The desperate dash to connect to the (questionable) station WiFi at every single stop along your commute will soon be nothing more than a distant memory, folks. Because over the past few weeks, even more tunnels and tube stations across London’s trusty transport network have been whizzed into the 21st century.
TfL is continuing to install super-speedy signal across the subterranean sections of the London Underground – and a rather monumental milestone was recently hit. There is now mobile phone coverage on around 60% of the London Underground, following the most recent rollout. And there’s set to be 4G and 5G service across the entire transport network by the end of 2026. So, the days of having to twiddle your thumbs or – you know – have an actual conversation on the tube will soon be a thing of the past.
In recent weeks, mobile coverage has been introduced to the tunneled sections of various different tube lines. Passengers can now access the mobile phone signal between Queen’s Park and Edgware Road on the Bakerloo line, Euston and King’s Cross St Pancras on the Metropolitan line, and between Cannon Street and Monument, Sloane Square and Victoria, and Bayswater and Paddington on the Circle and District lines. Not bad, hey?
High-speed phone coverage has also officially gone live at stations including Vauxhall, Temple, Nine Elms, and Gloucester Road. And it’s also begun to be installed at some of London’s major transport hubs (including Kings Cross St Pancras, Victoria, and Paddington) but the signal at these stations will go live in phases due to the sheer size of them.
Transport for London has confirmed that the vast majority of underground sections of the Northern, Bakerloo, and Metropolitan lines will have 4G and 5G service by the end of the summer. And subterranean sections of the DLR and the Windrush line are also next in line to be connected.
All four of the UK’s major phone network operators are hopping on board with the scheme. So if you’re connected by Three UK, EE, Vodaphone, or Virgin Media O2, you will have access to the sweet, sweet underground phone signal.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for transport, said: “It’s brilliant to see this continued progress on the Mayor’s promise of delivering 4G and 5G across the London Underground, with more mobile coverage for passengers across an ever-growing network of lines and stations. In an increasingly digital world, we’re committed to ensuring that all Londoners and visitors have the connections they need – even whilst on the move – as we build a better London for everyone.”
