London has always been a city that moves. From the world’s first underground railway to the Oyster card, the iconic red bus to the Elizabeth line, the capital’s transport story is one of relentless ingenuity — and it belongs to everyone.
We’ve just announced the most ambitious transformation in the history of London Transport Museum: a reimagining of our iconic Covent Garden home ahead of our 50th anniversary in 2030.
Last year, nearly 450,000 people walked through our doors, the highest annual total since we opened in the historic Victorian flower market building in 1980. Across the site as a whole, including retail, we welcomed over 1.7 million visitors. Those numbers reflect something important: there is a genuine, growing appetite to engage with this city through the systems that shaped it. Initiatives like Transported by Culture have shown us that when we bring music, theatre, art and design into this space, we reach new audiences who might never have considered a transport museum their destination. Our job now is to build on that momentum.
The transformation, LTM50 — will introduce a dramatic new entrance opening directly onto Covent Garden Piazza, connecting the Museum more naturally with the surrounding neighbourhood. We will add an extra 500 square metres of space for improved galleries and learning experiences, alongside major environmental upgrades targeting a 90% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions through low-carbon heating and sustainability improvements. We expect annual visits to grow by more than 20%, drawing broader and more diverse audiences to the heart of the Piazza.
But this is about more than footfall or a grander building. Celebrating London’s journey from Victorian innovation to the capital of tomorrow, LTM50 will tell the story of how transport shaped one of the world’s greatest cities — and how London continues to lead the way in design, engineering and urban innovation. New interactive galleries will connect thousands more young Londoners with engineering, design, green skills and the future of cities. If this Museum is to remain truly relevant for the next 50 years, it must be a place that inspires the people who will build that future.
Importantly, the Museum will remain open throughout the works, carefully managed to minimise disruption. Visitors will begin to see new experiences and upgraded facilities progressively, ahead of our 50th anniversary in 2030, building towards a full relaunch and anniversary celebration in 2030.
For almost half a century. Londoners and visitors from around the world have come here to explore the city through its transport system. The capital’s transport story is one of the greatest innovation stories in the world. It deserves a stage to match.