New "world first" live travel update service

A pilot service has launched today which allows tube and train passengers to get travel tweet alerts about delays straight to their phones.

Transport for London and Twitter have joined forces to provide the service which is being described as a "world first". It allows anyone who follows a combination of four existing TfL Twitter feeds to opt in to receive instant alerts about severe disruption.

Until now, Twitter users would need to obtain travel information by visiting the relevant account and searching for the latest tweets. The pilot scheme will allow notifications to be sent straight to customers' mobile devices or to their computer as a direct message.

The service is available for the District Line, Circle Line, London Overground and TfL Rail.

To opt in to the alerts, go to http://tfl.gov.uk/twitter-alerts