TFL web site doesn't work for me anymore. Does it work for you? What is going on?

[jamboree7123]

For years I was able to use the TFL web site to calculate transit times and the length of tube journeys. But starting a couple of months ago, whenever I attempt to search for the specifics of any tube journey on the "Plan a Journey" part of the TFL web site, it only gives results for walking and cycling. I very carefully choose "Tube" on the "Edit Preferences" part of the search form, and even try to de-select walking and cycling, but still -- never gives any results for tube journeys, and always only walking and cycling.

I thought perhaps something was wrong with my computer, but I've now tried searches with four different devices, and get the same problem with all four.

Does this happen to you too, or is it only me?

If it's happenng to everybody -- why? Is the web site broken? Or did TFL intentionally disable its tube journey results to dissuade people from taking the Underground?

 

[BJames]

If I've understood this right, you're saying that whenever you search on TfL's journey planner you are never offered the tube option? If this is the case I'm not sure exactly what is going wrong but I've just tried (I don't use the TfL journey planner usually) with two random stations, Tottenham Hale and Fulham Broadway, and I got the below:

(Image desc: screenshot from TfL journey planner showing Victoria line to Victoria, then District Line to Fulham Broadway)

I use either citymapper or Google Maps if I'm making a journey I'm not sure about. However there are have been a number of occasions where the route I've opted for has been quicker than the routes suggested on both.

There are instances where TfL does change what they want you to do though - e.g. when the Euston escalator works were ongoing it was suggesting to take the victoria line to either Warren Street or Kings Cross and walk or bus. It was pretty difficult to get the journey planner to display Euston underground as the final destination.

 

[jamboree7123]

If I've understood this right, you're saying that whenever you search on TfL's journey planner you are never offered the tube option?

That's so strange -- it works for you, but not for me. I never can get any tube results, like in your screenshot. It's not related to any specific journey -- I do test searches for all different kinds of journeys on various lines, and still only get walking and cycling recommendations -- but nothing about the tube, despite setting the preferences correctly. I am so jealous that it works for you! I really don't know what is going wrong

 

[stuu]

Works normally for me, just tried several different journeys and works every time.

It does give you bike and walk options first if they are suitable though. Without meaning to sound patronising, have you checked you are scrolling down the page far enough?

 

[Roger1973]

I've just tried one with two random places (not underground stations - Brixton Academy to Victoria Coach Station) and I also got cycling and walking first, then route 2 then C10 bus, then two options involving the Victoria line.

Although something is not quite right - it said cycling would take zero minutes to do zero miles, walking would take 1 hour 9 minutes to walk 4.7 Km. I don't think even the TFL cycle hire scheme can cut through the space-time continuum...

Second plan was from a postcode near Lewisham to Mornington Crescent (the road not the underground station) and it only offered things involving bus not Underground from Charing Cross which was a bit surprising but may be plausible depending on how long it thinks it would take to walk to and from the Underground.

Third was Lewisham (place) to Highgate (place) and that offered something including the Northern Line that seemed reasonable.

Neither of the last two offered cycling / walking, so maybe it only does that if journey is less than X distance.

Wonder if it's the combination of browser / device you're using that there's something TFL website doesn't like? I'm using Firefox from a Windows PC.

Also may be worth clearing cache / cookies / browsing history in case you've got something clogging your device up a bit.

 

[jamboree7123]

Here is a sample search to show the crazy results: I purposely chose two stations so far apart that walking was impossible, but the tube would be fastest. As you can see in the screenshot, it only gives results for cycling, and then for buses, whch involves seven (!!) diifferent bus routes and nearly two-and-a-half hours! Meanwhile, the whole route should only take about 40 minutes on the tube. And yet -- it does not even give a tube journey as an option! (And yes, "tube" is checked in the "Edit preferences" page.) I even totally emptied my cache beforehand. Completely mysterious.

I think the problem might be that TfL updated their website code to make it no longer compatible with Safari for Mac (which is the browser I generally use). I just now downloaded an oddball little-known browser called "Maxthon" for Mac, installed it, and tried a TfL search -- and it FINALLY gave tube-journey results. Same computer. But different browser. The only expanation must be that the Web site is dysfunctional specifically when viewed with Safari, but no other browser. And it must be a a recent code update on the Web site, because Safari worked fine to render the TfL site until a couple months ago.

Anyway, problem "solved" I guess -- I just have to use this weird other browser, just for this one Web site.

 

[Roger1973]

Here is a sample search to show the crazy results: I purposely chose two stations so far apart that walking was impossible, but the tube would be fastest. As you can see in the screenshot, it only gives results for cycling, and then for buses, whch involves seven (!!) diifferent bus routes and nearly two-and-a-half hours! Meanwhile, the whole route should only take about 40 minutes on the tube. And yet -- it does not even give a tube journey as an option! (And yes, "tube" is checked in the "Edit preferences" page.) I even totally emptied my cache beforehand. Completely mysterious.

I think the problem might be that TfL updated their website code to make it no longer compatible with Safari for Mac (which is the browser I generally use). I just now downloaded an oddball little-known browser called "Maxthon" for Mac, installed it, and tried a TfL search -- and it FINALLY gave tube-journey results. Same computer. But different browser. The only expanation must be that the Web site is dysfunctional specifically when viewed with Safari, but no other browser. And it must be a a recent code update on the Web site, because Safari worked fine to render the TfL site until a couple months ago.

Anyway, problem "solved" I guess -- I just have to use this weird other browser, just for this one Web site.

And also a zero minute / distance cycle journey. I think they must have got the modes mixed up and got a 'tardis' option...

I've just tried your latest enquiry, and got a sensible answer involving the Northern Line (and one option involving the Victoria line as a 'short cut' from Euston to Stockwell.)

I don't have anything at home with Safari on, so can't try it. You do sometimes get odd results with websites when either browser software has recently been updated and a website hasn't caught up, or vice versa. (do you have the current version of Safari?) If you were using something very obscure, then maybe fair enough not to be able to handle it, but isn't Safari the main browser for mac / i-phone and such? It ought to be able to cope with them.

If it was just today you were having problems, I'd say try again tomorrow and see if it's sorted itself out, but that seems a bit poor, if you've had the same problem for a month or more.

There doesn't seem to be an obvious 'website feedback' contact on the TFL website. Their 'contact us' does include 'information request' as one of the options for reasons for contacting them, so may be worth a go.

 

[jon81uk]

Have you tried clearing cookies?

 

[jamboree7123]

Have you tried clearing cookies?

Yes, I cleared cookies and cache. Still doesn't work.

do you have the current version of Safari?

Not the very latest, but fairly recent.

At this point I'm just going to shrug and muddle through with the other browser, and let TfL sort it out, or ignore the issue, as they see fit.

 

[rebmcr]

Yes, I cleared cookies and cache. Still doesn't work.


Not the very latest, but fairly recent.

At this point I'm just going to shrug and muddle through with the other browser, and let TfL sort it out, or ignore the issue, as they see fit.

I'm curious if it does the same thing in Safari's 'Private Browsing' mode.

 

[jamboree7123]

I'm curious if it does the same thing in Safari's 'Private Browsing' mode.

Yep -- same problem. Just checked -- exact same "no tube" results even in Private Browsing mode.

 

[DaveB10780]

I have had this problem for a while now on my PC with Chrome and Edge, does anybody have an idea what is actually happening. No problem on my Android phone.

 

[martin2345uk]

Yes, I cleared cookies and cache. Still doesn't work.


Not the very latest, but fairly recent.

At this point I'm just going to shrug and muddle through with the other browser, and let TfL sort it out, or ignore the issue, as they see fit.

I am using Safari on Mac and it seems to work okay for me!

 

[Stephen42]

I have had this problem for a while now on my PC with Chrome and Edge, does anybody have an idea what is actually happening. No problem on my Android phone.

For me, for reasons I haven't dug into if I have my ad/tracking cookie blocker turned on I only get bus results. Trusting the TfL site brings back results involving tube/rail. Maybe check if you have any plugins/extensions for similar purposes and try trusting the TfL site on them to see if that changes anything?

 

[Rail101]

For me, for reasons I haven't dug into if I have my ad/tracking cookie blocker turned on I only get bus results. Trusting the TfL site brings back results involving tube/rail. Maybe check if you have any plugins/extensions for similar purposes and try trusting the TfL site on them to see if that changes anything?

This is what happens for me, too. If I'm using ad blocker or tracker blocker it only gives me bus results. I even have to clear cookies etc after turning them off to get normal results.

 

[DaveB10780]

On further investigation with browser settings on my PC it seems the fault was entirely (mostly?) mine. It seems that 4.5 years ago in 2020 I had decided that blocking cookiebot, which is a key part of the TFL web site, was needed to block certain ads. I did this by an entry in the hosts file (system32\drivers\etc\hosts). Most TFL functionality worked just fine without cookiebot but the route planning doesn't seem to. My view is that the route planning algorithm should function the same with or without cookiebot and return more than just bus journeys. It appears that is doesn't which is likely to be an obscure programming issue hence why I suggest TFL is at least part to blame. I am confident all will work properly from now on.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Interesting. I get the same problem with some journeys. Only getting Cycling and Walking when other modes are obviously better.

Something else I have noticed is for bus itineraries. For some searches I find that when I go to the map the bus routes are different to the associated itinerary !. Happens consistently for some From-To queries. It is as though the software re-calculates the route when you try to look at the map.

 

[Taunton]

I have likewise run into this issue for a while, only showing walking/cycling, it seems to come and go, presumably as updates to fix it are made and then overwritten.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

I think that it's highly sensitive to the departure
/ arrival time input. I think that this is relatively new behaviour.

I put in a departure time just after a train left and it gave several buses rather than the next train.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I think that it's highly sensitive to the departure
/ arrival time input. I think that this is relatively new behaviour.

I put in a departure time just after a train left and it gave several buses rather than the next train.

That reminds me. I too thought it was a feature of looking too late at night when there were possibly no trains or busses around. But I ruled that out. But it could be true if it is an intermittent problem.

I found using Edge worked where Chrome failed. Funny as I have had problems in the past solved by going to Chrome.

I usually refuse non-essential cookies and I am now wondering if that is the culprit. On my mobile, which works, I get asked for my cookie preferences so often that it makes me think I am being punished for refusing non-essential cookies !.

 

[jamboree7123]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Yes, it might have something to do with ad-blockers and cookie-refusal. I do have ad-blockers installed for Safari, which might be part of the culprit. But figuring out how to disable them just for this one website is too complicated for me at the moment, so I'll just keep sticking with the Maxthon browser (which does NOT have ad blockers).

 

[Egg Centric]

Has anyone reported to TfL? Very poor form if it's been going on this long and they're aware

 

[Roger1973]

I think that it's highly sensitive to the departure
/ arrival time input. I think that this is relatively new behaviour.

I put in a departure time just after a train left and it gave several buses rather than the next train.

I don't think that's entirely new.

If you have just missed a direct journey, it will try and find you a way of getting to your destination that gets you there before the next (more) direct journey.

It's not supposed to give you an option that will be overtaken by the next direct journey (other than where it's offering a bus only journey for example.)

Sometimes this is useful, sometimes it just tries a bit too hard and offers something that isn't really practical, and will only get you there a minute or two sooner than if you waited for the next direct route. For some journeys in London there are almost too many options.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

For some journeys in London there are almost too many options.

That's my main reservation about TfL's Journey Planner. It's unable to offer the equivalent of what an experienced member of LT/TfL staff would have told you in the past, picking just one or possibly two routes that would invariably work at most times of day, be easy to remember and
broadly as quick/convenient as any other rather than overwhelm the asker by suggesting endless alternatives. The current planner is too keen on showing niche journeys that perhaps only work once an hour, fine if you realise that but no good if you assume you can follow the same instructions 10 minutes later after picking up a coffee.

 

[Peter Sarf]

That's my main reservation about TfL's Journey Planner. It's unable to offer the equivalent of what an experienced member of LT/TfL staff would have told you in the past, picking just one or possibly two routes that would invariably work at most times of day, be easy to remember and
broadly as quick/convenient as any other rather than overwhelm the asker by suggesting endless alternatives. The current planner is too keen on showing niche journeys that perhaps only work once an hour, fine if you realise that but no good if you assume you can follow the same instructions 10 minutes later after picking up a coffee.

Yes. I tend to go for frequency and minimum number of changes. The frequency is hard to judge with journey planners.

 

[Voyageur]

I've reported the "thou shalt WALK!" problem many times to TFL. Never received an answer. I suspect the "no cookie" in Firefox may affect it. But why should I need to switch that on and off every time I check out a route. Timetable are a mess as well. You have to supply a very narrow timeslot (1 hour) and if if is anything that is not "first" or "last", you are entitled to stare at a wheel, and stare and stare.
If those who are in power want us to use public transport, they should see to it that information provided is speedy and accurate. Spending 90 minutes on finally not being able to complete a search for a Sunday morning trip from central london to Ashtead, is enough to pray I still had a car!
It is not just Tfl that lets us down, it is the whole public transport system. From information to execution.

 

[HandyHat]

TfL are aware of this issue and are trying to fix it
See: https://techforum.tfl.gov.uk/t/tfl-journey-planner-only-shows-cycling-option/934/11

 

[Peter Sarf]

A problem I have noticed crop up again is the MAP.
When I open the map for a particular itinery it often shows a completely different route !.
Correct start and end points but in between can be a different route (typically buses) but I think sometimes even a different set of modes.