London Transit Adapts Lost Property System Amid Outage
TfL's online lost property form has been down for at least two days, requiring manual filing
TfL Lost Property Form Fails for Days
Transport for London riders who've lost items on buses or trains haven't been able to submit online lost property forms for at least two days, transit officials confirmed. The technical issue affects TfL's website reporting system, forcing passengers to contact customer service directly to file claims. Officials haven't said how many riders have been affected or when the form will be restored to full functionality.
Background
TfL's lost property system typically allows passengers to report missing items through an online form on the agency's website, streamlining the process of filing claims and tracking belongings. The current outage requires riders to contact customer service representatives who manually complete forms on their behalf, according to the transit agency. For lost mobile phones, customers must provide their device's IMEI number—a unique identifier that helps verify ownership. Officials didn't specify whether other digital services have been affected by similar technical problems.
Service Workaround
TfL customer service representatives are completing lost property forms manually for affected passengers as a temporary solution, transit officials said. The workaround was confirmed in a February 20 response to a rider who'd been unable to submit a form for a lost phone. Officials haven't provided details about how long manual processing takes compared to the standard online submission or whether the workaround is available during all customer service hours. The agency didn't release information about staffing levels dedicated to handling the increased volume of direct inquiries.
Timeline
The technical issue was first reported publicly on February 20, affecting riders for at least two consecutive days before that date. Officials haven't announced when the online form will be fixed or provided a timeline for restoring full functionality. The agency didn't say whether IT staff have identified the cause of the problem or how long repairs are expected to take.
Rider Impact
Passengers who've lost items on TfL services need to contact customer service directly rather than using the online form, and should have relevant information ready such as IMEI numbers for lost phones. Officials classified the issue as low severity but didn't explain how that determination was made or what criteria define severity levels for service disruptions. Riders using Moovit to navigate London's transit network can access real-time service information and plan alternative routes if they need to visit lost property offices in person.
