London's Cable Car Has Got A New Name

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 18 months ago
London's Cable Car Has Got A New Name
Cable car gondolas travelling in both directions, against a cloud-mottled sky
No longer the Emirates Air Line. Image: TfL

A new sponsor — and new official name — for the cable cars will come into force from October, it has been announced.

Technology company IFS (nope, us neither) takes over sponsorship from then, with the aerial transport route officially renamed as the IFS Cloud Cable Car — though we're not sure we see that catching on.

The terminals on either side of the river will be rebranded too. Prepare to take off from the IFS Cloud Greenwich Peninsula and come back down to earth at the IFS Cloud Royal Docks (or vice versa, if you're that way inclined), and to see that branding on the next edition of the tube map, too. The sponsorship will run for a minimum of two years.

A close look at the section of the tube map featuring the cable cars, with IFS Cloud Greenwich Peninsula and IFS CLoud Royal Docks labelled
The terminals on either side of the river will be rebranded too. Image: TfL

Previously known officially as the Emirates Air Line, the "dangleway" (as some Londoners nickname it) has been simply 'the London Cable Car' since that decade-long sponsorship deal ended in June 2022. TfL's struggle to find a new sponsor has been widely documented, though it's thought that closing the service completely was never an option, even with TfL's current funding issues.

A mock-up of an IFS branded cable car gondola in one of the terminals. It's mainly purpole, with lilac, blue and red clouds acrss the front, and the IFS logo in white.
The rebranded gondolas could look something like this. Image: TfL

Often mocked for its lack of passengers and odd location, things have looked up for the cable car recently, for a trio of reasons. Its popularity on social media, with TikTokers and Instagrammers featuring it on their channels, has seen new passengers riding it. It was also hoped City Hall's relocation to a building next to the Royal Docks end of the cable cars might boost regular commuter numbers. And, that Royal Docks terminal is a few minutes walk from Custom House station, which is a stop on the new Elizabeth line.

Both terminals are in a state of flux at the moment, with some of the previous sponsor's branding removed, and nothing yet replacing it. We're told rebranding will be completed by the time the new sponsorship comes into force next month. Whether it'll catch on in the parlance and minds of Londoners remains to be seen.

Last Updated 12 September 2022

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