As the UK gears up for the coronation of HRH King Charles III on May 6, here are some sustainable transport measures we’d like to highlight for those attending the royal event:
All eyes in the United Kingdom, and beyond, are transfixed on London as a new King and Queen are crowned on May 6, 2023. The official statement from Buckingham Palace states, “Across the Coronation Weekend, there will be further opportunities for people to come together in celebration of the historic occasion.” While the coronation invites have been sent out to 2,000 guests only (a much smaller gathering, in keeping with a modern monarchy of today), 20,000 will be attending the glittering Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. Meanwhile, people from all over the world will be gathering to witness this historic event.
Travel advisories have been issued for people attending the event and large screens are being set up at various locations for people to be able to witness the historic moment live with friends and family, all across the UK.
As it stands for now, King Charles III’s coronation will happen on Saturday, May 6, with the Coronation Concert taking place at Windsor Castle on May 7. Monday, May 8, has been designated ‘The Big Help Out’ in the UK, encouraging people to use their public holiday to engage in volunteering work in their communities. The government statement issued in January stated, “Coronation Big Lunches, thousands of street parties, and a day dedicated to good causes will bring communities together throughout the UK over the special Coronation Bank Holiday weekend.”
The Government has also confirmed additional screening sites for the Their Majesties’ Coronation, bringing the total to 57 in locations including Ely Cathedral, Trinity Market in Hull and Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, meaning that more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the Coronation live in their hometowns. So please plan accordingly.
To mark the Coronation weekend, communities are being encouraged to come together for street parties on the Sunday and across the UK more than 32,000 Coronation Big Lunch packs have been ordered with around 50,000 neighbourhood events, attended by millions of people, being planned. Eighty per cent of those signing up are first-time organisers. Plans include a youth centre Big Lunch in Shetland to community focused celebrations across the water in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A community carnival is being planned in Morecambe and a Big Lunch paddle board will take place in Bude, Cornwall. More details here.
You can skip the queuing and the chaos of the city with the complete list of screenings of the Coronation for you to enjoy.
Getting In And Around London For The Coronation (Sustainably)
- All transport networks will be running with no planned closures on Saturday, May 6. Night Tube and Night Overground services will be running on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6.
- Walking is often the best way to get around central London. You can reach many popular locations, especially in central London and the Royal Parks, on foot or by bike. Kindly refer to this map if you choose to cycle around the region. This map is for those who will be on foot.
- Tube and rail will be the best and timely way of getting around the capital over the Coronation weekend. Traffic snarls may cause bus and taxis to delay.
- The main Network Rail stations in London are: Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone, Paddington, London St Pancras, Victoria and Waterloo.
- There will be limited access to the procession route from Victoria station. If you arrive at Victoria, you may be directed to Hyde Park for screening sites.
- Great Western Railway has confirmed it will run some “very early” additional services to London Paddington from major stations in south Wales, south-west England and the Thames Valley area on Saturday May 6.
- South Western Railway (SWR) will have additional trains between London Waterloo and Windsor only for the coronation concert.
- On coronation day, Southeastern will run additional trains between Dartford and London Charing Cross, and longer trains on the Maidstone East Line and between London Victoria and Gillingham.
- If you are returning to London by train, kindly check last trains and use buses, taxis and minicabs. The Tube will stop running before midnight.
- The complete updated details can be found at the TfL website.
Some of the bus routes in central London have been discontinued, in other news, and may affect travel plans for commuters. Please plan ahead!
