There’s a capsule missing from the London Eye – here’s why

Eagle-eyed Londoners have spotted that something doesn’t add up at the £35 million Ferris wheel.

The London Eye has become a part and parcel of the city’s skyline in the 25 years since it opened – so much so that many locals might forget it’s there.

But for tourists, the 440-foot attraction is on the must-do list for London, along with the red telephone boxes and Madame Tussauds.

If you’ve looked up closely at the Eye in recent days, the chances are you have spotted a change – a gaping hole where a capsule should be.

The capsule hasn’t suddenly fallen off, but it was taken down last month as part of an upgrade to each pod to give them a fresh look.

The first of the 32 capsules was taken down and floated down the River Thames on a barge, leaving just the metal cage in its place.

One by one, the cabins are taken in for TLC, which will see them kitted with the latest technology, safety features and comfort enhancements at the UK Loco workshop.

The way the works are carried out means the London Eye remains open as usual.

Merlin Entertainments, the operator of the London Eye, estimates that all capsules will be renovated and back in action by 2029.

It told Metro that the pod is now undergoing six months of rigorous testing and evaluation which parts need replacement or enhancement.

Robin Goodchild, the general manager of the attraction, said: ‘In line with the planning permission for The London Eye, we pledged to futurise and invest in upgrading London’s most iconic skyline attraction.

‘It’s a momentous milestone to see the first capsule removed by our highly skilled team, as we continue the celebrating our 25th anniversary year. The Eye may look a little different to usual, whilst the renovation works are underway, but it’ll keep on rotating and welcoming guests to view London from 135M above.’

This is the first time since the London Olympics that the attraction has been updated.

The previous renewal started in 2009 and was completed just before the 2012 Olympics kicked off.

The London Eye was launched at the turn of the millennium on December 31, 1999, by Tony Blair.

It has seen some controversies and hiccups over the years.

In May, hundreds of tourists were trapped inside the capsules when the London Eye stopped working twice on one of the hottest days of the year.

During construction, environmental protesters managed to breach the security fence and scale the structure with banners.

Two of the protesters demonstrating against dam projects ended up spending the night latched onto the wheel in the nippy October air after two police climbers failed to persuade them to come down.

Another activist demonstrating against the sanctions on Iraq climbed the London Eye in 2000.

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