capital letters or italics to emphasise text 

Sponsored by Emirates Airline 

We cannot be seen to endorse external companies/suppliers

See individual entries: able-bodied; age; Asian communities; black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME); blind; deaf; disability; gender; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community; race and ethnicity; sexuality; transgender/trans

EOC/DRE/CRE have all been amalgamated

Replaced most of the contents of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

As a public body we have a duty to demonstrate that we have taken into account the needs of all groups covered by the Equality Act 2010. An EqIA allows us to demonstrate how the duty has been taken into account

See Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

See race and ethnicity

We cannot be seen to endorse external companies/suppliers

Use 'people of faith', 'people of belief' or 'faith communities' when referring to groups of people with a shared faith or belief. Do not use the term 'religious communities' as this has a different meaning and refers to organised religious communities (eg monastic communities)

Note: It is acceptable to be specific if it is relevant: a Sikh temple; a Muslim festival

FAQs

Acceptable abbreviation for frequently asked questions

Avoid the common error of adding an apostrophe: (FAQ's)

Online exception

We don't use FAQs on our website

There are three main reasons for this:

• Generally, we find FAQs duplicate other content on the site
• You can't front-load FAQs so we are not helping usability
• You could unnecessarily add to search results with duplicate, competing text

Not farepayers (but taxpayers)

fax numbers

Use 020 XXXX XXXX

fewer

'Fewer' is used for countable nouns and means smaller in number: fewer coins; fewer passengers; fewer tickets

Do not confuse with less, which is used with singular nouns or quantity: less money; less time; less fat

figures

Never start a sentence or title with a figure. If a sentence or title begins with a number, it must be spelt out

See also numbers

fire service

Use lower case unless referring to a named brigade: The fire service has been called; a letter from the London Fire Brigade

First Class ticket

Use 'we', 'us' or 'our' rather than 'TfL' as it's more personal. Write as if you 'are' TfL

In most cases we use 'we' to mean TfL and 'you' to mean the user. In some circumstances such as terms and conditions we use the third person for clarity, for example 'TfL and its subsidiaries'

Online rule:

We use first person descriptions for personalisation, particularly on transactional buttons, so:

• Find a station near me
• Show me where I am on this map
• My account
• My profile
• Plan my journey (not plan your journey)

It is acceptable to use second person when you are giving instructions in text. For example, 'You can pay the Congestion Charge in a number of ways. It's quickest and easiest if you register for a customer account online.'

focus

Focuses/focused/focusing. Not focusses/focussed/focussing

Freedom Pass

Use upper case when referring to the Freedom Pass in text.

See also disabled person's Freedom Pass and older person's Freedom Pass

Front line when used as a noun eg working on the front line

Frontline when used as an adjective eg frontline workers

Do not use full stops after word contractions, titles or Latin abbreviations, such as Dr, Mr, Ltd, am, pm or eg

Online rule

Standard Teaser text should not end in a full stop. Standard Teaser here refers to modules 211, 212 and 213 as well as Headed links (205) and all the Social Media modules. See the Pattern library

For text links within copy, use a full stop at the end of the sentence, even if the sentence ends in a link (do not link the full stop)

The page description in metadata should not have a full stop

See London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

See sexuality

Acceptable abbreviation for gigabyte. Do not include a space between the number and the measurement: 2GB 

gender

Use gender-neutral language where possible, only including references to gender when necessary. Refer to 'they' rather than 'he/she', 'everyone' not 'ladies and gentlemen', 'people' not 'mankind', 'chairperson' or 'chair' not 'chairman' or 'chairwoman', 'workforce' not 'manpower', 'staffed' not 'manned'

See also sexuality; transgender/trans

Not GLA group 

Gold Card holder

It is also acceptable to use adult-rate annual Travelcard (Gold Card) holder

government

Use upper case only when referring to a specific government: we work with the Government. Use lower case when referring to local government or when using in an adjectival context: government expenditure; government funding

Greater London

See also London

Greater London Authority (GLA)

Green Line coaches

group

Use upper case only when referring to a named group: the TfL Group

See titles of sections/sub-headings etc

See also disability; deaf 

Heathrow Express

Heathrow Terminals
2 & 3

Heathrow Terminal 5

Help Point

hyphens

Use hyphens to form compound adjectives (blue-chip company). Do not use hyphens after adverbs ending in 'ly'

Hyphen are often missed when they link two adjectives together. If the two adjectives only make sense together (because one describes the other), then they need to be hyphenated. For example: 'the strategy was discussed with borough-based, community-led organisations'

ie

Do not use - use 'that is' or reword to avoid

See also abbreviations/acronyms

interchange

Use lower case: Vauxhall Cross interchange; strategic interchange

internet

Not Internet (with upper case I)

into

Is one word but 'on to' are two separate words

intranet

Not Intranet (with upper case I)

We do not use italics in print or online

job titles

Use upper case when referring to a specific role or named person: the Managing Director; Joe Bloggs, Press Officer

Use lower case if writing generally: service assistants, station managers

When quoting a named individual, no comma is required if referring to a person by title: Prime Minister David Cameron said: '…'. However, commas must be used to separate a descriptive title: David Cameron, Prime Minister, said: '…'

Online exception

Use lower case wherever possible (still capitalise at the start of a sentence or bullet). There may be certain exceptions, generally when there is only one holder of the particular office, such as Mayor of London, Commissioner or Queen

Journey Planner

Our TfL travel tool that helps with live route-planning across our network

A stand-alone link to it should be action-led and first-person: 'Plan my journey'

If giving instruction, it can be second-person (to avoid mixing perspectives): 'Plan your journey'

If listing tools, we can use the product name: 'Journey Planner'

KB

Acceptable abbreviation for kilobyte. Do not include a space between the number and the measurement: 120KB

Refer to kilometres instead of miles where possible. Use abbreviation 'km' for numbers 10 and above.

For numbers under 10 that are spelled out in full, use 'kilometres' in full. For example, 'three kilometres' and '12km'

See also abbreviations/acronyms

learnt

Past tense and past participle of learn. Do not use learned< unless using as an adjective

See sexuality

less

'Less' is used with singular nouns and quantities: less money; less time; less fat

Do not confuse with fewer, which is used with countable nouns and means smaller in number: fewer coins; fewer passengers; fewer tickets

A route from street to train that doesn't require the use of stairs or escalators

See also step-free access

licence

Noun: you will need a licence

license/d

Verb/adj: a body authorised to license drivers; he is a licensed driver

Limited/Ltd

Can usually be dropped from company names (except for legal documents and similar)

line

Use lower case when referring to Tube lines: Hammersmith & City line; Northern line

lists

Do not add a comma before 'and' at the end of a sequence unless one of the items includes another 'and': We ate oranges, apples and bananas but we ordered chocolate cake, cheese and biscuits, and ice cream

Semi-colons can be used to clarify meaning and separate items listed in a catalogue-type sentence: Refurbishment works will include new lighting at the station entrance and on the platforms; new escalators at the North Lane and South Way entrances; and the instalment of CCTV cameras

See also bulleted lists

Our travel tool that shows live and planned service disruption

Where possible, refer to 'live' instead of 'realtime'

local season ticket

Do not use

See Point-to-Point season ticket

log in

Verb: You will need to log in

Online exception

Use sign in not log in or login

login

Noun/adjective only: you will be issued with a login or login details

London

Use upper case for Greater London; the East End and West End of London. Use lower case for central/inner/outer London; north/south/east/west London; northeast/southwest London etc

Use upper case when referring to London and the South East or London and the North

See also Capital

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Refer to as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London 2012 Games or the Games

London Buses (LB)

Do not use 'Buses' (on its own) when referring to London Buses, our subsidiary responsible for overseeing contracts with private bus operators

See also buses

Formerly Dial-a-Ride. Write out in full on first mention. It is acceptable to refer to Dial-a-Ride in longer documents to avoid repetition. Do not refer to DaR

Online exception

Use Dial-a-Ride, not London Dial-a-Ride

Online exception

Use 'London Overground'. Do not refer to as 'Overground'

Note:

• 'North London line' is now 'Overground Richmond/Clapham Junction - Stratford'
• 'West London line' is now 'Overground Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction'
• 'DC line/Watford Euston DC' is now 'Overground Watford Junction - Euston'
• 'Gospel Oak to Barking (GOB)' is now 'Overground Gospel Oak - Barking'
• 'East London line' is now 'Overground Dalston/Highbury & Islington - West Croydon/Crystal Palace/New Cross'

All directional references should be referred to as the destination they are travelling towards, for example the 'Overground Richmond/Clapham Junction - Stratford' can be referred to as the 'Overground to Richmond', the 'Overground to Clapham Junction' or the 'Overground to Stratford'

See also Overground

London River Services (LRS)

London Service Permits (LSPs)

Formerly the Public Carriage Office (PCO)

Write out in full on first mention. It is acceptable to then refer to Taxi and Private Hire

London Trams

Not London Tramlink

See also tram

London Transport Museum

Not London's Transport Museum

longer-period Travelcard

Do not use. However, there are some instances when references are made to longer period Travelcard season tickets

See also season ticket

Low Emission Zone (LEZ)

 Do not use. Refer to National Rail instead

Mayor of London

Use 'Mayor' (with capital M) on second mention

Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) 

MB

Acceptable abbreviation for megabyte. Do not include a space between the number and the measurement: 2.2MB

measurements

Use lower case for standard measurements: kg; km; mph; kph but use upper case for KB; GB; MB

Spell out metres to prevent confusion with abbreviation for million

Do not include a space between the number and the unit: 20km; 50mph; 100KB

Never add an 's' to measurements: 20km, not 20kms

meet, met

Not meet with or met with

Local events staffed by operational/head office staff to publicise planned improvements/closures

metres

Write out in full to prevent confusion with million

Do not use. Now the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

Do not refer to the Metropolitan Police or the Met Service

Like 'police', the Metropolitan Police Service should be treated as a collective noun and followed by a plural verb: the Met are not the Met is

million

Use 'm' for sums of money and measurable quantities: £10m, 1m litres of water

Note: Do not include a space between the number and the unit: £1m; 20m

Spell out million for people and countable nouns: three million commuters, 10 million tickets

See also numbers

minicab

Not mini-cab or mini cab

Use 'private hire vehicle' unless referring specifically to a minicab or minicab service. 'Minicab' can be used at the first mention of private hire vehicles if it is helpful to readers: All private hire vehicles (including minicabs) are licensed by us

See also private hire vehicle

money

When referring to round sums of money, do not add '.00': £3, not £3.00; £10, not £10.00

Use 'm' and 'bn' for sums of money and measurable quantities: £10bn; 1bn litres of water. However, spell out for people and countable nouns: three billion commuters; 10 billion tickets

Note: Do not include a space between the number and the unit: £20m; £10bn

See also numbers

An improvement to an asset that makes it easier for customers to use

See also accessibility; disabled access

names

Use upper case for named departments, initiatives, networks, organisations, projects and schemes: Group Services; London Bus Initiative; Low Emission Zone

See also capital letters; job titles; titles of sections/sub-headings etc

National Rail

Use upper case in all instances

Network Railcard

Night Bus

Upper case for both words

none

How many companies are going to make a profit?

None of them are

When 'none' is meant to indicate 'not one', it is singular: None of them is bigger than any other

See also London

See also London

numbers

In body text, write out numbers from one to nine; use figures from 10 upwards

Never start a sentence or title with a figure. If a sentence or title begins with a number, it must be spelt out. Numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine, when written in words, should be hyphenated

Chapter/section headings do not need to be spelt out: Chapter 5; Section 2.1

Use 'm' and 'bn' for sums of money and measurable quantities: £10m, 1bn litres of water. However, spell out million and billion for people and countable nouns: three million commuters; 10 billion tickets

Do not include a space between numbers and units: 20km not 20 km; £10bn not £10 bn

Numbers larger than three figures require a comma: 1,000; 20,500

Decimals should be rounded to a maximum of two decimal spaces: 2.75 not 2.748

If there is a decimal point in a number, always use figures. For example, write 'five metres of track 'but '5.3 metres' 

Do not use an apostrophe when referring to decades or plurals as this makes them possessive: 1980s not 1980's; under-16s not under-16's

See also dates, measurements, money, phone numbers and punctuation

off-peak

Use lower case and include a hyphen when using adjectivally: an off-peak ticket

Use upper case and include a hyphen when using in conjunction with a product: Travelcard (Off-Peak)

older people

Refer to older people rather than elderly people

Use upper case when referring to the older person's Freedom Pass in text

Olympics

Do not use.

See London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Olympic Family

Olympic Park

Olympic Stadium

Olympic Village

ongoing

online

One word when referring to the internet or a website. Do not use 'on-line' or 'on line'

on to

But into

opt in/out

Verb: I would like to opt in

opt-in/out

Adjective: an opt-in clause

 Use 'London Overground'. Do not refer to 'Overground'

See also London Overground

Oyster card

Oyster daily
price capping

Oyster online

See pay as you go

Oyster photocards

5-10 Oyster photocard, 11-15 Oyster photocard, 16+ Oyster photocard, 18+ Student Oyster photocard, 60+ London Oyster photocard and Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme Oyster photocard are currently issued

Oyster Ticket Stop/s

Only use left aligned text (not fully justified)

Paralympic Games

Refer to 'customers' rather than 'passengers'

pay as you go

Do not hyphenate and always use lower case as Oyster pay as you go is not a brand name

Note: Use 'credit' or 'balance' when referring to Oyster cards with a stored pay as you go balance. Do not use 'pay as you go travel value (cash)' or 'pay as you go cash value'

See also National Rail

Use to describe Oyster cards with a stored cash value

Note: Do not use 'pay as you go travel value (cash)' or 'pay as you go cash value'

PDF

Accepted abbreviation for Portable Document Format

Note: When using online, include the file format and file size as part of the link to aid accessibility: Underground map (PDF 850KB)

Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)

per cent

Two words. Do not use % except in tables and advertising copy (eg posters)

Online exception

Use the % symbol and do not write per cent in words. There is no space between the number and the symbol. For example: 1%, 5%, 10%, etc. Not five % or 5 %

Use capital 'P' plus numerals (not spelt out) when referring to specific financial/administrative periods, for example, Period 3. It is acceptable to abbreviate after first mention, for example P3

period ticket

Do not use. See season ticket

personal pronouns

Personal pronouns can be used to establish a conversational tone

Example: We are planning to invest in our services; If you would like more information, please contact us

See also tone

phone numbers

Phone numbers should be split into at least three groups of digits for readability, ideally with no more than four digits in any single group. For example: 020 7378 1705; 0343 222 6666; 0762 480 4299

For phone numbers with international dialling codes, the convention is to write in this format: +44 (0)20 8216 6666. Only include numbers for dialling from overseas when the message is directed specifically at an overseas audience

Online rules

When referring to a TfL phone number, always include a link to Page ID 3942 on the same line

If you have multiple phone numbers on the same page, you may want to asterisk each instance and refer to a line at the bottom of the page instead: *Find out about TfL call charges

On the Contact module, there is a text field under the phone number where you can insert this line

See also contact details; telephone numbers

photocard

PHV (private hire vehicle)

Write out in full on the first mention

Although usually used as an acronym for private hire vehicle(s), it can also be used to refer to the private hire industry in general, eg 'representatives from the PHV industry attended the meeting'

Online exception

Do not use except on pages addressing this specific audience. Even then, it must be written out in full on the first mention on each page

Planned works calendar

Our online tool (part of Live Travel News) that shows a six-month look ahead of planned closures

Platform for Art

Do not use. Now 'Art on the Underground'

plurals

Avoid adding an apostrophe when making a word or abbreviation plural as this makes it possessive: under-16s not under-16's; DVDs not DVD's; 1990s not 1990's

See also punctuation

Point-to-Point
season ticket

Previously 'short-distance season ticket'. A Point-to-Point season ticket refers to a season ticket that is valid between two named stations only

police

Use lower case unless referring to a specific force: British Transport Police; call the police

Note: Police is a collective noun that is usually preceded by 'the' and followed by a plural verb: the police are not the police is

See also British Transport Police;Metropolitan Police Service

possessives

For proper nouns ending in '-s', add 's: St James's Park

Do not confuse with plurals, especially when referring to ages or decades:

under-16s (plural)

under-16's (possessive)

Take care with plural nouns: use women's not womens'; children's not childrens'; people's not peoples'

See also plurals; punctuation

practice

Noun: it is standard practice; piano practice

practise

Verb: he practises playing the piano every day; she is a practising doctor

Pre Pay

Name withdrawn. See pay as you go

price capping

Refer to Oyster daily price capping

private hire drivers

This term refers to drivers of all private hire vehicles, including minicabs, executive cars, limousines, chauffeur services and any other vehicle licensed for private hire use

Itdoes not include taxi (black cab) drivers

private hire vehicles

This term refers to minicabs, executive cars, limousines, chauffeur services and any other vehicle licensed for private hire use

It does not include taxis (black cabs)

See also black cab; taxi

Public Carriage Office (PCO)

Do not use. Now called London Taxi and Private Hire (LTPH)

public holiday

Always use lower case

A public holiday can refer to any national holiday, including Bank Holidays

See also Bank Holiday

Public Private Partnership (PPP)

Apostrophe (')

Can be used to:

• Show the omission of letters: we'll (we will); don't (do not); it's (it is or it has)
• Show possession:
  Singular: Place the apostrophe before the 's' to show possession by one person/body: the Mayor's decision; the company's history
  Plural: Place the apostrophe after the 's' to show possession by more than one person/body: the teachers' room; the directors' decision

The possessive form of 'it' is 'its', not 'it's': 'the cat licked its paw'

A common error is to form the plural of a noun by adding 's to the singular form, for example: a dozen DVD's; several Tube's. This is wrong and should be avoided as it makes the word possessive

Comma (,)

Can be used to:

• Indicate a short pause: Having finished the newspaper, I sat down to work
• Separate listed items: He ordered apples, oranges, grapes and mangoes. A comma is not required before and at the end of a list unless one of the listed items includes another 'and': We ordered chocolate cake, cheese and biscuits, and ice cream
• Separate clauses: The boy, who hated my sister, was very rude
• Separate a series of adjectives: A long, rambling, pompous letter
• Prevent confusion. Compare:
  Paul hit Harry, and George then ran away
  Paul hit Harry and George, then ran away

Colon (:)

Can be used to:

• Introduce a list
• Introduce a quote: Mr Smith said: 'I don't like beetroot'

Dash (-)

Can be used to:

• Separate an explanatory or related comment: The union members agreed to the new terms - even the shortened lunch breaks - but said that if their holiday pay was affected they would walk out
• Emphasise a point or indicate a change of thought: What he said was true - or so I thought

Online rule:

Only use short dashes (-) and not long dashes

Full stop (.)

Can be used to:

• Show that a sentence has ended

It is no longer used after abbreviations, so use Mr not Mr.

Hyphen (-)

Can be used to:

• Create compound nouns: father-in-law, air-conditioning
• Link compound adjectives: blue-chip company, up-to-the-minute news
• Prevent confusion. Compare:
  The station has no smoking areas (ie there are no areas where smoking is allowed)
  The station has no-smoking areas (ie there are designated areas where smoking is allowed)
• Differentiate between verbs and nouns:
  set up (v): please set up a meeting
  set-up (n): it was a set-up

Semi-colon (;)

Can be used to:

• Separate items in a list if the elements within it already include commas: Members of the band include Ben Jefferson, singer; Tony Williams, drummer; Edward Ellis, trumpeter
• Separate two independent thoughts that would otherwise be linked by a word such as and or but: A heart attack is a medical emergency; prompt care is required

See money; numbers

Use single quotation marks in all cases

Use double quotation marks if using a quote within a quote

If a quote runs on longer than one paragraph, include quotation marks at the beginning of each subsequent paragraph but only at the end of the final paragraph

Place full stops and commas inside quotes when they are complete sentences, otherwise place them outside: 'I want to buy a ticket,' said Mr Smith; When he said 'I promise', he didn't really mean it

®

Do not use the ® symbol unless legally required to

race and ethnicity

Include references to race only when it is relevant. The words 'Black' and 'Asian' should not be used as nouns, but adjectives: 'Black people' rather than 'Blacks'; an 'Asian woman' rather than an 'Asian', for example. However, it is acceptable to be specific if it is relevant: local Somali community; Bangladeshi community leaders

Ethnic groups should be capitalised, such as Asian, Black, Mixed, White, Gypsy, and Other

See also Asian; Black, Asian and minority ethnic 

real time/
realtime

Where possible, use 'live' instead of 'realtime' or 'real time'

• real time (noun): this information is being updated in real time
• realtime (adj): realtime service information

Not real-time

red route

Not Red Route

The reduction in the time taken to complete an average journey as a result of upgrade work. Should only be used when referring to a specific change, for example greater reliability/capacity/more trains on the system per hour. Should only be used in a general sense (such as a benefit of Tube improvements) rather than in reference to a specific journey (as passengers are unlikely to experience a noticeable difference)

Alleviating crowding and congestion at stations and on trains, for example when referring to increased capacity

Where we offer a service that is noticeably less than normal (could apply to train frequency or escalators/lifts in operation)

To renovate or restore

Consistency of maintaining a good service

Not re-live

re-open

Not reopen

Routemaster

7 Day Travelcard

'Zip' can be removed after the first mention

16-17 Oyster photocard

This term should no longer be used. Use 16+ Zip Oyster photocard instead

Must be written in full and capitalised on first mention. After that, 'cycle hire scheme' and 'scheme' are acceptable

Santander Cycles is singular. Use 'Santander Cycles is...', not 'Santander Cycles are...'

Note:
docking station is the collective name for a terminal and the row of docking points within Zone 1

docking point is the device that allows a user to dock/undock a cycle

terminal is the device at each docking station that allows a user to hire a cycle

schemes

Use lower case unless the word scheme is included as part of a title: Fleet Automated Scheme

seasons

Lower case: spring; summer; autumn; winter

season ticket

Previously 'period ticket'. Refers to any ticket valid for seven days, one month or a longer period up to one year

sentence spacing

Use a single space between sentences as double spaces make text more difficult to read

service guide

Use lower case unless referring to a named document: a range of service guides is available; the Riverboat Spring/Summer Service Guide is out next week

sexuality

Include references to sexuality only when it is essential. The words 'gay', 'bisexual' and 'transgender' should not be used as nouns, but adjectives: 'gay people' rather than 'gays'; a 'bisexual man' rather than a 'bisexual'. The term 'lesbian' is an exception as it can be used as a noun or adjective

Note: Do not use the term 'homosexual'. Use the term 'gay' instead: a gay man or lesbian

See also gender; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; transgender/trans

short-distance
season ticket

Do not use. Refer to Point-to-Point seasonticket instead

Online rule

We use sign in, not log in. For example: 'Sign in to my account' (not log in or login, not sign into)

When the account has not yet been set up, we use: 'Sign up' or 'Create an account'

 These cards are only valid for travel on TfL services

smartcard

South East

When referring to London and the South East of the country

See also London

See also London

See also London 

Use only a single letter space to separate sentences. This is an example

In both print and online, do not add extra spaces either side of a forward slash. For example: April/May, not April / May

speech marks

See quotation marks

station

Use station in lower case for Tube, bus and DLR stations. For example, Marble Arch station.

However, it is often not necessary to use the word 'station' at all: the Northern line is suspended between Euston and Waterloo

See also bus station; interchange

A route between street and platform that doesn't require the use of stairs or escalators

See also level access 

step-free access

Use when referring to either step-free or level access but include context to prevent misunderstanding:

• Step-free access to platform/s
• Step-free access to train/s
• Step-free access to platform/s and train/s

strategy

Use lower case unless the word 'strategy' is included as part of a title: Integrated Transport Strategy

Student Oyster photocard

Do not use. Refer to 18+ Student Oyster photocard

Student-rate Bus & Tram Pass

Available to holders of an 18+ Student Oyster photocard

Available to holders of an 18+ Student Oyster photocard

See Cycle Superhighways

Surface Transport

24-hour

Include a hyphen when using as an adjective: 24-hour travel, 24-hour alert, 24-hour service

Targeted/targeting. Not targeted/targeting

taxi

Use only when referring to licensed taxis (black cabs)

Note: This term must not be used when referring to private hire services or vehicles, including minicabs

See also black cab,minicab, private hire vehicles and London Taxi and Private Hire (LTPH)

Taxicard

Phone numbers should be split into at least three groups of digits for readability, ideally with no more than four digits in any single group. For example: 020 7378 1705; 0343 222 6666; 0762 480 4299

For phone numbers with international dialling codes, the convention is to write in this format: +44 (0)20 8216 6666. Only include numbers for dialling from overseas when the message is directed specifically at an overseas audience

Online rules

If you have multiple phone numbers on the same page, you may want to asterisk each instance and refer to a line at the bottom of the page instead: *Find out about TfL call charges

See also addresses, contact details and phone numbers

terms and conditions

Not Terms and Conditions or terms & conditions

Online exception

In navigation, use terms & conditions. In text use terms and conditions

TfL Pension Fund

Use 'Fund' (upper case F) on second reference

TfL Road Network

that/which

Generally, 'that' defines while 'which' informs: This is the house that Jack built; this house, which Jack built, is now falling down

See also which

Use 'we', 'us' or 'our rather than 'TfL' as it's more personal. Write as if you 'are' TfL

Ticket Stop/s

No longer used. All have been converted to Oyster Ticket Stop/s

ticket office

time

Use the 24-hour clock in all circumstances (unless legally required to use the 12-hour clock): 08:00; 12:15; 00:01

titles of sections/ sub-headings etc

Use upper case for the first letter of the first word and proper nouns only; Finance and Planning induction pack not Finance and Planning Induction Pack

™

Do not use the ™ symbol unless legally required to

Every journey a customer makes matters to them - so it should matter to us. This comes across in the words we use and how we use them

It's important to strike a balance between a tone that is authoritative and formal, and one that is friendly and engaging.

If we get it right, we're an understanding organisation that values our audiences and provides accurate, relevant information in the way people want it, when they want it. Get it wrong, and we run the risk of confusing and alienating them

Personal

Your communications should adopt a tone that shows we care about improving people's experiences on our network

Make sure it sounds like it comes from an individual, not an anonymous organisation

Write as if you are speaking

All correspondence, for both internal and external audiences, should be in the first person rather than the third person. For example, 'we', 'our' or 'us' rather than 'TfL', 'our services' rather than 'TfL services'

Clear

It's important that we speak in the same language as our customers so they understand what we're saying; never use jargon or technical terms

Honest

When writing about issues that affect our customers, such as improvement work disrupting services, show that we recognise the inconvenience caused and give people the information and advice they need to continue their journeys.

Be open, honest and factual. Similarly, when writing about consultations, for example, show that we care about people's views

Lively

If we're celebrating our successes, write in an upbeat and engaging style that grabs people's attention

touch in/touch out

touchscreen ticket machine

trade names

See brand names

tram

Use lower case when referring to trams as a mode of transport: Children can travel free on trams

Trams is the name of the operating company

Do not use

transgender/trans

Do not use 'transsexual'. Instead, refer to transgender people as trans

See also gender and sexuality

Transport for London (TfL)

Never TFL (or with an italicised f)

Spell out in full on first mention in body text, including the abbreviation TfL in brackets. For all subsequent mentions, it is acceptable to use the abbreviation

The abbreviation may be used in document and section headings

Use 'we' rather than 'TfL' where possible as it's more personal. If using TfL is necessary, use third-person singular, for example 'TfL is responsible for...' not 'TfL are...'

We can be described as London's integrated transport authority. We are also a functional body of the Greater London Authority. Do not describe us as a government body or authority

Online exception

Use TfL. It is not necessary to spell out in full in the first mention. It may be written in full if there is space and it adds clarity

Transport Policing and Enforcement Directorate (TPED)

Travelcard

See individual entries: Student Travelcard and Discount Travelcard

Travel Information Centre (TIC)

travel support card

Tube

'The Tube' (with a capital T) is acceptable colloquial shorthand for the London Underground

Do not use. Refer to Tube improvements

Do not use. Refer to Tube improvements

Underground

'The Underground' (with a capital U) is acceptable colloquial shorthand for London Underground

See also Tube

under-14s

Requires a hyphen in all cases. This is true whenever referring to age-groups: under-14s; under-18s; over-60s

Avoid the common error of adding an apostrophe when making a word or abbreviation plural as this makes it possessive: under-16s not under-16's

See also plurals

No longer issued. The current schemes are 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard and 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard

URL

Accepted abbreviation for 'uniform resource locator'. It refers to the web address of a particular page

See also website addresses

Do not use when referring to Oyster card readers. Use yellow card reader or pink card reader instead

See also disability and blind

Avoid referring to conflicts by name if possible - for example, use 'late 1940s' instead of 'post World War II'

Refer to World War I (not The Great War, WW1, World War 1) and World War II (not Second World War, WW2 or World War 2)

web

Lower case

website

Not web-site or web site

website addresses

Referring to our website: When hyperlinking to our website in the body text of electronic documents don't include the www. You can instead write tfl.gov.uk/roads and insert the full hyperlink (https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/our-plan-for-londons-roads) behind it

Referring to other websites: When referring to the address of a specific web page (including a site's homepage) in body text, write out the full address, but do not include http:// unless the address begins with something other than www:  www.london.gov.uk but http://thesaurus.reference.com

Only use single forward slashes within the link text (tfl.gov.uk/roads). Note that some addresses (tfl.gov.uk/modes/buses/) require an additional forward slash at the end to work

Online exception

When including web addresses as links on web pages, use descriptive text or the title of the site, not the full web address:

• The TfL website not http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
• The GOV.UK website not https://www.gov.uk/

If you are linking to an external site, you should include the word 'website' and include it in the link. For example: 'Book a guide on the Guide London website', not 'Book a guide from Guide London'

Our travel tool that passengers subscribe to which provides a weekly email detailing planned service disruption affecting the coming weekend's travel

See also London

See also London 

which/that

Generally, 'that' defines while 'which' informs: This is the house that Jack built; this house, which Jack built, is now falling down

As a general rule, use 'which' for descriptive clauses and place it between commas: The station, which has been closed for a year, will re-open on Monday

while

Not whilst

Not wi-fi or WiFi

work/life balance 

years

A forward slash can be used when listing years in reports or titles: 20015/16 (no spaces on either side of hyphen or forward slash)

Do not use an apostrophe for decades unless they are possessive: the 1960s; a 1960s' station

See also dates; numbers; plurals

Use when referring to Oyster card readers

Do not use validator

youngsters

Refer to 'young people' rather than 'youngsters'

-ize endings

Use 'ise', not 'ize' : emphasise, realise (not emphasize, realize). The only exceptions are capsize and proper nouns (eg company names)

Oyster photocards for young people that allow them to travel free or at a discounted rate

Zone/s

Use upper case only when referring to specific zones: Zones 1-3, the station is in Zone 3. Use lower case if writing generally: single-zone tickets; two zones

See also Congestion Charging zone; Low Emission Zone