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The river Thames has been used continuously as
a highway since prehistoric times. The Port of London is considered to be one of the best in the world, accessible to large
cargo ships, but its importance as a reloading and transfer place has been falling. Docks,
once flourishing and busy, have decayed. Redevelopment is now breathing new life into
those dock areas changing them into "The Metropolitan Water City" - offices,
shopping and sports facilities, homes, factories, a light railway, and even an airport
(London City Airport).
At present the port has moved about 30 kilometres downstream where the
Tilbury container and passenger terminals have been built. Still further down the river
there are docks for oil reloading (e.g. Shellhaven, Thameshaven). The main exports are
cars, machinery, chemical and electrical engineering products and the main import items
are oil, wood and grain.
The
latest means of London transport are riverbuses
which run on the Thames between Chelsea and Gatwick, situated in the south.
There are five airports in the
London area, the largest of them being Heathrow,
west of the city and Gatwick, situated in the south.
London is also the most significant highway and railway junction in the
British Isles. There is a rail connection to all
parts of the island from 15 central stations. Trains for the continent depart from
Victoria ad Liverpool Street stations. The Channel Tunnel trains arrive at Waterloo Station. Since 1987 the Docklands Light Railway has provided a
spectacular ride from Tower Bridge to the Isle of Dogs. The trains are controlled by
computers. There are two lines on twelve-kilometre routes.
The fastest and the easiest way of getting around London is using the Underground
which is also known as Tube. The London Underground is the oldest in the world,
but at the same time it is one of the most modern and convenient too. The total
network is 408 km long with railways running subsurface and some above the
ground.
The history of the London Underground goes back to the 19th
century. The first line was opened in 1863 (from 1863 steam locomotives, since 1890
electric ones). At the beginning most subterranean
railways in London were built using Cut and Cover technique. This involved
digging a deep trench in which the railway was laid and then covered up with the
soil. However, it was not possible to dig deep level tunnels this way. Henry
James Greathead invented a new technique. His new method used huge drilling
machines to bore a circular tunnel. Then the tunnel was strengthened with a cast
iron ring. This method is still employed today to extend the network of already
existing lines.
Today there are 13 underground lines which are divided into six fare zones with
Zone 1 covering central London. The newest addition to London Underground has
been the extension of Jubilee line enabling people to visit the Millennium Dome.
The map of the London Underground is very simple, clear and
comprehensible. It shows every underground line by name and in a different
colour making it really easy to plan the route to all the city's main
attractions. It can be obtained from any underground station free of charge. The
map was originally designed by electrical draughtsman Harry Beck in 1931 and was
first seen by the public in 1933. It serves thousands of customers every day and
is an essential guide to London. Beck's revolutionary design has also become a
template for transport maps all over the world.
The London Underground runs for 20 hours every day. It always tries to offer the
best possible service for its customers. If any train is delayed for more than
15 minutes (except in circumstances outside London Underground control such as
bad weather or security alerts) you can claim a refund. The refund amount is the
standard single fare for the underground journey you were undertaking.
Travelling by underground requires behaving in certain way.
There is some underground etiquette which is useful to know before you undertake
the journey:
- Do not read
over people's shoulder.
- Do not stand too close
to people.
- Let passengers off the train before you get on.
- Mind the gap. Some gaps
between train and platform are larger than others.
- Do not think that your bags and suitcases are entitled to a seat.
- Stand on the right when
travelling on escalators.
- Do not fall asleep.
- Avoid eye contact.
- Look before you sit.
- Stand clear of the
closing doors.
The London Underground is definitely an interesting place. It transports over 760 million passengers a year. At the stations you can encounter people begging, playing different musical instruments and singing. There are massive adverts trying to catch your attention. It has even inspired contemporary poets to write poems about it.
Around 267 million passengers a year use 5,500 buses on 6,500 km bus routes. The busiest place for bus traffic is
Trafalgar Square. There are three types of buses: the red double-deckers, quick single deck Red
Arrows buses, and Green Line buses which connect the City with many places in the London
area. In addition there are the familiar black
taxis and long-distance buses called coaches
which depart from Victoria Coach Station.
