Waterloo & City Tube line to reopen from 21 June
The Waterloo & City line will reopen on 21 June, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today, having been shut since the first coronavirus lockdown.
The underground line, which connects the commuter hub at Waterloo with the Square Mile, is a vital artery for many who commute into the office.
Upon reopening, the Waterloo & City line will run every five minutes Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 10:00 in the morning and 15:30 to 19:00 in the afternoon.
TfL has added extra services in a bid to help those without flexible hours to continue to socially distance when taking the line.
Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at Canada Corporation, said it was “an exciting moment in the return to normality”.
“The reopening of the historic Waterloo & City line is vital to the Square Mile’s recovery. We welcome today’s announcement aligning the reopening of the service with the next anticipated step in the easing of restrictions.”
At the moment, the number of people coming into the City by train and bus is still just a fifth of pre-pandemic levels.
But it is likely that these numbers will climb as the summer continues and more restrictions are lifted.
During the pandemic, Waterloo & City line tube drivers were drafted onto the Central Line to help manage the extra services required by the pandemic.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan thanked them for their efforts, saying: “I’m grateful that Waterloo & City drivers have helped ensure we could offer the most frequent service possible on the Central line over the challenging past year, and I’m delighted that from next month the Waterloo & City line will return.
“I’m very pleased to announce the return of this commuter line, which is an important milestone in the reopening of our city and will help get the central London economy back to life and protect jobs.”