This summer London Transport Museum will celebrate the amazing ways electricity has transformed the capital’s transport network for more than century – from the innovative introduction of electric locomotives that created the world’s first underground electric railway in 1890 to TfL’s use of cutting-edge technology today to create a zero-emissions transport network for London by 2050.
Events will take place at the award-winning London Transport Museum during the summer school holidays in Covent Garden, and its Museum Depot in Acton, west London between Friday 3 and Sunday 5 July 2026.
Image © London Transport Museum
‘Powering London’ Depot open days, 3-5 July
London Transport Museum Depot, Acton Town
Ticketholders will have the chance to explore a working museum collection store. Packed with over 320,000 amazing objects, the Museum’s Depot is a treasure trove of London’s transport past, housing vehicles, maps and posters that are not currently on display in the Covent Garden Museum.
Visitors can take part in activities inspired by London’s electric evolution and explore the Museum Depot’s vast collection of historic vehicles, plans, posters, signs and maps.
What’s on:
Expert talks: join the Museum’s curators to discover the story of London’s electric evolution, from tales of trams and trolleybuses to the impact on poster design. Hear from guest speakers from the transport sector, including Andy Gwilliam, Head of Product and Standards at First Bus, to hear about the challenges, opportunities and lesson’s learned in transforming the First Bus fleet, from the introduction of their first electric buses in 2014 to operating 1,500 zero-emissions buses and 19 electrified depots today. Plus discover the exciting things TfL are working on that can give us a glimpse into what an electric London of the future could look like
Vehicle displays: see historic Tube trains and buses and fascinating electric vehicles that have shaped the capital, including the pioneering 1967 Tube stock, built for the Victoria line to create one of the world’s first fully automated railways using Automatic Train Operation (ATO)
Equipment demonstrations: enjoy a live demonstration of heritage train signalling equipment with restored London Underground signalling frames
Depot tours: learn about signalling, discover curiosities from the small object store and visit the poster store – home to famous works of graphic art that have adorned the Tube network since the 1900s
‘Spark Station’ tech demos and workshops: learn about and test out tech, including exploring electric circuits with Cubic Transportation Systems, creating tunnel and train effects with Telent and working through a series of challenges with our STEM Ambassadors
Creative activities for families: test your knowledge of London’s beloved transport seating fabric and play ‘Match the moquette’ to the line or design your own bus inspired by stories of London’s Night Bus, introduced in 1913
The chance to shop for exclusive transport gifts and souvenirs: pick-up moquette pattern socks, scarves and cushions, framed posters, limited-edition prints and original Underground signs
SEND-friendly hour, 10:00-11:00 on Saturday 4 July: enjoy the event at a quieter time. For visitors with additional needs, including special educations needs and disabled visitors
See full event programme and book in advance at ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/depot-open-days. Children aged 3 and under go free. Concessions are available including Ealing and Hounslow local resident tickets.
The Powering London Museum Depot Open Days event is part of London Transport Museum’s Enjoyment to Employment programme, a collective response that tackles the engineering and green skills shortage in the UK transport sector by turning childhood enthusiasm into future careers. This important education and social impact work is only possible thanks to our industry partners Cubic Transportation Systems, Hitachi Rail, Sopra Steria, Telent and Transport for London and support from John Lyon’s Charity and London Transport Museum Friends.
Image © London Transport Museum
Summer holidays: Electric pioneers, 21 July – 2 September 2026
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden
This summer, visitors to the Museum in Covent Garden can enjoy a packed programme of family fun exploring how electricity has shaped transport in London. Discover the story of electric travel in the capital, from the 125th anniversary of trams in London to 100 years since the first electric traffic light was installed on the city’s streets.
Activities for all ages include:
Celebrate 100 years of electric signals in London and design your own traffic light
Code your own electric toy train on a mini railway and discover how technology powers modern transport systems
Meet costumed characters in the Museum’s galleries and learn more about electric vehicles in the collection
Get creative in a range of arts and crafts sessions run by other organisations who will pop up at London Transport Museum throughout the holidays
Activities for ages 5 plus include:
Meet a Victorian passenger and go for an imaginary journey on the world’s first electric underground railway
Inspired by London’s first electric buses from 120 years ago, tinker with a model bus and make it strong enough to carry a heavy load
Design and play your own board game while discovering the story of trams, one of London’s lesser-known modes of electric transport
Activities for ages 5 and under include:
Discover how electricity is made and explore greener ways of powering vehicles in the future in an interactive storytelling session
During a visit to the Museum, families can also explore historic vehicles, climb aboard mini trains in the All-Aboard play zone and try driving an Elizabeth line train in the Future Engineers gallery. When it is time for a break, visitors can visit the Museum’s cafe for a bite to eat or head to the Museum shop, where they will find an exclusive range of transport-inspired toys, gifts, stylish homewares and vintage posters.
Adult tickets to visit London Transport Museum in Covent Garden include free return day-time entry for a whole year, and kids go free! Book in advance online: ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/summer-holidays-electric-pioneers
