Transport for London (TfL) is celebrating its 25th birthday with birthday messages delivered by 25 young transport enthusiasts across the capital.
Winning messages out of hundreds sent in a competition for children aged between 5 and 16 years old will be heard on 50 Tube and rail stations. Greetings with positive birthday messages and basic reminders like "mind the gap" will be played out every hour until 8:00 PM BST on Thursday.
Among the winners is six-year-old Gia from Barking, who loves commuting on double-decker buses because they give her a good view of her neighborhood. "I like to sit at the top where I can see everything," she explained.
Nine-year-old Lennox preferred the Elizabeth Line, which he said is so easy to reach. He was delirious getting out of school early to hear his announcement at Farringdon and Whitechapel stations.
TfL Commissioner Andy Lord said the anniversary "is a moment to reflect on the achievements of the last 25 years, and look forward to the future of our transport network – one which we're sure will be characterized by our super fans!
The competition asked children to pen their favorite TfL mode of transport—such as the Tube, buses, or DLR—in 100 creative words. The majority of the children, including disabled youngsters, wrote about how public transport makes it possible for them to get around London and catch up with family and friends.
Deputy Transport Mayor Seb Dance welcomed the "excellent" submissions as a "good way to mark TfL's 25th anniversary."
To further mark the milestone, commemorative silver "TfL25" roundels have been installed at 38 stations across the network, including at Battersea Power Station, Gospel Oak, and Greenwich Peninsula. Photo by Chris Sampson, Wikimedia commons.