Eight different transport services including a zero-emission bus, DLR train, Jubilee line train, Elizabeth line train, a tram and IFS Cloud Cable Car cabin are being given a new look to celebrate TfL’s 25th birthday this year as part of a year-long anniversary campaign
“London’s transport network has played such an integral part in the city’s growth over the last 25 years, with new services and improvements unlocking new parts of the capital and enabling more people to benefit from public transport, helping the city prosper”
Andy Lord
London’s Transport Commissioner
The wrapped designs highlight improvements to London’s transport network over the last 25 years, including the launch of the Elizabeth line, zero-emission and accessible buses and the Oyster card, while the special 25th anniversary roundel represents the transport network’s contributions to economic growth, housing and employment in the capital
As part of the celebrations for TfL’s 25th anniversary, Londoners are invited to share their photos and special memories relating to TfL from the last 25 years
Transport for London (TfL) is giving eight different transport services a new look as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, with the same design featuring across TfL services for the first time.
The wrapped designs highlight the many innovative customer improvements to London’s transport network and recognise TfL’s impact on the capital’s growth since 2000.
These include the launch of the world-first contactless Oyster card in 2003, buses becoming fully accessible in 2005 and the launch of the Elizabeth line in 2022. The designs reflect the distinctive style of TfL’s year-long anniversary poster campaign and feature the words ‘Making every journey matter for 25 years’ as a nod to TfL’s ethos and the milestone anniversary.
In a first for TfL, the distinctive new designs will be in place on a number of vehicles across all types of service: the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Elizabeth line, IFS Cloud Cable Car, London Overground, London Trams and London Underground, as well as on one of London’s more than 2,000 zero-emission buses and a taxi, and the special 25th anniversary roundel will also feature on Santander Cycles. The anniversary roundel is incorporated into the designs, representing the transformation of London’s transport network over the last 25 years, TfL’s role in economic growth and the creation of new jobs and homes, and its work to make the transport system safer, greener and more inclusive and accessible.
The specially designed transport vehicles will stay on the TfL network at least until the end of the year. Throughout 2025 TfL is marking its 25th anniversary with a series of events, competitions and opportunities for the public to get involved, including a ‘then and now’ photography exhibition and poster design competition this autumn at the London Transport Museum for 11-18-year-olds, and a call-out for people to share their favourite memories from the network since 2000.
Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing these new designs first-hand on our transport services. TfL’s landmark 25th anniversary this year is a great opportunity to reflect on just how much our transport network has evolved and transformed in recent years, serving millions of Londoners and visitors to our city each and every day. The Mayor and I are committed to doing all we can to invest in and improve our network further, so it is fit for future generations and the next 25 years.”
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “London’s transport network has played such an integral part in the city’s growth over the last 25 years, with new services and improvements unlocking new parts of the capital and enabling more people to benefit from public transport, helping the city prosper. We’re excited to launch these special designs across a number of our services for the first time to mark the occasion, whilst also looking ahead to the next 25 years and all the improvements we have in the pipelines, such as those to make our network as accessible and inclusive as possible.”
TfL is committed to making its network as fair, accessible and inclusive as possible and launched last year a customer inclusion strategy, Equity in Motion, which includes more than 80 actions. Step-free access has recently been added to Knightsbridge station as well as to the Bakerloo line entrance at Paddington station, while step-free schemes are in the construction phase at Colindale, Leyton and Northolt stations. Among the other commitments, TfL has established this year the Inclusive Design Centre for Excellence, which will help remove barriers to delivering inclusive design.
The new designs are also being commemorated in a series of posters on the London transport network throughout 2025. Four more TfL 25th anniversary creative posters will launch at the end of July, commemorating the schools programme TfL Travel for Life, the entire bus fleet becoming fully wheelchair accessible, the first ever air-conditioned Tube train on the Metropolitan line and the Cycle Hire scheme.
As part of the celebrations for TfL’s 25th anniversary, people are invited to share their photos and special memories relating to TfL from the last 25 years, whether they are a lifelong Londoner, have adopted the city as their home or are a visitor. Stories will be told on TfL’s social media channels, TfL’s blog and in stations. To submit a memory, contact TfL25Memories@tfl.gov.uk.
Transport for London (TfL) was created on 3 July 2000 as part of the Greater London Authority (GLA) by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Between 1933 and 2000 the organisation was known as London Transport
The project is entirely funded by the generous support of TfL’s corporate partners: A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, KeolisAmey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK. The funding is also covering a range of other activities for customers, staff, and stakeholders to celebrate the 25th anniversary throughout 2025
The designs were produced by TfL’s in-house design team and based on artwork, by marketing agency VCCP, for the commemorative poster campaign
The customer improvements selected for each of the designs correspond to the type of service; e.g. the illustration for accessible buses is incorporated into the bus design
Some of TfL’s key customer improvements over the last 25 years include the following, some of which are appearing on posters as part of the work to mark TfL’s anniversary:
2000 – TfL’s tram system launched – since then, it has carried more than 590 million passengers
2002 – TfL’s online Journey Planner launched, the first multi-modal system of its kind in the UK, allowing customers to plan journeys across several modes
2003 – The Oyster smart card was introduced
2004 – TfL’s education programmes, now known as TfL Travel for Life, have supported more than three million children to travel towards a brighter, safer and more sustainable future since 2004
2005 – TfL’s entire fleet of buses became fully wheelchair accessible
2005 – The introduction of free travel for children on TfL services
2006 – The launch of Baby on Board badges
2008 – The first wide aisle ticket gates were installed at Tube stations as part of TfL’s commitment to make the Underground accessible for wheelchair users, older people, parents with children and travellers with luggage
2008 – Priority seating launched, encouraging customers to give up seats for pregnant women, as well as people with disabilities or those less able to stand, making travel easier and safer for all
2009 – iBus was fully rolled out. iBus gave London next stop audio and signs, information on all buses and live information on apps and website
2010 – The first ever air-conditioned, fully walk through Tube train on the Metropolitan line launched, designed to make life easier for people with disabilities and keep customers more comfortable
2010 – Since 2010, more than 137 million journeys have been made on TfL cycle hire bikes, which are now called Santander Cycles. The scheme now includes e-bikes and has doubled the number of cycle hire points across the city since its introduction
2010 – London’s streets become the first in England to trial pedestrian countdown technology, which tells pedestrians how long they have to safely cross the road
2012 – TfL helped millions to attend the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games and kept the rest of the city moving
2012 – TfL introduced manual boarding ramps on the Tube to significantly improve accessibility in advance of the Paralympic Games
2016 – The Night Tube launched – with 7.8 million passengers in the first 12 months
2016 – The introduction of the Hopper fare – unlimited bus and tram journeys within an hour of first touching in, for the price of a single fare
2019 – The first Cycleway launched in 2019, and today London’s cycling network is spans more than 400km, the same length as the Tube network
2019 – TfL launched the world’s first lorry safety scheme (Direct Vision Standard Scheme) to help improve the visibility of people walking, cycling or riding e-scooters or motorcycles. Since its introduction, fatal collisions have fallen by 49 per cent
2021 – The Northern line was extended to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms – the first major Tube extension this century – enhancing access to transport for customers
2022 – The Elizabeth line launched, increasing rail capacity by 10 per cent, the biggest increase in the capital in 70 years and creating the UK’s most popular railway service
2023 – ULEZ London-wide expansion
2024 – The 18-25 Care Leaver Oyster photocard was introduced
2024 – The first phase of the Superloop was completed, connecting outer London boroughs more quickly with express bus services
2025 – The 2,000th zero-emission bus launched on London’s network
