The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Monday, September 19, 2022. Ahead of that, the Queen is currently Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall for four days. Well-wishers are able to visit her coffin and pay their respects. During the mourning period, as people from around the city, country, and the world travel to London to pay their respects, it’s important to be mindful of the effects on transport. Services are expected to be extremely busy, with delays possible, and some closures.

Will trains in London be running this weekend?

The short answer is yes.

Tubes will run as normal. Crowding and extra busy services may see short-term closures, queue control, tubes not stopping, or restrictions on entering or exiting stations. Green Park station will be exit-only between the hours of 10 AM and 8 PM.

The following stations are expected to be particularly busy: Westminster, Green Park, Charing Cross, Embankment, Victoria, Waterloo, St James’s Park, Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch.

National Rail services are operating as usual, but are also expected to be much busier than usual. Where possible, keep an eye on the distance between your National Rail stop and your final destination, and consider walking the final leg.

Day-specific information

On Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17, the Night Tube and Night Overground will be running.

On Sunday, September 18, Tube services will start operating at 5:30 AM, and are expected to run for an extra hour into the evening. Westminster, St James’s Park and Hyde Park Corner stations will be closed throughout the morning. The Elizabeth Line will be in operation with the central section between Paddington and Abbey Wood running a train every five minutes.

Monday, September 19 will see the Elizabeth Line running an extra hour into the evening to assist those returning from Central.

Will buses be affected by delays?

Yes. Due to road closures bus services in certain areas of London will be affected. In Westminster, in particular, expect disrupted or diverted services that may stop short of their usual final destination. On Sunday and Monday, bus disruptions will also affect West and South West London. As event infrastructure is removed in the days following the Queen’s funeral, road closures will persist, leading to continuing bus disruptions in the ensuing days.

Keep an eye on bus statuses to plan your journey.

Will I be able to cycle in London?

Yes, but be aware that roads around the ceremonial areas may be closed, and cyclists are advised to heed stewards and police if asked to dismount and walk. Sections of Cycleway 3 and 8 are closed but diversions have been routed, with signs in place to direct cyclists.

For those looking to hire a bicycle, Santander Cycles are operating as normal. Additional cycle hire hubs have also been installed around the London areas that are expected to be most busy in the coming days, including Waterloo, Mayfair, Kings Cross, and City of London. Some docking stations will be closed.

Is the rest of London’s transport network affected?

Some taxi ranks will be suspended in London. But in the meantime, temporary 24-hour taxi ranks have been opened near affected areas.

Coach services, in particular those servicing Victoria Coach Station, will be disrupted. Services will operate as normal until Sunday, at 4 PM, and from 2 AM on Monday, Victoria Coach Station will be closed. Services will be diverted to other hubs around London.

TfL advises people not to drive in central London if possible. Major road closures are expected to cause severe delays and travel disruptions, even through to the days after the funeral and mourning period.

What’s the best way to travel around London this weekend?

Plan your journey in advance, continue to check on travel updates, and allow extra time for your journey. TfL advises that walking may be the best method for travelling around London currently. However, walking may still take longer than usual due to busy walkways and roadways, and road closures.

Those with accessibility requirements should make themselves known to transport staff to best get help in navigating queues and closures.

For specific updates, head to the appropriate TfL links.

Tube and rail status updates cam be found here.
For road and traffic updates head here.
And for bus updates check this page.