Skip to main content

EIB backing for London transport

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide US$1.5 billion for investment in the London transport network. The 35 year loan from Europe’s long-term lending institution will support major projects, including significant upgrades by Transport for London (TfL) at Victoria and Bank Tube stations, which will transform passenger access at two of the busiest stations in the capital. The new support was announced by Jonathan Taylor, vice president of the European Investment Bank and Steve Allen, ma
September 15, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide US$1.5 billion for investment in the London transport network. The 35 year loan from Europe’s long-term lending institution will support major projects, including significant upgrades by 1466 Transport for London (TfL) at Victoria and Bank Tube stations, which will transform passenger access at two of the busiest stations in the capital.
 
The new support was announced by Jonathan Taylor, vice president of the European Investment Bank and Steve Allen, managing director, Finance TfL ahead of a visit to Victoria Tube station to witness the breakthrough of a new interchange tunnel between two new ticket halls being built at the station.
 
Commuters and visitors to the capital will benefit from step-free access between underground trains and street level at both Victoria and Bank Tube stations once work backed by the new EIB loan is completed. As well as transforming Victoria Tube station, the EIB loan will enable quicker and easier access for passengers changing between Bank and Monument stations, the fourth busiest interchange on the London Underground network. The loan will also be used to renew tracks, points and drainage on more than 102 km of the London underground network, including over 18km of tunnels.

Financial secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke said: “This announcement shows our plan to secure a good deal for the UK from the EU’s European Investment Bank is working. By providing US$1.5 billion worth of investment, vital upgrades can now be made at two of the capital’s busiest stations, making journeys easier for millions of working people. This is part of record lending by the EIB to the UK which totalled US$9.2 billion last year.”
 
Allen said: “More than 80 million customers already pass through Victoria Tube station each year and, once complete, this vital modernisation work will help us to keep pace with London’s rapidly growing population. The loan from the EIB is essential in enabling us to make the continued improvements to the transport network that support new jobs, homes and economic growth in London and beyond.”
 
“The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting investment to improve sustainable urban transport across Europe and around the world. Continued investment in London’s transport network is essential in addressing the changing and increasing transport needs in Europe’s largest and fastest growing city.” said Taylor.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TfL ‘fastest growing contactless merchant in Europe’
    March 17, 2015
    Transport for London (TfL) claims to be the fastest growing contactless Visa merchant in Europe and the UK for Mastercard and American Express just six months after it was launched on London Underground, tram, DLR, London Overground, buses and most National Rail services in London. The world leading technology is now being used by millions of customers, providing them with easier and more convenient journeys. Customers using contactless pay the same adult-rate pay as you go fare as Oyster and benefit from h
  • UK commuters spend up to six times as much of their salary on rail fares as other European passengers
    January 3, 2017
    Rail commuters returning to work this week will face fresh fare increases, while spending up to six times as much of their salary on rail fares as European passengers on publicly owned railways, new research by the Action for Rail campaign has revealed. UK workers on average salaries will spend 14 per cent of their income on a monthly season ticket from Luton to London (£387), or 11 per cent from Liverpool to Manchester (£292). By contrast, similar commutes would cost passengers only two per cent of t
  • New digital technology puts London transport at a tipping point, says think tank
    March 24, 2017
    In a new report, UK policy think tank The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) argues that London is at a crossroads between two futures. One where the transport network is increasingly gridlocked, the air grows ever dirtier and the cost of accessing good transport increases. Or one where all can harness the best of digital technology, reducing journeys and air pollution, and opening up new opportunities to make London a more attractive place to live. The report investigates how new technology co
  • Better websites build smarter transport participation
    March 17, 2017
    Transport initiatives are gaining traction through well-designed websites. Four European smart transport-oriented websites have gained honours in the 2016 .eu Web Awards, an online competition inaugurated in 2014 to recognise the most impressive sites within the .eu internet domain in terms of their design and content. The four were among 15 finalists across all five categories of the scheme, giving the transport sector a high profile for its proactive use of sites as communications tools for driving major