As The National Blood Transfusion Service has NEVER said, "Merry Christmas To All Our Bleeders&...
As The National Blood Transfusion Service has NEVER said, "Merry Christmas To All Our Bleeders"
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Riddle: Where can you travel through 10 consecutive Underground stations that all begin with “H” without getting off the train? Answer: at the Heathrow end of the Piccadilly Line! (From Hounslow East and back again round the loop). It's amazing what trivia you can come up with when, because you have no elbow room to unfurl a newspaper, the tube map is all there is to read if you are to avoid those "are you lookin' at my bird?" confrontations.
I should know, I have used the Piccadilly Line almost continually since I started work in 1968 until I “jacked it in” in 2000.
My journey always involved getting on at Osterley on the Heathrow Branch, stepping lithely (?) over a ton of back-packers luggage* and travelling variously to Holborn,
Covent Garden and for the last 3 years, to Leicester Square, usually standing all the way.
* At 8.00am, a sufficiently early time when you would expect the trains to have some seats available, the first Jumbos of the day have landed, and all their passengers have cleared customs.
Over a 32-year period, I have seen the Piccadilly Line go from what was an unofficial “flagship” line for the Underground, proud of its Heathrow connection to a dingy, overcrowded and unreliable vestige of its former self.
In fact, the existing rolling stock has been in service for most of this period – sure, it’s all had a heavy overhaul and facelift, but this has done nothing to improve reliability, since much of the Underground’s current day woe can be put down to a creaking signalling control system.
Now, I don’t want anyone to worry over this as a safety issue. The Underground’s signalling has had a system for preventing “SPADs” (signal passed at danger) almost since its inception. What it does however lead to is an ever-increasing number of delays, which in my experience, nearly always happen on the way home! Yes, why couldn’t it fail on the way to work for once? It’s almost as if it can’t be trusted to run for a whole day, despite being given a damned good talking to in the morning.
The vast numbers of tourists and business travellers that use the “Piccalilli” Line to access the airport show up one of its major failings - the total unsuitability of a tube train built for a 12’ diameter tunnel to convey passengers and large amounts of luggage, most of which finds itself across the doorway that I am trying to negotiate. Play around with seat configurations all you like, these trains should not carry luggage! What a great first impression for visitors to Britain – a hot sweaty cigar tube with narrow seats and rock-hard arm rests –oh yes, AND a bumpy ride.
It is no wonder people are prepared to pay through the nose for the Heathrow Express, which at least gets you there in about 15 minutes – “there” being Paddington – not the most central venue in London, it has to be said.
The whole Piccadilly Line, in common with most of the Underground needs an in-depth overhaul, and not just cosmetic like the refurbished trains and retiled stations, but proper investment on infrastructure. Did you know, for example, that a computer bought 2nd hand years ago from the New York subway, controls the District Line?
How useful is the Piccadilly Line? Very, when it’s working properly. Here we have a line that links Heathrow to Kensington for Hotels, The Museums for culture, Knightsbridge for retail therapy, Theatre Land for losing your wallet, and Kings Cross/St. Pancras for ….er.. .um…never mind. The latter is slated to be the new Eurostar Terminal when the High Speed Rail Link is finished so the Piccadilly can expect to be in the thick of it with transfer passengers.
Coming from West London myself, I omitted to mention The Arsenal – well you would, wouldn’t you?
In recent months, I’ve only had to use the line sporadically and mainly for “pleasure”, but in almost every case, some delay has occurred. I can only assume from a sample like that, that this is now the case for the everyday user all the time.
I shudder to think what will happen come “Public/Private Partnership Day” – will we see a milking of current assets, rolling stock et al, until the end of the first franchise period, which is what seems to have happened in many cases on the main line.
Or will Uncle Ken prove his worth. In the mean time, I breathe a sigh of relief that I don’t HAVE to use it, especially in summer.
Verdict: A vital west-north link that is letting London down, both its workers and its visitors.
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extremely helpful and factual opinion, with a nice sense of humour in the opinion (Kings Cross....)
thedeadparrot 05.05.2001 20:36
A very interesting op there, and congrats on the CMW. I've never heard of you before, but I'll be sure to read a few more of your ops. Neil
SusanLesley 05.05.2001 08:41
I haven't been able to rate this, sorry, the system just won't accept it! Good op - I love that rush of air just before the train arrives! Mind you the Underground is exciting to me as I live in the Midlands and so ride it infrequently. Congratulations on the CMW. Susan
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May 3rd, 2001
(May 4th, 2001)
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