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'Thoughtless' Tube station renaming nets £500,000

BBC People walking in and out of an underground station with a blue sign above the entrance. The name written on the sign in white capital letters is "Burberry Street Station". Sticking out from the wall of the building above is a blue circular sign with "Burberry Street" written in white capital letters on a strip across the middle.BBC
Bond Street temporarily became Burberry Street in September last year

Transport for London (TfL) received £500,000 by temporarily changing the names of two Tube stations in the past year, it has been revealed.

Old Street became Fold Street last month, raising £300,000 as part of a collaboration with Samsung, while Bond Street was renamed Burberry Street last September, fetching £200,000.

Transport for All, a disabled-led campaign group, said: "Thoughtless PR stunts being used to plug holes in TfL funding cannot be at the expense of accessibility and safety for disabled passengers."

TfL said "any revenue received through these collaborations is reinvested into the transport network".

Alamy Passengers going in and out of the entrance to an underground station, with a large blue sign above the archway. Written on the sign in white capital letters are the words "Fold Street Station".Alamy
Old Street gained an F last month

'Messing around'

There were 57 complaints about the Bond Street renaming, but none about Old Street, an answer to a Freedom of Information request reveals.

Old Street's roundels and station signage were changed between 24 and 28 July, while Bond Street was renamed between 15 and 19 September 2023.

Emma Vogelmann, head of policy, campaigns and public affairs at Transport for All, said: “We all need accurate information to use the Underground – maps and signs are part of that.

"Messing around station names and roundels stops many disabled people being able to travel confidently."

A TfL spokesperson said: "Partnerships like this help us and brands positively engage with the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through our stations in a fun and playful way, while still ensuring they can use our network safely.

"Signage within trains, including the in-car digital displays which show what the next station is, automated train announcements, and route maps within the trains, were not changed as part of the temporary take-over."

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