Tube geek (44)No change
There are several places on the Underground network where tube lines cross but no interchange station has been built. Here are some of the worst offenders, and what might be done about them.
» Piccadilly→Central at Park Royal[map]. This has been mooted, at least tentatively. A couple of new platforms in the cutting by the A40, accessed via the existing footbridge, would mean Park Royal gained two new Central line platforms. It'd be better than an 8 minute walk to Hanger Lane. But the existing Hanger lane station would probably have to close, which is a bit of a waste of a good roundabout.
» Piccadilly/Metropolitan→Central at West Ruislip[map]. This has been seriously considered, or at least Hillingdon Council are a strong supporter. They like to see Central line trains diverted via a short chord to terminate at Uxbridge instead of West Ruislip. It's be a fairly simple link to build, but West Ruislip would suddenly lose its entire service. And does Uxbridge genuinely need to be the terminus of three different Underground lines?
» Metropolitan→Bakerloo at Northwick Park[map] Tarmac over one corner of the park and an interchange station would slip in here nicely. But it'd be less convenient for local residents, and would it be at all well used? Almost certainly a pipe dream.
» Hammersmith & City/Circle/Metropolitan→Northern/Victoria at Euston Square[map] Someone missed a trick not running a subway underneath the newly-redeveloped University College Hospital. This is a major interchange just waiting to happen, linking either to Euston or Warren Street, but alas at far too great a cost.
» District/Circle→Waterloo & City at Cannon Street[map] I know the Waterloo & City line sort-of links to the District line via Bank Monument, but wouldn't a less tortuous connection be better? Well, prayers answered. A new Walbrook exit from Bank is being constructed, with a street level link that's terribly close to Cannon Street station. Pedantic of Purley can tell you more.
» Central→Overground at Shoreditch High Street[map] The Overground's not strictly within the bounds of Tube Week, but this is such a glaringly obviously interchange anomaly I thought I'd include it anyway. The Central line passes almost directly underneath Shoreditch High Street station, and yet nobody made any attempt to connect the two. Excuse one, too expensive. Excuse two, it'd slow down Central line commuters too much. Excuse three, Central line trains are too crowded anyway. Excuse four, wait six years and Crossrail will link up with the Overground instead. Quite good excuses, then.
» Northern→Victoria at Vauxhall[maps] As I mentioned earlier in the week, the Battersea extension has been designed to link to absolutely no other rail lines. In complete contrast, the Victoria line and Jubilee line extension were both specifically designed to link up with as many rail lines as possible. How priorities change.
Tube geek (44) No change
