Google Maps adds London tube network

Good news for anyone surviving life in the rat-race of London’s commuter system – Google has added tube and bus travel to its Google Maps service.

This means that commuters in London will be able to take advantage of the maps to easily work out the quickest route to any point in the capital by incorporating Transport for London’s route-planning system.

All that needs to be done is to enter where you wish to travel from and to, and the new map service will provide a range of modifiable options using the Underground, bus, tram and Docklands Light Railway networks.

On a smartphone the current location will also be immediately updated. Times for journeys are given with info on distance and how long the specified mode of transport will require, with information provided via TfL’s London Datastore.

“We’re strong supporters of open data and bringing information out into the open, and believe that making information publicly accessible can be an enormous engine of economic growth and innovation,” the firm said in a statement.

Google has also recently released the Google Maps 5.8 update for Android, adding improvements for the Places and Latitude features. This will mean users can update the Places feature with photos on the go.

Google has also added a descriptive search tool, so finding a “cheap pub” in a “seedy part of Soho” should be easy enough along with the map tools.