The Leader podcast: Could London become ‘full’ ahead of Queen’s funeral?

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Jon Weeks|Rachelle Abbott13 September 2022
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There’s a warning London could become ‘full’ for the first time, ahead of the Queen’s lying-in-state procession on Wednesday.

It’s predicted up to one million extra people could flock to the capital and queue to see the Queen, both during the procession and at Westminster Hall over the next five days.

Her late Majesty’s coffin will be taken from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster at 14:22 on Wednesday afternoon, but mourners have already started camping out.

It’s estimated people travelling to the procession could face queues of up to 20 hours, and there are warnings public transport will face ‘unprecedented’ demand.

Some train journeys from the North East to London have already sold out, and in London night trains will run to accommodate the extra people.

TfL has warned there will be changes on the tube, including some trains that don’t stop at every station, and alterations to how people enter and exit some stations.

Hotels have also reported a rise in bookings this week, and are expecting high demand through until Monday.

Ross Lydall, the Evening Standard’s City Hall and Transport Editor talks us through the travel situation, and how best to get around London over the next five days.

And the Evening Standard's Crime Reporter John Dunne explains how substantial the police operation will be to deal with the influx of people into the city.

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