TfL Go, our new travel app for London

We have launched a new app, TfL Go. It’s available for iOS now, and will be released on Android by the autumn.

TfL Go is the 21st century evolution of the paper pocket Tube map, nearly 90 years after Harry Beck’s original iconic design was first used by people travelling in London.

Digital versions of the Tube map have existed for many years, and thousands of people download a PDF of the map every week. However, our new approach to this much-loved map opens up many new possibilities for improving real-time customer information. We can connect information like station busyness or live service status, and in the future deliver a map that’s personal to you.

We’re no longer using a flat image of the map, but instead built a dynamic map in native code, which can scale, zoom and transform. We can show and hide useful information such as the names of lines without relying on a separate key or highlight the lines that run through stations when a user taps on them. Future blog posts will delve deeper into the innovative design and development process.

This added flexibility means we can integrate inclusive information into the map and throughout the rest of the app – such as a ‘step-free mode’ at the tap of a button. For those with mobility impairments, or travelling with a pushchair or heavy luggage, the app will display more useful information. Journey planner will also update to provide more relevant routes.

We have worked to ensure that TfL Go works for everyone – through inclusive design principles, coding standards and rigorous user research and testing. We have tested the app in a number of focus groups with customers, as well as extensive alpha and beta testing internally.

We know that there will be some features or information that you’re looking for that might not be in the app just yet and we’d love to get your feedback on this first version. Drop us an email at [email protected].

We’re focusing on the Tube map right now but it’s not the end of our journey. Download the app today and soon we’ll be adding more useful features across different modes of travel including buses, cycling and walking, as well as much, much more…