More than 2,500 collectors are out at stations across London today as the capital marks 20 years of London Poppy Day, the Royal British Legion’s biggest single-day street collection.
Collections run from 7am until 7pm, with volunteers joined by personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. The milestone year comes with a target to beat last year’s effort, when the appeal passed its £1 million goal by more than £400,000.
Commuters will hear a familiar voice on the network today. Dame Elaine Paige has recorded special announcements for stations across London encouraging passengers to give to the London Poppy Appeal.
Royal British Legion bands are also performing at a handful of stations through the day, including Battersea Power Station, Blackfriars, Canary Wharf, Stratford and Westminster, giving the morning and evening peaks a distinctly commemorative soundtrack.
Across the network, the anniversary is hard to miss. Buses, trains and London Cable Car cabins are carrying bespoke poppy branding, while poppy-themed roundels have appeared at selected bus stations and London Underground and London Overground platforms.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was delighted to support the day as it reached its 20th anniversary, describing it as the biggest street collection of its kind in Europe and thanking the Armed Forces personnel and collectors out fundraising across the city. He urged Londoners to show their generosity once again to help the Legion continue its work supporting veterans, serving personnel and their families.
London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord, said Transport for London was immensely proud to have supported the Legion over the past twenty years, helping to raise tens of millions of pounds for the Armed Forces community. He said he hoped the special announcements, poppy-inspired vehicles and roundels would encourage passing customers to donate if they are able to.
Lucy Inskip, the Poppy Appeal’s director, said the Legion was incredibly grateful for TfL’s continued support, which helps bring the capital together to honour and support the Armed Forces community and ensures the charity can continue to be there for serving personnel, veterans and their families whenever they need help.
Free travel for collectors
There is practical help for the people doing the collecting. The rail industry is offering free travel to Royal British Legion volunteers and collectors travelling to and from London Poppy Day today, valid on Thursday 29 October plus one day either side, Wednesday 28 or Friday 30 October, to any London terminal station on presentation of a collector’s ID card.
The same free-travel offer covers serving personnel and veterans heading to Remembrance services this November, including the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Saturday 7 or Sunday 8 November, and the Submariners’ Remembrance Service events on Saturday 31 October or Sunday 1 November. This year it has also been extended to one nominated next of kin of a service person who died while serving.
Where the money goes
Donations to the Poppy Appeal can be made by contactless payment, and the money funds the Legion’s work with the UK Armed Forces community, including physical and mental health recovery services as well as financial and employment advice.
TfL’s relationship with the Armed Forces stretches back to the First World War. As a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, the transport body points to the veterans working across its network as bus controllers, drivers, engineers and project managers, and to its regular engagement with veteran groups on employment opportunities and challenges.
London’s transport network will join the rest of the country in observing the two-minute silence at 11am on Armistice Day, 11 November, in memory of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women who lost their lives in the two World Wars.
For readers still looking to pick up a poppy, our guide to London Poppy Day 2026 sets out where to find one and what your donation supports. Elsewhere on the network, the mainline lift at Liverpool Street station closes for months from 22 November, while the Bakerloo line extension featured in this week’s Budget.
