It's come to my attention that when my Lizzie project finally opens, some of the rest of the network will need its signage updating. See to it, would you?
All the line diagrams in all the tube carriages are going to need refreshing with little rectangular stickers showing interchanges with our newest line. I fear there are an awful lot of them. It's such a pain.
The Bakerloo line only interchanges at Paddington but we're still going to have to update every diagram. Previously we've done this with tacky little stickers but maybe this time we need to go the whole hog and print brand new strips for every carriage.
The Northern line's easy, it only interchanges at Tottenham Court Road and Moorgate, and you've got to update all the diagrams anyway when the Bank branch reopens.
The Hammersmith & City/Circle diagrams are more of a pain because there are six (SIX!) stations to amend. Maybe we should leave off Barbican and Moorgate because we don't want to encourage people to change trains there? I'm sure you're onto this but I just wanted to be sure.
Let's leave the Piccadilly line until later. It only interchanges at Heathrow and that's still going to be branded TfL Rail for several months (plus we're probably going to have to add a 'Special fares apply' label before the year's out).
The Jubilee line's a pain because Bond Street isn't going to open at the same time as Canary Wharf. Could you do your usual trick with a special sticker which you peel off later? Also has anyone measured how many metres it is from the existing Canary Wharf station to the new one?
I don't even want to think about how many times the Central line is going to need purple extras. I think a completely new line diagram is the only option here.
Actually I see we've been quite cunning in that the Victoria and Waterloo & City lines don't overlap with Crossrail at all. Originally I saw this as a strategic error but now I see it as impressive economic foresight which should save us several thousands in signage outlay.
Then there's the potentially really expensive change which is to update the enamel signs on station platforms. Hundreds of these are going to become incorrect overnight and quite frankly it gives me the financial willies. Again we could just use stickers like we did with TfL Rail, but the Elizabeth line is a premium brand and we don't want something a child could scratch off with their fingernails.
I'm not sure how much advance notice our usual company needs to produce new panels, but that's only going to be an issue if Crossrail somehow opens this month and what are the chances of that?
Actually I wonder if you're already on top of this? I was out on the DLR at Island Gardens and I see you've already installed a new enamel panel there even though the new line isn't open yet!?!
Also we need to have words about what you've written. As our Design Idiom suggests, the brand is "Elizabeth line", never just "Elizabeth" by itself, but look at what you've gone and done! I nearly had palpitations when I saw the single word "Elizabeth" beside Canary Wharf and not the full phrase.
I guess it's possible this abbreviation was decided at a meeting I wasn't invited to, and that the brand will always appear as "Elizabeth" on signage going forward. I simply want to express my discomfort at this pragmatic and sensible choice which is absolutely not what we agreed.
But have you jumped the gun by relabelling Stratford in purple too? I understood that during the initial phase Stratford will continue to be served only by TfL Rail services (which should still be blue) so there's going to be an awkward overlap when Canary Wharf is genuine Lizzie and Stratford isn't.
I'm also having nightmares about Paddington and Liverpool Street if for the first few months these stations are going to be served by both Elizabeth line AND TfL Rail services. What do we do, show both, or leap ahead to the end state and install a pristine new panel just the once?
My apologies, I really hadn't stopped to think how complicated, anomalous and expensive this might be. I'll leave the problem in your capable hands.
