Super-fast 4G smartphone connectivity is now available across all Elizabeth line stations in central London, it was announced on Tuesday.
Transport for London said the roll-out of 4G mobile coverage had been completed as planned at the final four of the eight subterranean ‘Lizzie line’ stations – Paddington, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Woolwich.
In addition, Covent Garden has become the first Piccadilly line station to be connected to the network, with 4G also available for the first time on the Victoria line, between Warren Street and Euston.
About a quarter of “below ground” Tube stations now have 4G. More stations will be connected by the summer, with TfL aiming for the vast majority of the Tube to be included in the network by the end of the year.
This will include much of the West End and, for the first time, the southern end of the Northern line.
The roll-out of 4G – and even faster 5G – enables passengers to make phone calls and watch live videos while on the Underground or Elizabeth line.
The connections, which in many areas already include station platforms and tunnels between stations, are said to be better below ground than Londoners enjoy above ground.
The Elizabeth line, the UK’s busiest train line with about 240m journeys a year, first received 4G last Christmas at four stations – Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.
Its central section also includes three surface-level stations: Stratford, Custom House and Abbey Wood.
In the coming month, 4G is due to be extended to the first Elizabeth line tunnels, between Liverpool Street and Bond Street stations. The whole line is due to be completed later this year.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has promised that the 4G network – which is being installed at no cost to TfL by Boldyn Networks – will be completed by the end of 2025, when it will also include the London Overground and DLR.
This is a year later than a previous pledge to finish the job by 2024.
Mr Khan said: “This is yet another step towards ensuring Londoners and visitors can stay connected on our transport network.
“I promised that customers would be able to access high-speed mobile coverage at all stations and in tunnels, and I’m pleased to see how quickly the team are moving to enable 4G and 5G connectivity.
“Now, customers can access the latest travel information, keep in touch with colleagues, friends and family, use social media and stream music at every station along the Elizabeth line.”
Testing was done to ensure the introduction of 4G and 5G would not interfere with existing safety systems on the Tube prior to it being switched on in the underground tunnels.
The tunnels between Piccadilly Circus and Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly line will go live in the coming weeks.
Next month, coverage will begin on the Bakerloo line. The southern end of the Northern line, between Stockwell and Morden, will also start to get mobile coverage shortly. Clapham Common station is due to be connected next week.
All four mobile network operators - Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) - are taking part in the rollout.
Currently, 31 out of 121 Tube stations with platforms that are underground, and therefore usually unable to get a mobile signal, as well as the connecting tunnels, have mobile coverage.
TfL has updated its Tube map to show the expected coverage by the end of the summer.
Shashi Verma, chief technology officer at TfL, said: “It’s great to see that all Elizabeth line stations, and even more Tube stations, now have high-quality mobile coverage for the first time.
“This programme is gathering pace and we are working hard to bring the benefits of being able to stay in contact while travelling through our city as quickly as possible.”
Billy D’Arcy, chief executive of UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks, said: “With all Elizabeth lines stations now offering 4G mobile coverage, this milestone shows the rapid progress of our work to deploy connectivity across the London Underground.”
Underground stations where mobile coverage is now available:
Central line: Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Chancery Lane, St Paul’s.
Northern line: Belsize Park, Chalk Farm, Archway, Tufnell Park, Kentish Town, Camden Town, Mornington Crescent, Euston, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road.
Elizabeth line: Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Woolwich.
Jubilee line: Westminster, Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge, Bermondsey, Canada Water, Canary Wharf, North Greenwich.
Piccadilly line: Covent Garden.
