busiest

ONE of the capital’s busiest Tube lines is used by around 400,000 passengers each day, but it is soon getting a major £3.4billion upgrade.

The Piccadilly Line in London will undergo a series of closures between this month and the end of November to carry out upgrades on the line and to prepare for new trains to be delivered.

The Tube line is one of the busiest in the capital with 210million passengers every year.

Closures on the line include the following dates:

• Night Tube September 18 between Hyde Park Corner and Northfields
• September 19 to 20 between Hyde Park Corner and Acton Town
• Night Tube September 25 between Cockfosters and Acton Town
• September 26 to 27 between Cockfosters and Uxbridge
• Night Tube October 16 to 18 between Hammersmith and Heathrow and Uxbridge
• October 28  to 30 between Cockfosters and Uxbridge
• Night Tube October 30 to November 1 with no service on the entire line
• Night Tube November 20 to November 22 between Hammersmith and Heathrow and Uxbridge

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Works being carried out during these dates will prepare the Tube line for new trains that will enter service between December 2026 and June 2027.

The trains will replace the current 1973 fleet which has operated since 1975.

In total, there will be 94 new nine-car trains and overall the modernisation of the Tube line will cost £3.4billion.

The new trains will feature an open-plan design, with 10 per cent more capacity.

And – a relief for London commuters – there will be air conditioning onboard, which is a first for a deep Tube train.

Each train will also have dedicated spaces for wheelchair users and screens with real-time train arrivals.

According to Transport for London, there will be 27 trains an hour instead of 24, which means there will be a Tube every 135 seconds.

The Bakerloo Line will follow the Piccadilly Line in getting new trains, but passengers will have to wait until around 2035 for this.

FOR the first time in 12 years, Dubai Airport could be knocked off its top spot for the world’s busiest airport.

It’s set to be overtaken by a hub in South Korea which has indoor waterfalls and peaceful gardens – while London Heathrow stays at number two.

Incheon International Airport could become the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, according to preliminary data from the Airports Council International.

The data reveals that Incheon served 38.4million international passengers during the first six months of 2026 which could see it given the title.

Prior to this, Dubai International held the crown of the world’s busiest airport for international passengers for over a decade.

Last year it saw 96.2million international passengers in one year.

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But due to the Iran War, footfall has decreased, and it’s predicted to fall outside of the top five.

However, Dubai International is still predicted to have seen 70million passengers by the end of the year.

According to the initial reports, London Heathrow is set to retain second place, recording 37.79 million passengers in the first half of the year.

It came in second place last year with 79.8million international passengers in 2025.

Expected to be in third place is Singapore’s Changi Airport, which has seen 34.53million international passengers pass through in the first half of this year.

Incheon International Airport first opened in 2001 as a hub for northwestern South Korea – about 25 miles away from Seoul and has seen visitor numbers skyrocket.

It has had an increase of 18 per cent this year with some traffic from flights taking different paths due to airspace closures.

South Korea has seen a surge in popularity in recent years thanks to K-pop as well as its fashion and food.

For anyone travelling across, to Incheon International Airport, they’ll find it’s modern and bright with high glass ceilings, plenty of natural light and indoor gardens.

The botanical zones have features like waterfalls as well as vertical gardens with trees and orchids to give it a calming feel.

Terminal 2 is designed to appear like an art museum with rotating installations, sculptures, and even interactive exhibits.

The airport also has a spa and sauna, capsule hotels, children’s play areas – outside is a 36,000-square-meter flower field and plane-spotting park.

One passenger was so impressed by the airport that he called it the “future of travel”.

Another called it “Korea’s most beautiful terminal”.

Incheon International Airport also ranked seventh in Travel + Leisure’s ‘World’s Best Awards’.

These airports were declared the best by readers who voted in their thousands for their favourites in multiple categories for the publication.

Official statistics will be released by the ACI in its World Airport Traffic Report next month.

DODGING the crowds on Oxford Street could become a thing of the past ahead of new plans to ban all traffic.

The busy London street is taking its first steps to becoming pedestrianised and will partially close to cars in October.

It’s not the first time that Oxford Street has been closed to vehicles – but this will be a move for a permanent change.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan‘s vision is for it to be transformed into a ‘pedestrian plaza’ at the cost of £150million.

At first, not all of Oxford Street will be closed to cars – the plan is for 1km to be traffic free by the second half of October.

Buses won’t be allowed to drive down the pedestrianised area either and will be diverted to other roads.

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The section closed to traffic will be Orchard Street near Selfridges and Great Portland Street.

This area includes the Oxford Circus junction where Oxford Street and Regent Street cross.

Not only will the road be shut, but there will be new seating and planters installed too.

This is a test followed by a review of the scheme which will take place in spring 2027 – work will then start on making it permanent later on in the year.

The end aim is for Oxford Street to undergo an enormous £150million to be completely pedestrianised between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

There will be more space for its 500,000 daily visitors to walk around by replacing the roads with paths.

There are concerns though – some locals are worried that the pedestrianisation will push the traffic out into the surrounding areas such as Soho and Mayfair.

Council leader Paul Swaddle has raised further issues including safety.

He said: “At the moment, if you go to Oxford Street at midnight, there are buses, there are people getting night buses – you would feel relatively safe.

“If you were crossing that on your own – if one of my kids was crossing it on their own in the evening, I’d be concerned.”

Other concerns are about emergency services, however unlike private vehicles, they will have access to the street at any time in the new plan.