Mind the Gap: The Official TfL Podcast

On a very sunny rooftop overlooking central London, podcast guest presenter Louis VI meets Lilli Matson, TfL's Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer to talk about the city she helps to keep moving - and changing.

For London Climate Action Week 2026, they talk about the real numbers behind London's shift toward sustainable transport: the huge growth of cycling, links with safety policies, TfL's surprising status as one of London's biggest landowners, and the quieter infrastructure work — wildflower verges, sustainable drainage, renewable energy — that's reshaping the city without most people noticing.

Also, should London be turned into a big sponge?

For London Climate Action Week 2026, guest presenter Louis VI heads to a tube station platform for a personal chat with Mete Coban, London's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy — the person tasked with steering one of the world's biggest cities, and its transport network, toward net zero.

In this episode, they get into the scale of the challenge: how London and TfL plans to power itself, what rewilding actually looks like, and what the climate targets that are often talked about actually mean for the lives of real Londoners.

They also discuss a beaver called Justin.

TfL's official podcast returns for London Climate Action Week 2026. 

Musician and zoologist Louis VI takes the reins as guest host, sitting down for insightful and genuinely personal chats with the people actually making the calls on London's climate future — the Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, and TfL's Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer.

Expect the big stuff: electric buses, TfL rewilding, cleaner energy for transport, and London's ambitions to lead the world on climate. But also the unexpected — including a beaver called Justin, and a plan to turn the entire city into a giant sponge.

Two full episodes are coming in the next few days, wherever you get your podcasts — and for the first time, every second is available to watch in full video too, on the TfL YouTube channel.

Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss out: https://pod.link/1721817495

Mind the Gap on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtnlusA0ZoghIa2I4XcrdZOz3JoKsc3bd&si=06r9QJ0so585jFn8

Tim puts on his very best moquette socks and accepts a generous invite into the heart of City Hall, to chat with Deputy Mayor of London for Transport Seb Dance about a couple of big questions, including:

How much has cycling and air quality changed in London since the year 2000 when TfL was born?

The answer is: quite a lot, actually.

From riding a Santander hire bike through Canary Whard to jumping on the DLR and the Overground and beyond, Tim is on a mission in this series finale to uncover the secrets of TfL's environmental improvements and active travel: zero emission buses , ULEZ, energy efficiently in TfL buildings and so so much more.

Tim also takes a quick stroll over to the magnificent London Transport Museum to meet some young people who perhaps represent the future of London and won a competition to have their own voices on TfL public announcements: The TfL Superfans!

And finally - Tim ends his epic journey on board a beautiful London Tram, another jewel in the TfL crown.

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Mind the Gap is the Official podcast of Tfl, created by TfL

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A special thanks to the TfL25 corporate sponsors of this special edition podcast, they are:

 A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, Keolis Amey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK

What's the biggest innovation of the last 25 years on public transport in London? Is it the Elizabeth line, the contactless revolution, the Overground line naming, electric buses, new trains that are incoming on the Piccadilly line and DLR - or something else? What about the Night Tube?

Tim Dunn dives headfirst into the spectacular world of TfL innovation, from deep in the Elizabeth line tunnels and new stations, to a secret room underneath Tottenham Court Road tube station.

DJ and Radio 1 presenter Jaguar sits down with Tim for a chat about another major TfL innovation: The Night Tube - how it's changed London's nightlife, her own life, and made things better. Tim also meets the most qualified person in London to talk about contactless technology: Chief Technology Officer of Transport for London Shashi Verma, to discover a bit more about the magic of that system and how on earth it all works.

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Mind the Gap is the Official podcast of Tfl, created by TfL

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A special thanks to the TfL25 corporate sponsors of this special edition podcast, they are:

 A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, Keolis Amey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK

The biggest events in London's recent history have all had TfL at their centre, everything from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, to the 7/7 attacks, and regular planned events like Notting Hill Carnival and Pride - and Tim Dunn is on a whirlwind transport mission to meet four key personalities who were, as they say, in the room where it happened.

Legendary singer Heather Small sits down with a very starstruck Tim to chat about her role in London 2012 (including her famous rendition of her song 'Proud', as well as her passion for London and how she'll never leave the neighbourhood where she was born. Tim also speaks with gold medal winning Olympian Pete Reed, one of the heroes of the London games, to hear about his memories of that glorious summer. Pete suffered a spinal stroke in 2019, which means he now uses a wheelchair. He campaigns for better accessibility, and speaks about the importance of better provision on public transport, and the challenges that remain, as well as a unique traffic light project he worked on with TfL.

Tim also speaks with TfL's Mark Evers, the former Director of Games Transport in the leadup to the Olympics and Paralympics, before heading to meet the one-and-only Joan Saunders-Reece, Emergency Planning Manager and the first female train operator on the Victoria line, to hear more about her incredible career and involvement in major London events - including the response and experience of the London bombings on 7/7.

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Mind the Gap is the Official Podcast of TfL, created by TfL.

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In her interview, Heather Small mentions that she is currently on tour, and more information can be found via her social media at https://www.instagram.com/heathersmallmpeople/

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A special thanks to the TfL25 corporate sponsors of this special edition podcast, they are:

 A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, Keolis Amey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK

Do you remember where you were at the dawn of the new millennium (if you're old enough to remember, that is)

Tim Dunn takes you back to the year 2000 to chart the origins of Transport for London, which was created that year. In a whirlwind trek across London, Tim is joined by guests including comedian Babatunde Aléshé outside the O2, TfL boss Andy Lord in the high-security Surface Control Centre, and Archives Manager Tamara Thornhill deep in the archives office, to discuss what TfL is, what makes it so special, what came before and what might be coming next…

This is episode one of a brand new four-part series on TfL 25, celebrating the 25th birthday of Transport for London.

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Mind the Gap is the Official Podcast of TfL, created by TfL.

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In his interview, Babatunde mentions his tour and his website, which you can find here: babatundealeshe.com

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A special thanks to the TfL25 corporate sponsors of this special edition podcast, they are:

 A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, Keolis Amey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK

Tim Dunn is ready to take you on a whistle-stop tour through the last 25 years of London and TfL's history in the brand new series of the official TfL podcast: Mind the Gap, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary year of Transport for London.

He'll be joined by singer Heather Small, Comedian Babtunde Aléshé, DJ Jaguar, gold medal-winning Olympian Pete Reed, and many more, as he charts the achievements, successes, innovations, and important moments in TfL's history.

Follow the podcast NOW to ensure you don't miss an episode. And please, Mind the Gap.

A special thanks to the TfL25 corporate sponsors of this special edition podcast, they are:

 A.J Wells, Alstom, Arriva, First Bus, Go Ahead London, Keolis Amey Docklands, Links Signs, Metroline, Siemens, Stagecoach, Stewart Signs and Transport UK

Tim Dunn enters a world he admits he knows absolutely zero about: the world of weaving. Plus - did you know that the fabric on TfL seats, moquette, is also woven?

Travelling on what will become the London Overground Weaver line to Bethnal Green station, Tim meets fine artist and maker Anna Ray, who has a special family connection to weaving and the incredible and dramatic history of textile production in east London that dates back to at least the 1700s.

Tim then discovers that the moquette seats he sits on every day on Overground trains, tubes, trams and buses are also all woven. After another quick train ride, Tim meets Honor Clough from Camira fabrics, who explains how they weave this amazing and historic material. Then Tim sits down for a chat with TfL designer Claire Dilnot-Smith, who has a very enviable job: she designs the patterns for the moquette seats.

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Weaving and textiles in East London have deep roots dating back to the 16th century, when Protestant Huguenots fled religious persecution in France and settled in Spitalfields. Skilled silk weavers, they helped to transform the area into a major centre for the silk industry. By the late 17th and 18th centuries, the weaving trade flourished, with workshops and homes intertwined in this East London district.

Spitalfields silk became renowned for its high quality, worn by the English aristocracy, and complex and beautiful patterns and designs would be woven into the cloth on the loom by the silk weavers.

However, competition from imported textiles and changing fashions led to the decline of the silk industry by the late 18th century. The rise of mechanized cotton mills in northern England further undercut traditional hand-weaving practices in East London.

In the 19th century, new waves of immigrants, including Irish and Jewish communities, revitalized the textile industry, focusing on tailoring and garment production. East London’s Whitechapel and Bethnal Green districts became hubs for garment manufacturing, catering to London’s growing fashion markets.

However, by the mid-20th century, global shifts in production led to the decline of East London’s textile and garment industries. Despite this, the area’s rich history of weaving and textile production left an enduring legacy, influencing London’s fashion and creative industries to this day.

In recent decades, the district has seen a revival of craft and design, with local artisans and designers drawing inspiration from its weaving heritage. Today, East London is known for its vibrant fashion and creative scene, a modern echo of its historical textile roots.

Levi Roots and Arthur Torrington are Tim's guides on the incredible and ongoing history and impact of the Windrush generation.

Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Levi Roots' life has been shaped by his personal Windrush story, and he sits down on a London Overground platform on the new Windrush line to discuss it with host Tim Dunn. Levi speaks about what it was like to leave Jamaica and his grandmother to join the rest of his family, as well as how his life as a boy in Brixton prepared him for his Dragon's Den triumph.

Tim is also joined by influential activist, campaigner and organiser Arthur Torrington, co-founder of the Windrush foundation, who explains the context of the Windrush history, including the Windrush scandal and how that affected those involved, and talks about the 'game changer' of having a line on London's transport network permanently named after Windrush.