London is a city with many attractions for the tourist so a fast mode of transport is needed for its visitors. Cars, taxis and buses move at the same speed as they had done during the Victorian era so the London Underground (or 'the tube') is used for quick and easy travelling from A to B.
The London Underground runs as a metro system meaning that trains are not run to a timetable are very frequent.
Within Central London the stations are very concentrated with very short walks from major sights, ideal for tourists. Out to the suburbs, especially south of the river, there are very few stations so the buses have to be relied on.
***LINES***
The network comprises of 10 lines and these are:
BAKERLOO: for Paddington Station (Paddington), Madame Tussards & Sherlock Holmes (Baker Street), Oxford Street Shopping (Oxford Circus), Eros (Piccadilly Circus), Waterloo Station (Waterloo) and the Imperial War Museum (Lambeth North).
These trains seem to be very frequent, clean and not at all overcrowded.
CENTRAL: Cross London Travel for Oxford Street Shops (Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Circus), British Museum (Tottenham Court Road) and St. Paul's Cathedral (St. Pauls).
Also frequent but can become extremely overcrowded on the weekends.
CIRCLE: Paddington Station (Paddington), Madame Tussards (Baker Street), Tower of London & Tower Bridge (Tower Hill), Big Ben & Houses of Parliament (Westminister), Natural History & Science Museums (South Kensington).
This line (as its name suggets) goes round in a circle within Central London. It seems a good idea on paper but in practice they are very slow and infrequent. Also all of their trains seemed to have been attacked by a graffiti artist.
DISRICT: Wimbledon Tennis (Southfields), Kew Gardens (Kew Gardens), Natural History & Science Museums (South Kensington), Big Ben & Houses of Parliament (Westminister), Tower Bridge and Tower of London (Tower Hill).
These trains are easily recognisible as they are the dirty, foul smelling, unhygenic 'box' trains that always stop in between stations and is a good idea to avoid. If you do have to venture out using the District Line be careful where you sit.
EAST LONDON LINE: This short line does not serve any popular sites. (London Underground only keep it running to show good punctuality figures!)
HAMMERSMITH & CITY: Paddington Station (Paddington), Sherlock Holmes & Madame Tussards (Baker Street), Kings Cross & St. Pancras Stations (Kings Cross).
JUBILEE: Madame Tussards & Sherlock Holmes (Baker Street), Oxford Street Shops (Bond Street), Buckingham Palace (Green Park), Big Ben & Houses of Parliament (Westminister), Waterloo Station (Waterloo), London Docklands (Canary Wharf).
This is the best line to travel on the Underground. New trains along with a new extension east from Westminister means they are frequent, reliable and beautifully designed stations. There are lifts at every station and the train actually levels with the platform for wheelchairs and push chairs. Also there are extra doors on the platforms stop suicide attempts. However north west of Westminister on the Jubillee is just like the rest of the network -not disabled friendly and with out the added safety feature (suicide preventor).
METROPOLITAN: Serves same tourists destinations as Hammersmith and City but branches out to the suburbs of Amersham and Chesham. (Four extra zones apply on the Metropolitan Line A,B,C,D and the Travelcard does not apply in these zones. Also the Metropolitan does, according to Muswell, run to a timetable).
NORTHERN: British Museum (Tottenham Court Road) Theatreland & Chinatown (Leicester Square), Trafalgar Square (Charing Cross), Waterloo Station (Waterloo).
These are now much more improved trains but be careful as these lines branch off on two different routes.
PICCADILLY: Heathrow Airport (Heathrow Terminials 1,2,3 & 4), Harrods (Knightsbridge), Buckingham Palace (Green Park), Eros (Piccadilly Circus), Theatreland & Chinaland (Leicester Square), Covent Garden (Covent Garden), Kings Cross Station (King's Cross and St. Pancras).
WATERLOO & CITY LINE: This is a shuttle service only linking Waterloo Station and the City (Bank). This is used by commuters so there is no service on Saturday evenings or all day Sunday.
***How to Use the Tube***
Firstly tube stations are easilt recognisable from the street by their symbol - a red circle with a blue line across it. Inside the blue strip is the name of the station. Before attempting to board a train and travel anywhere it is a good idea to check out the map.
A ticket then needs to be bought (ideally from the counter for first-time users but the machines are quicker). If you intend to travel on the tube all day or weekend you will need a travelcard but if itis just one stop then you will just need a single.
With ticket in hand you need to pass through the electronic gates. The ticket goes through the slot on the right and then comes out through the top and the gates open. (If you have baggage there is a seperate gate).
Following this you then need to go down to the train platform by following the signs down an escalator or lift. It is important to stand on the right on escalators to allow other people to go up. When you reach your line there is a choice of two platforms (one going northbound the other southbound or one westbound and the other eastbound.) If you unsure a list of stations is shown below.
On the platform an electronic display shows how long it is until the next train. Please check your destination as lines branch out. (For example going to Heatrow on the Picadilly make sure you take a train to Heatrow and not Uxbridge/Rayners Lane).
Once a train has arrived people must be let of first and then you can board.
On arrival at the destination follow signs for the exit (or other lines if you are interchanging) and exit very the electronic barriers.
***Cost***
The Tube is good value if you are a tourist on a weekend but not good for a commuter before 9.30am weekdays.
For example a travelcard allows unlimited travel on the Underground as well as London Buses and Dockland Light Railway all day. This costs £5.30 for an adult and £2.60 for a child (Zones 1 & 2). This is good value if you will use the tube quite a lot in a day.
This is compared with a single for Zone 1 (Centre) costing £2.00 for an adult and 60p for a child.
Therefore the tube is quite expensive for single travel but good value from a tourist's point of view.
***Speed***
The big advantage of the London Underground is the speed between stations (considering you are not on a District Line train). However delays do occur due to signalling problems but I have experienced only one ( and that was on a District Line train).
***Frequency***
Another advantage is the very high frequency of the trains. If you miss one by seconds another will come in a few minutes.
Trains run from about 5.30am to 1am the next day, so is not good if you are out for a night out in the West End (ie till 3am).
***Comfort***
During the rush hours the tube is very overpacked and should be avoided at all costs. However, the seats are not that comfortable to sit on and you are almost guarenteed to sit on chewing gum. On a hot summer's day the tube should again be avoided as it is extremely uncomfotable, still eveb the hot and stuffy stations. Also late at night rubbish, newspapers and takeaway food cartons (with burger remains) accumulate which does not make for pleasent travelling.
***Disabled Travelling***
The London Underground is not at all accessible for people with disabilities. There are long walks between platforms with lots of stairs. Also elderley people would not appreciate standing in such a confined space on an overcrowded train. However, the Jubilee Line east of (and including) Westminister is perfect for wheelchair bound people as there are lifts at every station and space on the trains.
***Tips and Experience***
1) Instead of travelling into Central London from the M40 take the tube from Hanger Lane. I have done this many times with my family. All you do is exit the A40 at the Hanger Lane junction follow the roundabout round to the North Circular Road South and then take a left onto the next residential street. Here you can park and walk to Hanger Lane Station ( a short walk away) and in to Central London on the Central Lane. This has advantages over Hillingdon (further up the A40 nearer to the M25. This is because the Central Line is quicker to get into London than the Metropolitan and Picadilly lines and you only have to pay to travel in Zones 1,2 & 3 not all 6 zones.
2) At Bank the tube map shows it connects the District/ Circle Line with the Central Line. In fact these are two seperate stations and involves a very long walk through tunnels, up escalators and down stairs.
3) Also, the most popular route for tourists is between Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Considering this is only about 100m apart above ground it only takes 2 minutes to walk it than taking many minutes on the tube. You are walking more to get up and down to the platforms than the actual distance between stops covered. Many other stations are like this in central London so it is a good idea to buy a street map that has an overlay of the tube lines and stations. This shows you the true distance between stops so you can decide if it is worth taking the tube.
***Overall***
Therefore the tube is a quick way to across London and easy due to its high frequency. If the rest of the lines was like the Jubilee Line extension then it would be much more friendly for disabled people. Remember it is highly recommended that you travel outside the rush hours (7am-9.30am & 4pm - 6.30pm Monday to Friday). Also the tube could do with being cheaper for single tickets, but buy a travelcard so you can have good value unlimited travel.
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More details
Speed of trains
Fast
Safety of trains
Safe
How extensive is their Rail Network?
Average
How well does it cater for disabled people?
Poorly
Ticketing System
Good
Value for Money
Good
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