Thousands of royal fans are expected to flock to London this weekend for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Britons will be able to catch a glimpse of the royals during a procession down The Mall and a balcony appearance, with some avid royal watchers already camped out to see the event.
Because of the sheer volume of people expected to be in the city over from May 6 – May 8 there will be changes to some public transport services.
If you are travelling around central London over the weekend, walking or cycling is advised by TfL as the best way to get around.
However, if using public transport is unavoidable, here’s a look at what travel disruption you can expect over the weekend.
London Underground
ansport For London has said the Tubes and Overground will operate as normal over the coronation weekend – and advise those travelling into town to watch the procession to use public transport rather than driving.
However, stations are likely to be busier than normal, particularly during the day on Saturday, and particularly at key interchanges.
St James’s Park station, the closest Tube to Buckingham Palace, will be closed, while Hyde Park Corner station will be exit only during the event.
The following stations are either close to or within walking distance of the procession route:
- Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern Lines),
- Embankment (District and Circle Lines)
- Westminster (District, Circle and Jubilee Lines).
- Green Park (Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee Lines)
- Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines)
- Temple (Circle and District Lines)
- Marble Arch (Central Line)
Victoria station (District, Circle, Victoria Lines and National Rail) will also be open but there will be limited access to the procession route from here – passengers may be directed to Hyde Park from Victoria for screening sites.
Coronation of King Charles III latest
Some stations may temporarily close if necessary to prevent overcrowding, while others may have a queue service in operation, or use different entrances and exits to normal.
You could also consider alighting at a station further away from the main procession area and completing your journey on foot, as these may be less busy.
For example, Transport for London suggests those planning to go to the viewing areas in Hyde Park could consider using Paddington station, which is a 15-minute walk away, or Marylebone, which is a 25-minute walk.
The Night Tube will be running as normal on Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6.
In all cases, you should check the TFL website for status updates before setting off, and allow as much time for your journey as possible given how busy services are likely to be.
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Trains
National Rail states that all train services will be running as normal over the coronation weekend and that additional services will be put on where possible.
However, it states that services are expected to be extremely busy and queuing systems may be put in place in some areas to manage crowds.
You can find more information on the National Rail website.
Those travelling by train to the coronation concert on Sunday, May 7 are advised to use the South Western Railway service from Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside station, or GWR from Reading, changing at Slough for the service to Windsor and Eton Central.
Those who are travelling to Windsor for the concert should also remember that as it is a Sunday, London Underground services finish before midnight – so you should plan your journey in advance if you need to use the Tube.
Road closures
The City of Westminster will be affected by significant road closures on May 5 and May 6.
Vehicles included cars, buses, coaches, vans, trucks, motorbike or bicycles will not be allowed into the restricted areas once the closures are in place.
Affected areas include Victoria, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Here is a map of the area that will be affected:
You can find more information on the City of Westminster website.
Buses
On Saturday May, 6 some buses in the Westminster area will be diverted or will stop short of their destination due to the road closures highlighted above.
If your bus normally travels through the area affected by road closures, you can expect longer journey times.
It is therefore advisable to take another means of transport if possible, such as the tube.
Cycling
Those looking to cycle through London will be able to do so but some cycle lanes, including Cycleway 3, will be closed.
It may also be too crowded to cycle in Central London during the procession, so this is something to bear in mindif you are planning a journey by bike.
Some Santander Cycle hire docking stations will also be closed on May 5 and 6.
You can find a full list of those affected here.
TfL advises checking its bus status updates for the latest information.
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