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Transport For London (TFL) Technology Twitter

Transport for London teams up with Twitter to launch 'instant' tube alerts service

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

June 9, 2016 | 2 min read

Twitter has teamed up with Transport for London (TfL) to deliver instant Tube delay updates directly to commuters’ phones.

london underground twitter

Described as a “world first” by newly-appointed Mayor Sadiq Khan, the partnership marks the first time the social network has partnered with a transport authority to give travellers line updates.

The pilot means that customers will be automatically alerted of severe delays on major London Underground and TfL rail services as soon as they occur, with the aim of avoiding disruption.

Twitter helped develop the scheme, and anyone who follows any combination of four existing TfL Twitter feeds (including London Overground, TfL Rail, Central line and District line) will be able to opt-in to receive instant notifications about severe delays.

Direct updates will come as welcome news to Londoners, and remove the need for them to scroll through screeds of timelines or trawl through different accounts to find relevant information.

"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," noted Khan, calling the new offering "an innovative way" of providing people with live updates from the Underground.

Dara Nasr, managing director at Twitter UK, said: "We're incredibly excited to be partnering with TfL to make it more simple and convenient for commuters to receive important news about their journey.

"Up-to-the-minute information around severe disruption is a daily must-have for everyone, and the live nature of Twitter is the perfect companion for this."

Transport For London (TFL) Technology Twitter

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