The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton Town, west London, will be throwing open its doors with a line-up of school-holiday activities to get families thinking about how transport shapes life in the Capital and imagining what a greener future for the city could look like. The Museum Depot will be open to visitors on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August and between Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 August.
The family activities are part of a new 18-month Climate Crossroads programme launched by London Transport Museum and supported by global engineering, management and development consultancy Mott MacDonald to shine a light on sustainable cities, travel, transport and greener skills for the future.
As families visiting the Museum Depot marvel at historic buses and Tube trains from the Capital’s past, they will follow a trail and see how the city’s transport network has evolved over time and imagine what a greener London could look like in the future. They will discover ‘green’ objects in the collection, get creative with a hands-on activity inspired by surprising green spaces in the city and enjoy storytelling about the wildlife we share the Capital with. Families can also enjoy an outdoor display of London taxis through time featuring models from the 1930s onwards and learn about green travel choices, from cycling to scooting.
The Depot shop will be open to browse for exclusive transport inspired gifts, and refreshments are available. Families can end their visit by hopping aboard the London Transport Miniature railway for a ride on replica models of vintage Underground trains used on the Metropolitan line between the 1920s and 1960s.
Timed tickets to visit the London Transport Museum Depot must be booked in advance online. Adult tickets cost £15 and tickets for children cost £7.50. Kids aged 3 and under go free. Local residents living in Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon can enjoy a third off tickets when booking online and concessionary rates are available. The latest guidance on the Museum’s coronavirus safety measures is available on its website.
On Saturday 14 August, the first time slot of the day between 10:00 to 10:30 is reserved for SEND Explorer Time to ensure a quiet and warm welcome to the Depot for families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Advanced booking online is essential and standard ticket prices apply.
Climate Crossroads
London Transport Museum’s summer line-up of family activities are the first in its new 18-month Climate Crossroads programme, which will shine a light on sustainable cities, travel, transport and greener skills for the future. The programme aims to get people thinking differently about how to make our city a greener place to live, and, inspired by the great engineering ingenuity of London’s past, will explore what innovations, skills and jobs we need to build this sustainable future.
Global engineering, management and development consultancy Mott MacDonald is leading the way with its support for the programme as the first Climate Crossroads industry coalition partner. For over 150 years Mott MacDonald has designed infrastructure to keep London running. The consultancy also delivers infrastructure projects around the world, improving society and delivering great social and environmental outcomes for cities and their citizens.
As a leading champion for the decarbonising of transport, Mott MacDonald is working with governments, clients and institutions to develop responsible solutions that meet increasing demand and reduce carbon emissions. The consultancy has also joined Race To Zero; a United Nations initiative to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery.
Over the next 18 months, the Climate Crossroads programme will feature family school-holiday activities, green-themed After Dark events, thought-leadership debates for business leaders and policy makers and skills and employability support for young people. Details of the activities will be publicised throughout 2021.
Sam Mullins OBE, Director, London Transport Museum, said: ‘We all have a part to play in building a green, sustainable future. With much of the Capital’s landscape associated with transport, London Transport Museum has an important role to play in igniting our audience’s curiosity to shape a green future for our city, from its climate and air-quality to its transport and urban environments and its nature and biodiversity. Our Climate Crossroads programme will shape our focus over the next 18 months and offer our visitors a lively programme of family activities and industry-led thought-leadership.’
Neil Henderson, Key Account Director for Transport, Mott MacDonald, said: ‘As major centres of production and consumption, a large proportion of the UK’s carbon emissions come from infrastructure that is within the boundaries of cities. London alone generates about one third of the carbon emissions in the UK. Transport is also the largest source of air pollution and therefore has a key role in helping London and the UK achieve carbon neutrality and improve the health of its citizens. We are very excited to be the first Climate Crossroads coalition partner. The programme will play a key role in educating and shaping travel behaviours as we transition to a carbon-free transport future.’
The launch of the Museum’s Climate Crossroads programme follows the publication of its Rethinking Sustainable Cities report in March, which was produced in partnership with leading technical and professional services firm Jacobs, international law firm Gowling WLG, global transportation company Thales, and mobility and logistics software solutions business PTV Group. In May, London Transport Museum also opened its newest gallery, London 2030. Created in collaboration with postgraduate students from Central Saint Martins, University Arts London, London 2030 offers an intriguing glimpse into how environmental change and technological advances could transform life in London by 2030, from ’15-minute cities’ and car-free neighbourhoods to autonomous electrical vehicles and delivery drones.
