TfL partner up with Twitter to launch travel tweets

Transport for London (TfL) and Twitter have launched a pilot of a new information service to provide live notifications of severe delays directly to customer’s devices, to alert them more efficiently.

The service will automatically alert customers as soon as delays occur in order to help them avoid disruption. The pilot will allow TfL customers who follow any combination of TfL’s four twitter feeds, including London Overground, TfL Rail,
Central line and District line, to receive instant notification about severe disruptions.

The move is the first time that Twitter has partnered with a transport authority to provide travel information in this way. TfL will asses feedback from the pilot over the summer and determine whether the service should be extended to other TfL Twitter feeds.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Like every Londoner I rely on public transport to get me around and this world-first service looks set to become an essential tool for millions of Tube passengers. It is an innovative way of providing people with live updates from the Underground and contributes to my goal of making it as easy as possible to get around the capital.”

Phil Young, head of online at TfL, said: “The reliability of TfL services is at a record high, but disruption does sometimes occur. Getting the latest travel information direct to customers when and where they want it is key to enabling them to avoid delays. Millions of Londoners use apps powered by our free open data, alongside our website, to check the Tube, find a bus or see how the roads are running and this world-first partnership with Twitter is a fantastic way of ensuring our data helps keep our customers informed.”