Find out what to do if you're thinking about carrying out works near London Underground.

Our role

The Infrastructure Protection (IP) team works with neighbouring external third parties to help them deliver their projects, while protecting London Underground from work on, or near, its railway and property.

The IP team are also responsible for protecting the railway from streetworks and abnormal loads, and advise on planning applications and other property matters.

Watch our video here:

What we do and why

London Underground has a statutory obligation to protect the railway and often it is your obligation to work with us on projects that might affect the railway.

We may need to work with you on your project if your works are near any of our structures or property.

We will need to review your proposals in detail if they involve working on our property, altering any of our assets (including changes to loading) or pose a risk to the London Underground network.

Outside party works

If you are a neighbour with a project on or near us, our Outside Party engineers may need to be involved.

Examples of types of project we need to discuss are:

  • extensions including basements to private property near our shallow tunnels
  • major redevelopments over our deep Tube network or adjacent to stations
  • minor private property maintenance such as tree surgery near our tracks

Our involvement will depend on your proposals and their potential impact. We will:

  • review your proposals
  • provide guidance on design, construction and LU requirements
  • advise on risk to and from the railway
  • arrange access to LU property
  • organise protection if required

Follow the Infrastructure Protection Outside Party process:

  • Initial enquiries - email location enquiries with a location plan and outline of your proposals
  • Review proposals - provide us with details of the scheme. Download our Further Information Questionnaire, below
  • Not affected - we can issue a letter confirming we are not affected by your proposals if required
  • Property matters - see location enquiries and property, below
  • Design issues / Risk assessments / Method statements - if we confirm that Infrastructure Protection will need to be involved in your project, our engineers will help to ensure the risk to the railway is as low as reasonably practicable by reviewing your design and construction methodology and providing advice and guidance

Notify us of Outside Party works

Streetworks

Statutory Undertakers and those working under the New Roads and Streetwork Act may adversely affect our assets. It is your obligation to notify us of works that might impact these Streets of Engineering Difficulty (SED) or Special Interest (SI)

Download the guidance document above for Streetworks near our structures.

Notify us of Streetworks by emailing lulcedip@tfl.gov.uk

Abnormal loads

Many of our structures support London's road network. If you are transporting an abnormal load or setting up a crane in the street above our assets you will need to notify us, so we can check and advise of any route restrictions relating to our infrastructure.

For notification details, including notice periods and required information, visit the gov.uk abnormal loads page.

Notify us by emailing lulcedip@tfl.gov.uk (or call 020 7027 9206 for assistance).

Location enquiries & property

Our boundaries are not always obvious and many of our assets are below ground. If you are in any doubt about whether your proposed project is near our property please contact us. We can then advise you of anything you may need to be aware of and whether we need to be involved in your project.

Some properties close to our railway may once have been owned by London Underground. There may be restrictive covenants on the property or other legal obligations placed its owners. We can advise what these may be and how they can be dealt with.

Contact us by emailing locationenquiries@tfl.gov.uk

Planning applications

We will normally receive notification of any planning applications for projects that may affect our railway. We review each one and may ask the planning authority to place obligations on the applicant. We may object if we believe the works will have an adverse effect on our property or operations.

Contact us by emailing locationenquiries@tfl.gov.uk

For proposed developments that are of strategic importance, visit the TfL Planning Applications page.

Other railway networks

London Underground is responsible for most of what you see on the Tube map but ownership is not always as it appears. We can advise if you are unsure and tell you who the appropriate body is.

Other TfL Rail Systems contacts

Network Rail Asset Protection page

If you work for, or on behalf of, Network Rail please email locationenquiries@tfl.gov.uk