diamond geezer

 Thursday, December 11, 2008

On Tuesday evening, while you were travelling home (and I was sitting in the bowels of the London Transport Museum), tube bosses took part in a live online Question Time. Members of the public sent in questions, and top brass answered. Detailed sensible answers in most cases, even when the questions were way off the mark.

"Hello, I wanted to ask why so many tube stations do not have lifts? I dont think its right in this day and age. Every other tube/metro/train station in most countries have them -e.g. in Paris France and in San Francisco, California, USA. It makes it so hard for elderly customers and those who cant manage escalators very well. When can we expect to see lifts or at least more stairs at EVERY station? I hate the escalators -theyre often crowded, and feel dangerous as theyre so steep/big. [Asked by DiVa]

If you've ever wondered when the upgrade at Earl's Court will be finished (#24), or why more trains go to Hainault than Epping (#10), or why the Northern line's filthy (#45), you'll find the answers here.

Casually tossed into the discussion are two potentially important announcements about splitting lines. There's long been talk that the Northern line might be divided in two, with all trains from High Barnet heading along the City branch to Morden and all trains from Edgware heading via Charing Cross to Kennington. This is strongly hinted at in Answer #44, but only during rush hours and only against the flow. And not until at least 2017, apparently, because there isn't the technology or money before that.

Answer: We have developed a service proposal that would operate an even split of services from High Barnet (or Edgware) to both City and Charing Cross branches in the morning peak, but with all northbound (ie contra-flow) services split so that all services from the City would go to High Barnet. This pattern would reverse in the evening.

But the really interesting suggestion is in Answer #69. It's to do with long-standing plans regarding the Circle line, which is undoubtedly the rubbishest underground line of all. It looks so tempting on the map, but in reality the trains are only scheduled to run every eight or nine minutes. The Circle also shares its tracks with too many other sub-surface lines, so services are often late, or slow, or cancelled. Alas there's no easy way to improve things, not without undertaking a radical overhaul of precisely where the Circle line actually runs. Not without splitting the Circle. And, it appears, this might be happening in just 12 months time...

I have a problem with the interaction of the trains at Edgeware Road circle, district, H&C. [Asked by Dan]
We're currently looking at the possibility of introducing a change to the service pattern in December 2009 which would help to address some of the issues that you describe.

The plans, as I understand them, are as follows. Only the Circle line will be tweaked. The trains won't go round in circles, they'll start and finish. One end of the line will be Hammersmith. Trains will shadow the Hammersmith & City line between here and Paddington, doubling the frequency of the service. Then they'll pull into Edgware Road (platform 1) before heading on a big loop all the way round the existing Circle line to Edgware Road (platform 2). And here they'll stop. And then they'll go all the way back round the loop again, via Edgware Road (platform 4) to Hammersmith. That's going to be fun explaining to tourists, isn't it? There's an informative map here, courtesy of London Connections (and a bloody useless map here, courtesy of the thelondonpaper).

The upshot of these changes is that it won't be possible to travel from Baker Street round to Notting Hill Gate without changing trains. At the moment you can take the Circle line, but in the future you'll have to get out at Edgware Road and wait for another train. Travelling through Edgware Road makes me shudder at the best of times, and it can only get worse. Meanwhile, what of those attempting to travel to Paddington? Every train approaching from the south will end up at the main underground station, but every train approaching from King's Cross will end up at the overcrowded H&C station at the wrong end of platform 8. Not fun for a quick exit, especially in the rush hour. And you can just imagine what a mess the tube map might look like around here in 12 months time.

Just to confuse people, the newly-unlooped line will still be called the Circle line. The Yo-Yo line might have been more appropriate, or the Spiral, or (a long established nickname, this) the Teacup. Hell, it could even have been called the Hammersmith & Circle, but no. Meanwhile the existing Hammersmith & City line will also keep its current name, despite the fact that it only runs through three City stations whereas the new line will run through nine. Please, this is not about logic, it's about creating a more regular service.

Answer: There is a long-standing proposal to change the service pattern on the Circle line - this would allow the full capacity and reliability benefits of the new trains that will be introduced from 2011, and the signalling upgrade that will be carried out thereafter, to be realised. While this is still under consideration, please accept my assurance that we are doing our best to improve the service for our customers.

There you go, it'll all be for the best, honest. But be warned, the circular Circle line might not see out the decade.

posted 07:00 :

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