FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
06.10.11 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER – Construction of the first Crossrail tunnel portal – at Royal Oak
Common near Paddington – was completed this month. A Skanska/Costain joint venture began
construction of the portal in January 2010. The site has been handed over to the Bam
Nuttall/Ferrovial Agroman(UK)/Keir Construction joint venture which will construct a tunnel between
Royal Oak and Farringdon.
20.10.11 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER – Consultants could be forced to take more responsibility for any
cost or time overruns on London’s £14.5 billion Crossrail project under proposals put forward by
contractor Costain, who has urged client Crossrail to bring its designers into the pain/gain share
arrangements with its contractors to better engage them contractor-proposed design changes.
Designers on the project were appointed by the client, with contractors asked to price work based on
approved designs. Once appointed, contractors enter an optimised contractor involvement process
to value engineer the designs.
02.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Two new Underground stations are coming to Vauxhall and
Battersea, plugging the Nine Elms regeneration zone into the Underground network for the first time.
With regeneration forecast to bring 25,000 jobs and 16,000 new homes, the new public transport link
is a vital piece of infrastructure, helping to open up a central riverside neighbourhood blighted by
industrial uses for 60 years. Planning permission has been given for an extension of the Northern
Line from Kennington and the stations, Nine Elms and Battersea, could be open by 2015. An
interchange at Vauxhall is being considered, too, while a longer term objective is to extend to
Clapham Junction.
02.11.11 METRO – Underground station electronic service boards have been improved across the
network to show clearer and more extensive travel information. The new-look design groups
disrupted lines together at the top of the screen so passengers can see at a glance if their journey is
likely to be affected.
04.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The 1957 Overground service to Watford Junction has become
the unlikely setting for one of the world’s most unusual marriage proposals. Commuters were
stunned when a full choir broke into song as the packed commuter train left Euston. Midway through
the rendition of Bill Wither’s hit Lovely Day, Adam King got down on one knee to propose to his
amazed girlfriend Lucy Rogers, who promptly burst into tears and said “yes”. A video of the proposal
– complete with a romantic opening sequence – has now become an online hit on YouTube.
04.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Transport bosses were condemned today for closing large parts
of the network on the second Remembrance Sunday in a row. Thousands of serving and ex-service
men and women will converge on central London for the Festival of Remembrance and Cenotaph
Ceremony next Sunday. Six Underground lines will be part suspended, the DLR will be shut all
weekend and there will be restricted services on the London Overground. Last year TfL was
criticised for closing or part-closing 9 of 11 routes on Remembrance Sunday. An LU spokesman
said anyone with a disability who “really needs assistance to get to services should contact us and
we will get them there”.
04.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – 3 out of 4 Underground trains will be able to operate without
drivers 2018, TfL directors have been told. These include trains on all lines except Piccadilly,
Bakerloo and Waterloo & City. The TfL board said that after delivery of the S Stock is delivered it is
“unlikely” that Underground bosses “will ever again buy a fleet of passenger trains with conventional
drivers’ cabs”.
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Underground News
08.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Driverless Underground trains could be running on trial by 2015
– three years sooner than expected, LU documents revealed today. The Waterloo & City Line will be
tested first, followed by Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines. It “provides an opportunity to
transform LU operation enabled by technology”. The plan for driverless trains and whole scale
changes to LU will now form a major campaign issue in the run-up to the mayoral election. Changes
have led to union claim of stations being left unstaffed. Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone pledged
“there will be a driver in every train and staff at every station”, if he is re-elected. RMT would lead the
“most strenuous and high profile campaign” against the “reckless gamble” to change the
Underground.
08.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – A violent computer game that includes a terrorist attack on the
Underground, today broke all records by shifting more than 9 million pre-sale copies. Hundreds of
gamers queued in Oxford Street until midnight to buy “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” in London’s
biggest computer game launch. The London episode is chillingly realistic, especially when the action
moves to the Underground. The players are on the back of trucks chasing trains which have been
boarded by terrorists, and everything from the detail of the trains to the scream of the commuters as
you hurtle through stations feels eerily accurate.
09.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The number of people attempting suicide on the Underground
has soared over the last 10 years. TfL figures show 80 people threw themselves in front of
Underground trains last year compared with 46 in 2000 – a rise of 74% in a decade. Underground
passengers have suffered a total of 29 days of delays in the last 10 years because of people killing
themselves across the network. The worst affected station was King’s Cross St. Pancras with 18
suicides over the last decade. The next highest was Mile End.
10.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – More than 300 of the capital’s most famous landmarks are being
broken into at night by groups of “urban explorers”. London is the epicentre of the rapidly growing
global movement, described as the practice of entering unseen or off limits areas for the thrill of
discover. It is likely that there could be over 3,000 in Britain. The Met Police refused to comment on
their activities, but their involvement seems limited to one occasion in April last year when 4 men
were arrested exploring disused Underground stations.
10.11.11 METRO – Thousands of Underground passengers were stranded when Jubilee Line went
into meltdown. Packed trains ground to a halt, many in tunnels, as drivers were told to take control
and guide them to the nearest station. The line suffered a “total communications systems failure”
during an evening rush hour. Screens in the control room went blank for almost an hour. LU blamed
a software problem and stressed that at “no point” were commuters at risk. The RMT union
described Friday evening’s incident as a “major emergency”.
10.11.11 METRO – Muswell Hill is an aspirational sort of place. People move there because it’s
where they want to be – not because they cannot afford more expensive Highgate, Hampstead or
Islington. The only amenity Muswell Hill lacks is an Underground station. However Highgate and
East Finchley Northern Line stations are only a mile away, and frequent buses to other Underground
stations including Finsbury Park for the Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
10.11.11 METRO – All 269 open Underground stations have received “secure station” accreditation
from the DfT and BTP. The stations were each given this status after BTP’s crime-reduction experts
carried out a rigorous assessment before making recommendation to the DfT. The scheme has four
principal criteria to gain accreditation: Design of the station, Management of the station,
Management of, and response to, crime, and Passengers perceptions of security.
11.11.11 WATFORD OBSERVER – The final decision on the Croxley Rail Link is just four weeks
away which connects the Metropolitan Line at Croxley to Watford Junction. It will start by crossing a
colossal railway bridge and then run along Watford Road, the Grand Union Canal and through West
Watford where two new stations will be built at Ascot Road and Vicarage Road (for the Football
Ground and the Watford General Hospital).
11.11.11 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter to Editor – It beggars belief that planners are still
pressing ahead with the Croxley Rail Link. The closure of Watford Metropolitan line station will leave
hundreds – if not thousands – on the Cassiobury Estates (not to mention the pupils at Watford Boys
Grammar school, students at West Herts College, concertgoers attending the Colosseum, visitors to
Cassiobury Park) without a transport hub.
January 2012
5
14.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Underground train drivers are threatening Christmas strike chaos
– after demanding £350 for working on Boxing Day. Members of ASLEF, which controls more than
half of LU 3,200 drivers, have warned of walkouts that could include Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.
Business leaders accused ASLEF of “holding London to ransom”. An ASLEF source said, “We are
only talking about Boxing Day here. We want to meet and thrash this out but LU won’t do that”. LU
said, “LU has a long-standing agreement with all trade unions which cover staff working
arrangements on bank holidays, and Boxing Day is included in that agreement”.
14.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The privately funded Northern Line extension from Kennington to
Battersea is going to bring untold riches to the unassuming part of S.W.8 – new jobs, new parks,
bikes and boats, palaces in the sky. But there is a catch. The route is going under and through
densely populated residential areas – including private, council and social properties – rather than
the industrial redevelopment zones at Nine Elms, causing massive disruption. The developer says it
will try to put the ventilation or “intervention” shafts in places like the garages behind houses. A more
logical Underground route from Vauxhall to Battersea Power Station, via industrial and commercial
areas due to be redeveloped and following existing overland lines, has been dismissed as too costly
and complex. For whom, precisely?
15.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The MD of LU said trains without drivers were perfectly safe –
and promised a “hearts and minds” campaign to win over Underground staff. He said, “the
technology does exist, Paris is running Line 14 fully automatically and Sao Paulo a deep level tube is
fully automatic. I don’t believe that they are any less reliable or less safe”. The first trials for
driverless trains would take place in 2015 on the Waterloo & City Line. RMT union leader, Bob
Crow, said his union would mobilise to resist attempts to remove drivers from trains.
15.11.11 METRO – Artwork by acclaimed artist Michael Landy has been integrated into seating
fabric on Central line trains. The new Tube seats, part of the revamp to the Central line fleet, feature
red figures and the words “self” and “other” from Landy’s “Acts of Kindness” project. This work has
been based on stories submitted by passengers and staff.
16.11.11 METRO – There was a rare opportunity to sample Underground history when the disused
Aldwych Underground station was opened to the public during November and December. The
famous station, which has featured in blockbusters such as Atonement and V for Vendetta, was used
as a public air raid shelter during WW2. It was originally named Strand as it was built on the site of
the theatre, but later became Aldwych which means “old village”.
18.11.11 THE GUARDIAN – According to campaign group Transport for All, nearly 80% of
Underground stations are not fully accessible, including some Olympic venues, while the everyday
experience of wheelchair users is one of being unable to board buses and being ignored by taxis. A
total of 63 Underground stations have step-free access with two more due to be ready for the
Olympics. There are 8,500 low-floor buses fitted with wheelchair ramps and onboard visual and
audio announcements.
22.11.11 METRO – Latest figures show that Underground services continue to improve as the
number of people using the network rises. In July alone the network carried the highest ever number
of passengers in a four-week period at 90.6 million. Mike Brown, MD of LU said, “These figures
show that the long term trend of improving reliability on the Tube is continuing, alongside the range
of improvements we are making to Londoner’s journeys through new trains, signalling, track and
upgraded stations”.
23.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – A ticket to see Katherine Jenkins could set you back more than
£100 – and would not guarantee you an audience with the singer afterwards. But she astonished
Underground commuters at Leicester Square station with a 45 minute performance that made only
£16 in loose change. The star moved some people to tears with a set that included her biggest hits.
Disguised in a brown wig, ripped jumper, jeans and boots, she caused many a double take as
commuters failed at first to realise who she was, while others turned back to hear her. The Welsh
singer had never busked before yesterday’s stunt, for a feature in the ES Magazine. Jenkins gave
the £16 raised to a homelessness charity.
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Underground News
23.11.11 METRO – TfL Lost Property Office (LPO) is donating hundreds of lost toys to the Salvation
Army to give to disadvantaged children over Christmas. Paul Cowan, manager of the LPO said,
“Pre-loved items are donated to our charity partners on a regular basis, however new toys and gifts
are saved until the end of the year, when their donation has a much greater impact”. The items,
ranging from soft animals and board games to sports equipment, are suitable for children of all ages.
The LPO handled more than 200,000 items of lost property in 2010/11, and reunited on average one
in three with its owner.
25.11.11 BUILDING MAGAZINE – A contract worth up to £400m has been awarded for the
Crossrail station at Farringdon to joint venture between Bam Nuttall, Ferrovial-Agroman (UK) and
Keir Construction; also one worth £110m for works at Whitechapel station to the consortium between
Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall and Vinci Construction. Crossrail said “intensive construction” will get
underway early in 2012.
25.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Underground engineers will be rushed across London by police
cars with their sirens blaring in a bid to keep trains running during the Olympics. TfL emergence
responders will be given “blue light status” to greatly decrease the time it takes to fix a failed train.
Under the plans BTP vehicles will either escort a TfL vehicle or pick up engineers to ferry them to the
site of a failure. The project is being tested now and will be rolled out in February.
28.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The planned Nine Elms development costing between £750m
and £950m would include an extension to the Northern Line, which would run from Kennington to
new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea, and would form an extension of the Charing Cross branch.
Completion of this would bring Nine Elms within 11 minutes’ journey time of the West End and the
City. The Chancellor, George Osborne, wants the deal struck by 2013, ready for construction to
begin in 2015.
29.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground runs to a set timetable, leading to those
baffling announcements that your train will be held because it is running ahead of schedule.
Moscow’s metro systems runs not on a timetable, but “to headway”, with simply a set interval
between trains. Partly as a result, it reaches 40 trains per hour on its lines in rush hours. Recently
the Jubilee Line had just managed 30 trains an hour (its target is 27).
29.11.11 METRO – A new green wall designed to trap pollution has been unveiled at Edgware Road
Underground station. The 200 square-metre structure took a month to install and stands adjacent to
Marylebone Road. The installation utilises the potential of plants and trees to trap pollution and
features 15 plant varieties crafted into a multicoloured design. There are also 50 planted towers in
Upper Thames Street and the introduction of 500 additional trees across the capital is under way.
30.11.11 EVENING STANDARD – Underground and rail travellers will routinely wait at least half an
hour to board trains at “hotspot” stations during peak hours at the Olympics. Passengers will be held
in lengthy queues or will have to walk to alternative stations. Detailed forecasts of public transport
and road demand during the Games published anticipated waiting time at about half of the 60
Underground stations it says will be most affected, when there will be an additional 1m extra journeys
a day. London Bridge will be the most affected, but other “hotspots” will be Bank, Bond Street,
Canary Wharf and Canada Water. TfL bosses admit that disruption will be much worse if they
cannot achieve a 20% reduction in commuter passenger journeys during the Games. Volunteers will
situated at hotspot stations issuing travel advice and walking maps.
January 2012
7
LU’S OPERATIONAL VISION – TECHNOLOGY
ENABLES CHANGE
by John Hawkins
The November 2011 TfL Board meeting received a three-page update of current LU thinking under
the above title. It is necessarily more general than the thirty-six page confidential discussion paper
leaked by the RMT union but, being issued under the name of LU Managing Director Mike Brown, it
is confirmation of current LU emerging official thinking. The RMT released an anonymous committee
publication covered with disclaimers that it does not represent current LU views or policy.
LU must adapt and embrace change because of new technology, increasing customer expectations
and current economic realities. The line upgrades bring new technology, increasing automation and
continual transformation to railway operations. Customers are welcoming new and emerging
technologies, especially to plan journeys, receive information and pay for travel. Benefits of these
changes are to be realised for customers, staff and the organisation. LU seeks to create a workforce
that is increasingly proactive and visible to customers. These changes have consequences for the
way customers view LU, and also for the way staff perceive the organisation. Staffing structures will
need to be reviewed with the introduction of new technology, to ensure high levels of customer
service, a reliable train service and continued efficiency.
TRAINS
Currently three of eleven lines have automatic signalling systems (stet). But by 2018, when the
Northern line and SSR all have their new signalling commissioned, some 70% of the network will be
automatic. The SSR upgrade provides an opportunity in itself – enabling the operation of four lines
as a single integrated railway, with the potential for more integrated operations, creating greater
flexibility with both rolling stock and train staff deployment. This will bring performance benefits and
operating efficiencies.
Given the technology now available it is very unlikely that, after the S stock, LU will ever again buy a
fleet of passenger trains with conventional drivers’ cabs. This means that the new generation of tube
train being developed for the Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Central lines, to be introduced in the 2020s,
could dramatically change the train staff operating model. For train staff who currently drive a train,
LU make a commitment that they can continue to do so for the rest of their career. (A 40 year
change period? – Ed.). In return, drivers will need to show greater levels of flexibility to support long
term service reliability improvement.
Work is still at an early stage, but the next generation of employees supporting the train service
could be more like the train captains on the DLR. There is no doubt the role will change
considerably, but it is certain that any staff supporting the train service of the future will be mobile,
flexible, and customer focused.
STATIONS
Fewer ticket offices does not mean reduced staffing at stations more generally; the principle of
having staff on LU stations throughout the operating day will remain. New ticketing technology and
the way customers receive travel information and plan their journeys reduces the demand for ticket
offices. However, these changes do not mean that station staff are not needed, but the way in which
they help customers will be different. Staff will continue to play a key role in helping customers to
navigate quickly and safely around the system.
Oyster has changed the way customers pay for travel, radically reducing demand for ticket selling.
TfL is now working on the next generation of ticketing technology, which will allow customers with a
contactless bank card to pay for travel simply by waving their bank card over the gateline to get the
correct fare. There will be no need to buy a card from TfL or to top it up, further reducing demand for
ticket sales. For those customers without a contactless bank card, the Oyster card will continue.
Ticket machines are also being enhanced to carry out a wider range of customer service functions
that have typically been done at ticket offices, including selling new cards and making adjustments to
journeys.
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Underground News
Demand for ticket selling via ticket offices is continuing to reduce and will see sharper reductions
once contactless bank cards come into use. Nevertheless, the need for staff at stations will remain.
Staff will need to be increasingly knowledgeable and proactive, visible to customers in the ticket hall
area, not out of sight in a ticket office. There will still need to be ticket offices at key gateway and
other high profile stations. Staff deployment will continue to be dependent on customer demand
levels, acknowledging the varying characteristics of demand at different stations. These changes
could create multi-skilled staff that are flexible, visible and more focused on helping customers.
SERVICE CONTROL
Work is underway to look at the possibility of co-locating LU’s Network Operations Centre with the
Surface Control Centre in the Palestra building. This new Command and Control centre would
ensure that operational incidents are dealt with faster, leading to less service and customer impact.
Individual line control centres will continue at separate locations with an important line focus. The
exception to this is the new SSR Control Centre where four lines will operate from one new location.
MAINTENANCE
Technology is a key driver for much of the change planned within LU’s maintenance organisation.
The way trains are maintained has historically been time-based, but going forward this will be service
hours or distance based. As LU switches to computer-controlled signalling, the ability to predict and
prevent degradation and failures remotely will dramatically increase. Similarly with track, a widescale adoption of Automatic Track Monitoring Systems means that track condition can be identified
more efficiently without many of the manual inspections currently required. All of these technological
changes will mean different skills being required by staff, allowing them to work differently.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The operational vision outlined above could mean that there will be changes to LU staff numbers in
the future. However, employees would be better trained, with higher skills and more ability to
continue to develop “on the job”. The majority of station changes could be introduced before
embarking on a programme of train transformation as automation technologies are introduced.
Integral to LU’s approach to successfully developing this operational vision is the need for continued
and direct employee engagement. Key to this is local relationships with staff; building a direct
relationship between local managers and their staff to increase trust while recognising the
importance of consultation with Trade Unions. LU must continue to manage openly and honestly.
From a wider perspective, LU will continue the programme of direct communication with employees.
A major employee engagement initiative will be rolling out to all employees from 8 November 2011.
These events provide an opportunity to share with staff the changes in technology that are coming
and what this means for them. The events will explain how continual change is now part of the fabric
of the organisation, while also highlighting that people are fundamental to our operational vision.
The message will be that very many people could have security of employment by embracing new
technologies, new ways of working, and being more flexible in what they do.
SUMMARY
This operational vision shows how the LU operational model could evolve and embrace technology
to meet the challenges of the next decade. The vision is about improving standards of customer
service by linking proactive and knowledgeable staff with new technology. This vision aims to deliver
a credible future, recognising the benefits of technology and the need to continue to provide direct,
face-to-face service levels for customers.
January 2012
9
THE 67s AND THE VICTORIA LINE
2 – DESIGN & BUILD
by Piers Connor
ORDERS PLACED
The order for the manufacture of the 1967 Tube Stock cars was announced on 10 March 1964.
London Transport placed a contract with Metro-Cammell of Saltley, Birmingham for 244 cars at a
cost of £2.4million1. The cars were to be formed into 61 x 4-car M-T-T-M units. The order was for
the cars and bogies only. Traction equipment, auxiliary machines, brakes, doors and control
systems were all to be ordered separately. Most of the equipment was to be fitted to the trains at
Metro-Cammell’s factory but the cars were to be commissioned by the Underground’s own staff at
Ruislip Depot, as was the custom in those days. At the time of the order, the design details had still
not been fixed and it was still not formally confirmed that the trains would be fitted for automatic
operation.
Just a month later, on 5 April 1964, London Transport
started their first full-scale trial of automatic train control
(ATC) on the Woodford-Hainault shuttle service of the
Central Line, using 4-car units of specially modified 1960
Tube Stock. With the start of this experiment, the 1960
Stock became the prototype for the Victoria Line’s ATC
system as well (as we saw last month) as for the car body
design.
Static experiments with ATC had started in earnest in mid1962, which were followed by equipment being fitted to a
Wickham trolley that was tried out on the South Ealing test
track on the 3 December (Figure 5 in last month’s article).
By January 1963, they were ready for trials on a train and a
two-car District Line R Stock unit, cars Nos. 23207 and
22681, was fitted with the test equipment. Test runs with
them began on 23 January. It was used at South Ealing in a
6-car train with the two test cars at the east end. A “virtual
station” was marked with timber boards just to the east of
the Elderberry Lane overbridge, against which to test the
station stopping.
TWO BOXES
Automatic Train Control (ATC) has
two functions. One is to provide the
train’s protection from collisions
(ATP), much as provided by
conventional signalling, while the
other is to allow the train to move
between stations and to stop at the
station in the right place (ATO).
As we saw last month, LT adopted a
two-box approach, equipping the train
with a “safety box” and an “auto driver
box” or ADB. This is generally the
philosophy that has been adopted by
all subsequent ATC systems.
The advantage of this system is that
the ATP system can remain operative
if the ATO breaks down and the train
has to be driven manually. That said,
history shows that the ATP goes
critical much more often than the
ATO.
Keith Ware, who was one of the Underground’s rolling stock
test team at the time writes, “For some mad reason Robert
Dell (the Underground’s autocratic Chief Signal Engineer)
invited LT top brass to observe the first run, with farcical results”. It didn’t work at first, but they soon
got it all working and Dell later persuaded the LT Vice-Chairman, Anthony Bull, to go for ATO on the
Victoria Line subject to satisfactory passenger service trials. Keith commented that, when he agreed
it was “Panic stations!” for everybody.
ATO TRIALS
Tests at South Ealing went on until there was sufficient confidence to provide a demonstration for the
press on 21 March. There was then a rapid move of the test equipment to the section of the
eastbound District Line between Stamford Brook and Ravenscourt Park where it had been decided
to set up a trial with a passenger train, commencing on Monday 8 April. It was arranged that the
Railway Inspectorate would get to see it on Sunday 7 April so that the train could go into service the
next day. What faith – and justified, since it all worked and got approved that afternoon as planned.
I can’t begin to imagine how long it would take to do all that today.
1
“Underground”, No.28, April 1964.
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Underground News
The on-board test equipment was fitted to a different 2-car R Stock unit for the public trial, largely
because it had to fitted under the car instead of inside the saloon. The train selected had the two-car
R Stock test unit (23580+22682) at the east end. It ran in the working of Set 123.
Over the next 12 months, the experiments became focussed on the Central Line. The WoodfordHainault section was fitted with the signalling equipment needed for automatic train operation and
five 4-car trains of 1960 Tube Stock out of the fleet of six went through an on-board conversion. One
of the motor cars on one train had the leading passenger section, between the driver’s cab and the
first pair of doors, sectioned off from the rest of the car so that the equipment could be made visible
to the engineers working on the system.
Passenger service 1960 stock ATC started on 6 April 1964, after the line had been closed for the
previous weekend to allow the signalling changeover. This was, as we saw above, just four weeks
after the order for the new trains had been placed.
67 STOCK FEATURES
In March 1965, LT issued a technical press release describing some of the features of the new trains
being ordered. The trains were in build by this time and delivery of the first was expected in May
1967. It didn’t arrive until December.
The design, see diagram on page 9, was based on the 1960 Stock but there were some refinements
and improvements. The bodies were to be built with unpainted aluminium alloy external panelling
riveted to an aluminium body frame mounted on a steel chassis. The carbody would have a steel
underframe of riveted and welded construction with steel floorplates. The body panelling was to be
the by now standard ⅛ inch unpainted aluminium sheets. The panels were to be treated with a
finishing process with an orbital sander to give what was called a “satin” finish to the car.
A new feature was the aluminium alloy body framing. Previous tube stock with aluminium body
panels had been built with steel body framing and the use of extruded aluminium alloy body frame
members was a new departure. It was hoped that it would, one day, open up the possibility of
welding the body panels to the frame which, they imagined, would eventually reduce costs and
improve appearance. The body panels were mostly riveted to the frame for this build with special
countersunk rivets, a system that was to remain standard on the Underground until the welded
bodies of the experimental 1986 Tube Stock. Certain parts were welded but this was confined to
small areas only.
Figure 1: Interior of 1967 Tube Stock trailer car,
instantly recognisable by the central longitudinal
seats. Note the lovely, varnished, grooved maple
wood floor standard at that time. The motor cars
had transverse seats between the double doors.
The doors had glazing that was extended up into
the roofline to provide better visibility of station
names for standing passengers. The maps over
the windows are pasted on to the tilting ventilator
covers. They show the Central Line, since the
1967 Stock was being used on the Woodford –
Hainault shuttle before it was transferred to the
Victoria Line. Above the maps are the illuminated
advertisement panels adopted on this stock for the
first time. This unit is being used for testing and
has been commandeered by the publicity
department for a photo shoot. The photo shows a
few seated “passengers” but the unit’s use is
betrayed by the electrical cables dangling from the
ceiling. The exterior view shows that the train is in
Northfields depot. Photo: LT Museum.
The cant rails2 were to be aluminium alloy extrusions with special slots machined into them to suit the
new ventilator design. Having the ventilators actually in the bodywork over the side windows was a
2
The cant rail is the dividing member joining the side and roof of the vehicle.
January 2012
11
new idea. Since the stock was to have the same double glazing feature as the 1960 Stock and the
usual toplights over the windows would disappear, a new ventilation system was needed. This
involved an opening over the windows with a cover which tilted inwards like the old toplight. This one
was not glazed but was used to display the line map. The design was intended to eliminate the
necessity for all the toplights to be closed before the train was passed through the washing
machine3. In this it succeeded but its in-service performance as a ventilator proved to be very
limited.
A new feature for the stock was the design of the door tracks.
One of the persistent problems with car doors was jamming
due to obstructions in the bottom tracks. The grooved tracks of
pre-World War Two stocks were replaced by flat tracks on post
war cars and these offered some improvement but did not
provide the long sought after cure. For the ‘67 Stock, a new
design appeared as shown in Figure 3. The solebar was
reversed so that the door track could be opened up with slots to
allow small objects like matchsticks could drop through. It was
reasonably successful but it didn’t survive to appear on the next
new Underground design, the C Stock. Of course, matchsticks
eventually became a thing of the past following the smoking
ban of 1984.
The appearance of the cab end of the driving cars presented a
huge visual improvement compared with earlier Underground
stock. The new cars had wrap-round windscreens on each
side and there were none of the usual corner pillars.
The cabs had no side doors. As we saw last month, it had
been decided it wasn’t safe to have a door that the driver could
open while the train was moving and he didn’t have to have his
hands on the controls. In spite of this, it was a requirement that
the driver had to be able to look out, back down the train during
station operations. This arose because of the operating philosophy and the limits of the technology
of the day.
Figure 2:
Diagram showing the
arrangement of the solebar and door
track for 1967 Tube Stock. Drawing,
Webster (1969).
Figure 3: Official photo
of 1967 Tube Stock 4car unit showing the
original
cab
front,
ventilation slots above
the windows and the
curved door glazing.
The
body
was
unpainted,
sanded
aluminium and the roof
black. The photo was
most likely taken in
December 1967, shortly
after this unit (3006)
was delivered to Ruislip
Depot.
Photo: LT
Museum.
3
There was a procedure for this. When a train came out of service and was due for washing, the service driver stopped
on the approach to the washing machine to pickup two cleaners and swap with the shunting driver. The cleaners were
armed with rags wrapped round one hand, one left handed and one right handed. The left handed guy walked through
the train closing the left side toplights by punching each one with his protected hand, while the right handed guy did the
other side. When they were finished, the left handed guy yelled down the cab to cab phone from the rear cab, the
shunter leaned out of the cab to get a wave from the other guy to confirm they were both off the train and then took the
train through the washing machine. All he had to do was to remember to ensure that the cab windows were shut.
12
Underground News
January 2012
13
OPERATING PHILOSOPHY
The operating philosophy that existed on the Underground in the 1960s might be meat and drink to
old lags like me (and our esteemed editor) but I’m sure there will be some who have only vague
recollections of the pre-OPO Underground and maybe even some who never saw it, so it is worth,
perhaps, a brief recap on train crew functions of that era. On a two-man train (all trains were
manned by men in those days), the guard, positioned at the rear of the train, had control of the
passenger doors and his own. The driver, at the front, had manually operated hinged cab doors that
opened inwards.
When arriving at a station, the guard was supposed to open his door as the train drew to a stop,
check that it was OK to open the passenger doors and then open them. He observed the platform
by looking along the train from his position at the front end of the rear car. There was no CCTV, no
markers and, outside the peaks, rarely any platform staff to assist. Assuming the starter was off and
the passengers had been given enough time to get on and off, you closed the doors, waited for the
“pilot light”, indicating all passenger doors were closed and then pressed the button which operated
the starting bell in the driver’s cab. Hopefully, if the driver was awake, he would immediately start the
train. The guard would check the train as it started to see no one was trapped in the doors or fell
between the cars and then duck inside his doorway and close his door – preferably before the end of
the train entered the tunnel4.
Bearing this and the need to protect the driver from falling out of a moving cab in mind, with no
guard, the design of the Victoria Line’s 1967 Stock had to change. The solution was found in fitting
side droplights. Each side of the cab was fitted with a large droplight that the driver could open at the
station. It was large enough for him to lean out and look back down the platform. He was also
provided with a CCTV monitor, fitted to the platform wall opposite the point where the cab should
stop. The monitor was fed from a camera mounted at the rear end of the platform, to allow a better
view from that end when it was crowded.
Another protective feature of the ’67 Stock was that the leading cab door (M Door), was provided
with a locking device that ensured the door could not be opened whilst the train was moving.
FRONT END
The ’67 Stock front end followed the principles started on the 1960 Stock, with a more stylish
approach nicely rounded cab roof dome incorporating the destination roller blind with a ventilator
grille above it. The cab profile was rounded above the waist level and it incorporated wrap round
windows for the cab windscreen. These windows were a rather complex shape and were
undoubtedly expensive but they gave the front end of the stock a unique and iconic look that was so
successful that it didn’t date over their 40-plus years in service.
Innovations were the large bright headlights, designed to illuminate the interior of the tunnel a little
better that you would expect from the traditional marker lights of older stocks and the aluminium
handrails either side of the cab door, the offside one incorporating the train whistle as well. The
orange calling-on light (that I mentioned in last month’s article) was mounted on the nearside of the
destination display. The train number was displayed in an opening provided in M Door, using the
traditional number plates.
CAR INTERIORS
All cars were provided, as usual, with three seating bays, separated by the double doorway
vestibules. The seating layout was standard in the motor cars, with longitudinal seats in the end
sections of the saloon over the bogie boxes and transverse seats between the double doors, giving
40 seats in each car. Trailers had only 36 seats and all were longitudinal in an attempt to provide
more standing between seats. The cars retained this layout to the end of their lives.
The passenger doors had windows that curved up to the top of the door, following the body shape.
This was done following a trial carried out on 1938 Tube Stock car No.10306 in November 1949 that
proved to be popular with passengers. I can only assume that it appeared on the ’67 Stock first, and
not earlier stocks, because of the expense of manufacturing the curved glass and doubts over the
4
Occasionally, a guard didn’t and, during my time on the trains, I heard of two cases where the guard hit his head on the
headwall. One survived, almost unscathed apart from a serious headache, the other, sadly, was killed.
14
Underground News
tolerances. In my view, it’s a backward step that this design feature has been abandoned since the
mid-1990s largely, perhaps, because of the poor quality fitting of the Central Line’s 1992 Stock
curved saloon windows and the consequent leakage and corrosion 5. Problems with tolerances again.
The floors were covered with the Underground’s standard grooved maple wood boards bedded on
canvas impregnated with red lead. The floors looked a beautiful varnished gold when the cars were
new but they quickly degenerated to a dull grey after a few weeks’ use.
The cars had two sets of fluorescent lighting. The main lighting consisted of exposed tubes fitted in
sunken ceiling units and positioned along each side of the car roughly over the line of the seat
edges. A second circuit was provided for illuminated advertisement panels fitted in pairs over each
set of seats, giving 12 per car. These were fed off a separate circuit so that they were never
switched off when the main cars lights were. Although they were meant to provide a little extra
revenue, they were not that successful. They were larger than the traditional car cards that every
advertiser knew and supplied and they looked out of place next to the traditional cards that they
shared space with. Their lighting tubes were shrouded in opaque glazing that soon became even
more opaque with the collection of tunnel dust. They also took time to remove when a tube needed
changing and, as a result, they were often left alone and ran with defective tubes. They disappeared
when the cars were refurbished in the early 1990s.
The interiors were otherwise fairly traditional. The seating moquette was the same red/black/grey
pattern as that used for the Metropolitan Line’s A Stock, even though a new green/blue pattern had
been designed and approved in May 1965 for all LT vehicles (bus and train). It was too late to be
fitted to the stock when new but it did appear on many trains up to the mid-1970s.
Stainless steel handrails were provided at doorways next to the draughts screens and the then
traditional flexible handgrips were fitted along the ceiling next to the lighting troughs. Fixed
handgrips were provided over doorways.
The armrests were unusual in that they had a two-tier design to allow adjacent passengers to rest
their arms separately, without a battle to get space. Originally it was intended that they should be
trimmed in red leather but cost ruled this out and they were delivered in moulded plastic. The design
was really rather successful but it was prone to damage by criminals and fell by the wayside. It was
replaced on 1990s stock by the ugly and uncomfortable type now seen on the Northern and Jubilee
lines.
The interior bodysides and ceilings were finished in panels of grey or white melamine-faced
hardboard and a dark, rubberised kicking strip was applied at foot level. Coverings for the doorway
pillars were made of moulded glass reinforced plastic. The tops of seat backs were covered in red
leather. This was a useful feature provided to allow the tops edges to be easily cleaned of dust. Of
course, it is not done today, since seat upholstery is so thin that it hardly has enough of a top surface
to allow dust to settle.
At doorways, draught screens were of the usual Underground arrangement with toughened glass but
they were set back from the doorway by about 6 inches to allow passengers to stand without
obstructing the doorway too much. This worked with the design of ceiling adopted for the ’67 Stock
but the idea has been sterilised on more recent cars where ceilings have become so chunky that it’s
impossible for a person of normal height to stand upright near the doorway.
Heating was provided in the form of low temperature panels fixed to the gangways side of each seat
riser. These were something of an improvement on the previous small heater units stuck under
seats wherever space was available, which led to an uneven distribution of heat – such as it was.
The Underground was always nervous of in-car heating circuits since they operated at the line
voltage of 630 DC and were necessarily above the floor and close to the passengers. The heater
fires experienced on the District line’s R Stock were fresh in people’s memories and the idea of low
current panels was a much more attractive proposition.
COMMUNICATIONS
Car interiors were equipped with a public address system, allowing the driver to make
announcements to the passengers. A special handset, supplied, I remember, by a company called
5
Indeed, one might be tempted to comment at length on the overall quality of the 1992 Tube Stock build but one must
resist.
January 2012
15
Nelson Tansley, was provided in the cab that was used for this and for communications between
cabs (if required in emergency) and between the driver and the control room using a new system
described as “carrier wave”.
The carrier wave communication system was a first for the Underground as it was the first time that a
driver could communicate with the controller whilst on the move. The system used the traction
current rails as the transmission medium. The train equipment consisted of a barrier or isolating unit,
connected to the collector shoe circuits, feeding into the cab equipment which could be removed as
a “plug-in” unit. The system operated at 130kHz from the control room to the train and at 150kHz in
the opposite direction. Whilst all trains in a given section could hear a message from the control
room, they couldn’t hear other trains. Contrary to popular belief, the driver didn’t speak to the line
controller but to the signalman, who was then referred to as a “train regulator”, since his purpose was
not to signal trains under normal conditions, as this was done by programme machines.
The big drawback of the carrier wave system was that it didn’t work if traction current was switched
off and short circuit devices had been put down across the current rail to provide protection. Happily,
such circumstances were rare but were a particular inconvenience during suicide recovery.
A train-to-train radio system was also provided. The purpose was to allow the driver on one train to
exchange messages with another close behind him during push-out operations. Various system
design options were considered, largely with a desire to avoid paying for the licence required for
each instrument by the then regulator, the General Post Office. In the end, the only suitable design
was a short wave radio, with a range of 50 feet – all that was necessary to allow a transmission from
an aerial in the rear cab to the reciever in the leading cab of the assisting train. Webster, in his
paper to the Institute of Locomotive Engineers 6 observed, “A maximum range of only about 50 feet is
required and this is achieved by attenuating the output signal by the use of an inefficient aerial which
takes the form of a metal drawer handle mounted on the rear wall of the cab!”
BOGIES
From the late 1930s up to the early 1960s, tube car motor bogies were designed with a traction
motor on one axle of the two and for the car weight to be greater on this axle to improve adhesion.
The bogie wheelbase was therefore asymmetrical, with the motored axle closer to the bogie centre
than the unmotored axle. Trailer bogies were standardised by being designed the same way.
With the 1960 Tube Stock (and the Metropolitan’s new A Stock), the traditional arrangement of two
600v motors per motor cars was abandoned to allow the use of four 300v motors, so that each axle
on a motor car was motored and the bogie design became symmetrical. This setup was adopted for
the ‘67 Stock. The motors, described by the Underground as type LT115, were nominally rated at
80hp.
Figure 4:
Diagram of rubber
suspension units that replace the
steel side rollers and centre
bearing on the 1967 Tube Stock.
The rubber side bearers carried
the car body weight. They were
flexible enough to allow the bogie
to turn up to six degrees from the
centre.
Drawing: Webster (1969).
Bogie frames were steel, using welded and riveted construction except for the headstocks and
axlebox yokes which were forged aluminium. The motors were the traditional, nose suspended type,
mounted on forged steel suspension sleeves using taper roller bearings, with the motor nose
supported on the transom by links incorporating rubber bushes at the pivoting points.
6
Webster, E., (1969) Design Considerations for New Rolling Stock for the Victoria Line, London Transport Railways,
Institution of Locomotive Engineers, London.
16
Underground News
The Underground had been using rubber for the susupension of carbodies and bogies since trials
started in 1947 with the experimental fitting of rubber packs on the bogie bolster of a Q Stock trailer
car on the District Line. Because of the hope that there would be a reduction of the number of parts
requiring regular maintenance and even that there would be quieter running, there was a gradual
extension in the use of rubber. The 1959/62 Tube Stocks and A Stock incorporated rubber in the
suspension of the axleboxes, the bogie bolster, the traction motor nose and shoebeams.
Later, a 1962 Tube Stock car was modified with rubber “packs” replacing the traditional steel roller
side bearers and a rubber pivot in place of the conventional centre bearing. The trial worked well
engough for the ideas to be included in the ’67 Stock (Figure 4), together with rubber springing for
the intercar couplers and buffers.
Webster (1969) described the design where, “These springs carry the whole weight of the carbody
and have sufficient flexibility to allow the necessary turning of the bogie through an angle of six
degrees from the centre line. They thus eliminate the small clearance which previously existed
between the carbody and the roller side-bearer which was a source of considerable noise and an
item requiring maintenance”.
He went on, “Since the carbody weight is supported by the side-bearers there is no longer a need for
a load carrying centre-bearing and this has been replaced by a rubber-bushed centre spigot which
locates the bogie and transmits traction and braking forces. In the past, centre-bearings have been
another source of considerable noise and wear.”
RHEOSTATIC BRAKING
The 1967 Stock had rheostatic braking. This was the first tube stock to have such a system. The
idea was based on the now well-known idea that a train’s motors could be used to provide braking
effort. If the motors are reconnected to become generators during braking, the power they produce
can be fed into an on-board resistor and dissipated as waste heat. The objective was to reduce the
use of friction braking, a long standing source of dust and wheel wear.
The idea was tested on a specially formed 4-car unit of 1960 Stock. It was made up with its usual
two Standard Stock trailers replaced by two 1962 Stock trailers to give the formation 3910-27362734-3911. It was taken to the South Ealing test track and, during the summer of 1963, several
weeks of trials took place. The test results were sufficiently encouraging to allow a redesign of the
traction and braking system intended for the 1967 Stock. The rheostatic brake could be used at
speeds above 20 mph, definitely useful on the Victoria Line since it was being designed for a top
inter-station speed of 50 mph and, as a result, it was decided to reduce the number of friction brake
shoes by 50%. Instead of the standard two shoes per wheel, the new stock was to have only one.
Tests showed that this would provide sufficient brake effort for an emergency stop if it was required.
The introduction of the “rheo brake” as we all called it, meant a redesign of the traction control
system. The Underground’s standard PCM (Pneumatic Camshaft Control) system used camshaft
operated contactors, arranged with a single camshaft that rotated in one direction for the control of
the series contactors and in the opposite direction to control the parallel contactors. With the
introduction of rheo braking on the ‘67 Stock, two camshafts were used, one for series control of both
motoring and braking, the other for parallel control of motoring and braking.
The rheo brake system was entirely controlled by relays. One of these was known as the Rheostatic
Brake Proving Relay (RBPR) and it was connected to the braking control on each motor car with the
idea that, if the rheo brake failed to produce a brake effort, it would make the electro-pneumatic (e.p.)
brake apply automatically. The trouble was that if the rheo brake failed to register on one car, the
RBPR cancelled rheo brake on the whole train. There was then a lag while the e.p. brake tried to
play catch-up and get the brakes on to match the lost rheo effort. This was not an easy task and
there was a considerable lurch forward during the process. The result was often an overrun of a
platform stopping mark. Drivers soon learned to compensate for this by applying the emergency
brake as necessary7.
7
Keith Ware, one of the Underground’s senior engineers at the time, wrote to me “I think the bulk of these [overruns]
were due to an intermittent open circuit in one of the ADB components, causing a brake release shortly before standstill.
This was a persistent problem – I thought ‘if only I could be in the cab when it occurred, I could understand what
happens’. Eventually I was, and all I knew was that the brakes had released at a critical point – no help at all.
January 2012
17
A further consequence of the use of rheostatic braking is the adoption of solid wheels on the motor
car (previously confined to trailer cars only) since it is now expected that the reduced wear will make
wheel changing, in place of re-tyring, an economic proposition. Some improvement in tyre condition
and reduction in brake block wear is also expected from the better cooling of a solid compared with a
tyred wheel.
The use of a single brake block per wheel caused a considerable increase in the brake forces and it
was necessary to compensate for this by altering the angle of the rubber axlebox suspension packs
from 2° to 10°. This was done because of fears that the brake cylinder slack adjustment would
operate “irregularly”. With soft rubbers, the slack adjuster would take up a notch on every brake
application and eventually lock the brake on permanently.
To be continued …….
18
Underground News
NEWSFLASHES
Items for the ‘Newsflashes’ (and Tailpieces) section of Underground News may be sent to the
Editor by post and also by E-Mail, to the following address: editorUN@lurs.org.uk
NF 1/12 – SSR SIGNALLING UPGRADE: As details of the Bombardier SSR signalling upgrade
emerge, it has become apparent that not only will the S Stock be driven automatically as the Jubilee
Line now is, but also that the Piccadilly Line will be driven conventionally but with in-cab signalling, as
the Jubilee Line was before full implementation. The new signalling will be commissioned over a two
year period from late 2015, with twelve migration areas, so an average of one every other month.
These are proposed as being:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Uxbridge – West Harrow
Amersham/Chesham/Watford – Moor
Park
Moor Park – Wembley Park
Neasden – Baker Street
Hammersmith H&C – King’s Cross
King’s Cross – Whitechapel/Embankment
Embankment – Paddington
Whitechapel – Barking
Barking – Upminster
Earl’s Court – Olympia and Wimbledon
Earl’s Court – Richmond/Acton Town
Acton Town to Ealing Broadway/South
Harrow
The full Piccadilly Line signal control centre will
move to the Hammersmith SSR centre, but it
would appear that the current signalling will remain
east of Barons Court and west of South Ealing for
the time being. The new signalling will also cater
for National Rail trains on the Richmond,
Wimbledon and Amersham branches. This is an
extremely ambitious project, which the more
complex Westinghouse system previously planned
to resignal in 41 stages over six years. The last resignalling only between Stanmore and Aldgate
took 17 years from 1984 to 2001. Excluding a 10
years standstill, this was seven years to achieve 21
commissioning stages.
NF 2/12 – Michael Landy's “Acts of Kindness” artwork is being integrated into the seating fabric on
the Central Line. The new seating features red (matchstick men) figures and the rods “self” and
“other” from his project. Four new acts of kindness will be featured on trains (Below Left) and also at
eight Central Line stations between Hanger Lane and Liverpool Street, the photo (Below Right) being
at Liverpool Street. Acts of Kindness is a project by artist Michael Landy celebrating everyday
generosity and compassion on the Underground, which began in July 2011.
NF 3/12 – Reference NF 117/11, the ‘gates’ at Harrow & Wealdstone are now completed and
seemingly can be opened easily from the fast line platform sides, but require a key to open them
from the other sides where passengers are normally likely to be.
NF 4/12 – It will be recalled that when C Stock trains received new (lower case) destination blinds for
the new service pattern in December 2009, one unit ‘escaped’ and retained the previous blind in
upper case lettering. The C Stock ‘upper case blind baton’ has now passed onto C69 DM car 5539,
noted on District train 70 on 22 November 2011.
NF 5/12 – Over in Paris, a 1.3km extension on line 8, south from Créteil-Préfecture to Créteil-Pointe
du Lac, was opened to the public on Saturday 8 October 2011. A month later, on 3 November 2011,
the first train of MP05 Stock entered service on line 1. The whole line is expected to be MP05operated by the end of 2012 and in the meantime, the trains of MP89 Stock are to be transferred
from line 1 to line 4, replacing the MP59s on that line. Line 2 is now completely MF01 and deliveries
January 2012
19
of these trains are now making inroads on the MF67F on line 5 with about one-third of the service
being provided by the new trains.
NF 6/12 – Seen on the northbound indicator at
Leicester Square on 1 December 2011.
However, it only appears for a few seconds
because as soon as the notice scrolls along the
bottom half with a message it re-sets itself!
Photo: David Burleigh
NF 7/12 – Metropolitan to Watford Junction: Government funding for the Croxley Rail Link was
announced on 14 December 2011. This will allow Metropolitan Line trains to divert over a new
viaduct north of Croxley, to link with the track bed of the former London Midland Region branch line
to Watford Junction via Watford High Street. New stations with emergency exits from platforms will
be provided at Ascot Road, a park and ride site, and Vicarage Road serving the Watford General
Hospital. At Watford Junction four platforms will be lengthened, whilst the existing Metropolitan Line
terminus will close to passengers but be retained for stabling of trains. Transport and Works Act
powers are to be sought in January 2012, with a three year construction period anticipated – see
croxleyraillink.com One wonders whether Bakerloo Line stock transfers to the rest of the LU
system may use this route, with battery locos over the Overground route from Harrow & Wealdstone.
This would allow lifting of the two Jubilee Line links at Baker Street which are maintained for heavy
use at both ends with few transfers actually taking place.
NF 8/12 – With the introduction of the new Hammersmith & City Line timetable on 11 December
2011, immediate changes saw a special notice issued with trains not yet stabling at Edgware Road
because of work outstanding for S7 stock. Currently expected to end on 20 January, one extra train
was stabled overnight at Aldgate and one at Hammersmith.
NF 9/12 – Further changes from 8 January 2012 on Sundays is the scheduled use of the new
crossovers at Whitechapel by empty early morning trains. Train 204 starts from Moorgate at 06.35
instead of 07.00, and after shunting to the outer rail runs empty to Whitechapel to reverse (east to
west in eastbound platform), departing at 06.54 and picking up its inner rail Circle Line passenger
working from Moorgate at 07.01. Train 231 starts from Barking at 06.17 instead of 07.22 and runs
empty to Whitechapel, reversing west to east in the westbound platform. It then departs empty at
06.45 to Barking bay platform to form its booked departure in service at 07.25 (but from platform 3
instead of platform 6).
NF 10/12 – The new ticket hall at Farringdon opened on the south side of Cowcross Street on
Monday 12 December 2011. The existing LU entrance on Cowcross Street temporarily closed for
refurbishment until 6 February with the entrance to the Underground station being on Turnmill Street
until then. From 7 February, there will be three entrances – Turnmill Street and both entrances on
Cowcross Street. Furthermore the lengthened FCC platforms opened for 12-car trains, which began
running from the new NR timetable on 12 December 2011. Lifts in the new ticket hall will open in
2012. It is also interesting to note that with the extended train shed roof at the west end of the
station, the ‘canvas’ type material over the west end footbridges has been removed. The former LU
signal cabin is now hemmed in by the extended train shed roof. The two photographs (overleaf)
were taken on the opening day.
20
Underground News
The new entrance on the south side of Cowcross Street (Above), showing the main line departure
screens on the right, with a view looking north west from the extended platforms (Below).
Both photos: Kim Rennie
January 2012
21
Left: First Capital Connect poster regarding the
opening of the new ticket hall at Farringdon.
Photo: Kim Rennie
__________________________________________
NF 11/12 – The latest “Tube Map” shows the
Emirates “Air Line” as under construction which will
link the Docklands Light Railway at Royal Victoria to
the Jubilee Line near North Greenwich.
The
Emirates Air Line will be the first urban cable car
system of its kind in the UK and is expected to open
in the summer.
NF 12/12 – The height restriction barrier for the station car park at Chalfont & Latimer was decorated
with tinsel over the Christmas period.
NF 13/12 – The Future Ticketing Project (FTP) is a ground breaking programme that will transform
the way Passengers pay for travel. It will also reduce TfL’s cost of ticketing by establishing
contactless payment cards (CPCs) as an alternative way to pay for travel. From early 2013 a new
ticketing system will enable passengers to access the parts of the network which accepts Oyster by
touching a contactless debit or credit card on the yellow readers. TfL will then make a single charge
to the passenger’s card for all their daily travel. The scheme will be piloted on buses and the initial
launch is expected to begin in March 2012. As this is a small scale launch initially the system will
enable passengers to pay for single bus journeys with just a touch of their contactless payment card.
The fare will not count towards a daily cap on Oyster. CPC acceptance will be launched on all TfL
modes (Bus, Underground, DLR, Tram, London Overground) and National Rail in early 2013.
Passengers will be able to use CPCs as an alternative to Oyster cards, this will speed up travel as
they will no longer need to get an Oyster card or queue and load credit in advance. Staff will also be
less tied up with small scale payment queries and available for customer service in the ticket hall.
Oyster cards will continue to be available until they are replaced with a TfL branded contactless
payment cards that will require loaded credit, much like pay as you go today. But the future system
will reap the benefits of the improved fare calculation functionality that supports CPC use.
Passengers will also be able to access a variety of self serve channels and features to manage their
travel spend via a secure online account system hosted on the TfL website.
NF 14/12 – An eight-car train of 1992 Tube Stock on the Central Line vinyl ‘wrapped’ in a pink and
white livery for the April 2012 digital TV switchover, was ‘launched’ into service on 9 January 2012. It
comprises A-B units 91055 and 91063, and B-C units 93206 and 93256. On launch day it worked
train 4 throughout the day. Photos in next issue – Ed.
NF 15/12 – New signalling at Edgware Road was commissioned on Friday 30 December 2011 for
both C Stock and S(7) Stock trains. The upgrade work took place around the four platforms at
22
Underground News
Edgware Road and the objective was to enable S7 trains, which are 23 metres longer than current
stock, to run through the area and to maintain the current 24 trains per hour frequency. Existing
signalling equipment in this area dates back to the 1920s and modifications made by the project
included:
 Relocating signals so that they are visible to drivers in both C stock and S Stock trains.
 Removing five 'draw up' signals and installing new one-person-operation equipment.
 Modifying the equipment in Edgware Road signal cabin equipment.
 Introducing variable speed signs.
Variable speed signs are also known as switchable permanent speed restriction signs and represent
a completely new speed controlled signalling feature for London Underground.
January 2012
23
ROLLING STOCK CHANGES AND MOVEMENTS
PREVIOUS ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS & DECEMBER 2011
CORRECTION TO A STOCK DISPOSAL DATES:
From Northwood to Booths, Rotherham, by road for scrap –
5145 6145
27.09.11
30.09.11
5144 6144
28.09.11
29.09.11
5027 6027
29.09.11
28.09.11
5026 6026
30.09.11
27.09.11
From Northwood to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, by road for scrap –
5201 6201
12.10.11
13.10.11
5200 6200
13.10.11
12.10.11
From Northwood to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, Booths, Rotherham, by road for scrap –
5075 6075
21.11.11
5074 6074
22.11.11
1992 TUBE STOCK ‘REFRESH’ – UPDATE:
Train
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
91143
91031
91137
91029
91269
91087
91025
91005
29.11.11
01.12.11
06.12.11
08.12.11
13.12.11
15.12.11
20.12.11
23.12.11
Units and Completion Dates
91247 29.11.11
93196 29.11.11
91041 01.12.11
93050 01.12.11
91229 06.12.11
91341 06.12.11
91151 08.12.11
91169 08.12.11
91311 13.12.11
91323 13.12.11
91161 15.12.11
93076 15.12.11
91179 20.12.11
93156 20.12.11
91053 23.12.11
91331 23.12.11
93226
93144
93140
93442
93202
93410
93428
93120
29.11.11
01.12.11
06.12.11
08.12.11
13.12.11
15.12.11
20.12.11
23.12.11
LU HERITAGE STOCK:
Pre-1938 Tube Stock from Acton Works to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, by road for disposal –
L135 PC850
04.12.11
1967/72 TUBE STOCK:
Transfer of Asset Inspection Train Lillie Bridge – Northfields –
3079-4313-3313
04.12.11
3213-4213-3179
05.12.11
Overhauled at Stonebridge Park depot – 3461-4561-3561
01.12.11
Update on disposal dates:
Acton Works to Booths, Rotherham, by road for scrap –
4186
14.09.11
The following cars of Victoria Line 1967/72 Tube Stock remained at Acton Works on 30 November
2011:
3007 3107 3022 3122 (for future Tunnel Cleaning Train)
3075-4075-4175-3175 (possible Acton Works shunting unit)
In addition, units 3060+3061 were still at Northumberland Park for shunting purposes, awaiting the
return of 2009 Stock Train 20 from Derby.
1973 TUBE STOCK:
Overhauled at Cockfosters depot –
198-598-398 06.10.11
160-560-360 20.10.11
317-517-117 31.10.11
331-531-131
407-607-207
08.11.11
01.12.11
2009 TUBE STOCK:
From Bombardier, Derby, delivered to Northumberland Park depot by road –
13002 14002
11001 12001
01.12.11
06.12.11
13001 14001
05.12.11
) Part Train 1/48
)
24
Underground News
11004 12004
13003 14003
10.12.11
13.12.11
13004 14004
11003 12003
12.12.11
14.12.11
) Train 2/49
)
Entered service, Victoria Line –
11002-12002-13002-14002-14001-13001-12001-11001 16.12.11
Train 1/48
11004-12004-13004-14004-14003-13003-12003-11003 20.12.11
Train 2/49
The original build sequence of Train 48 as laid down is 11095-12095-13095-14095-14096-1309612096-11096 but has Train 1 numbering (11001-12001-13001-14001-14002-13002-12002-11002).
The original build sequence of Train 49 as laid down is 11097-12097-13097-14097+14098-1309812098-11098 but has Train 2 numbering (11003-12003-13003-14003-14004-13004-12004-11004).
However, because car 14095 was damaged at Derby on 04.11.11, Train 48 was delivered ‘on paper’
as 11095-12095-13095-14097-14096-13096-12096-11096, BUT numbered 11001-12001-1300114001-14002-13002-12002-11002.
Train 49 arrived ‘on paper’ as 11097-12097-13097-14095-14098-13098-12098-11098 but numbered
11003-12003-13003-14003+14004-13004-12004-11004.
This means that the odd-numbered 14xxx cars of Trains 1/48 and 2/49 have been exchanged, but
arrived with the ‘correct’ numbers!
And due to a quirk of fate, Train 2 (as units 003 + 004) has the dubious honour of being both the first
(units now scrapped) and last (newly built replacement units) 2009 Tube Stock to enter Passenger
Service – probably a unique achievement.
A STOCK SUMMARY AS AT 6 DECEMBER 2011:
‘A’
‘D’
A/D
5000
5046
5130
5147
5195
5056
5108
5010
5050
5134
5149
5199
5060
5112
5012
5052
5138
5151
5203
5062
5114
5014
5068
5016
5070
5018
5072
5020
5076
5022
5078
5024
5080
5034
5082
5038
5084
5040
5126
5044
5128
5153
5211
5088
5116
5161
5213
5090
5118
5163
5215
5092
5120
5165
5219
5094
5122
5169
5221
5096
5232
5181
5223
5098
5183
5225
5100
5189
5227
5102
5191
5229
5104
5193
5231
5106
TOTAL: 29x’A’, 26x’D’, 21xA/D = 76 UNITS = 38 TRAINS
5-CAR SANDITE
A/D
5110
5234
50 YEARS OF A STOCK SUMMARY – END DECEMBER 2011:
These are the units that have made it to 50 years with the relevant (50th) dates quoted, as delivered
and, where applicable, in service, and whether they are still with us or have been scrapped.
DATES DELIVERED
Unit
5000
5002
5004
5008
5010
5012
5014
5016
5018
5020
5022
5024
5026
5028
5030
Scrapped
Extant
02.02.61
30.03.61
29.04.61
DATES IN SERVICE
Scrapped
Notes
12.06.61
13.06.61
26.06.61
26.06.61
07.07.61
07.07.61
26.07.61
26.07.61
10.08.61
1
21.08.61
2
12.06.61
13.05.61
13.05.61
27.05.61
27.05.61
10.06.61
10.06.61
24.06.61
24.06.61
06.07.61
06.07.61
10.08.61
20.07.61
20.07.61
Extant
13.09.61
21.08.61
January 2012
25
DATES DELIVERED
Unit
5032
5034
5036
5038
5040
5042
5044
5046
5050
5052
5056
5060
5062
5068
5070
Scrapped
30.07.61
Extant
DATES IN SERVICE
Scrapped
21.08.61
30.07.61
12.08.61
31.08.61
21.09.61
21.09.61
Extant
Notes
21.08.61
07.09.61
09.09.61
05.10.61
3
4
05.10.61
30.09.61
30.09.61
14.10.61
28.10.61
11.11.61
25.11.61
25.11.61
22.12.61
22.12.61
16.10.61
16.10.61
30.10.61
20.11.61
05.12.61
23.12.61
23.12.61
It will be appreciated that units 5006, 5048, 5054, 5058, 5064 and 5066 did not make it to 50 years,
either ‘delivered’ or ‘in service’.
1. 5008 was renumbered 5034 (unit extant). 6008-6009-5009 renumbered 6234-6235-5235 and
extant as second Rail Adhesion Train.
2. 5028-6028 now 5232-6232. 6029-5029 scrapped.
3. 5034 was renumbered to 5008 and then 5234, still extant as second Rail Adhesion Train.
4. 5036-6037-5037 now 5116-6117-5117 and extant.
S STOCK:
Readers cannot have failed to notice that there has been little S Stock activity over the last few
weeks. The following may be quoted:
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON has refused to accept any more new Underground S Stock subsurface
trains from Bombardier in Derby for the time being, because of ‘reliability issues’.
Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy told the Transport for London Board that 16 of the new trains
have been placed in service on the Metropolitan Line, but that further deliveries had been halted
temporarily while some modifications are made.
Information on the problems has been hard to come by, but an excellent article in “Modern Railways”
for January 2012, pages 82-83, explains as much as has been divulged.
From Old Dalby, delivered to Neasden –
21034-22034-25034-24034-24033-23033-22033-21033 15.12.11
Entered service, Metropolitan Line –
21034-22034-25034-24034-24033-23033-22033-21033 22.12.11
STATUS END-DECEMBER 2011
Total
Trains delivered and not in service:
22 ‡
29 $
57 *
Trains commissioned for service:
1
8
16
28
2
9
19
3
10
21
Trains at Old Dalby:
12
30
31
Trains O/S at Bombardier
out of sequence:
17
18
20
3
4
11
24
5
13
25
6
14
26
7
15
27
22
3
23
58 †
5
26
Underground News
* Pre-production train. PP1 now Train 57 and 7-car.
† Pre-production train. PP2 now Train 58.
‡ Production train 22, formed as 7-car.
$ Production train 29, formed as 7-car.
With 38 trains of A Stock and 22 commissioned trains of S Stock, this represents roughly one-third
(new stock) and two-thirds (old stock).
MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES:
From Northumberland Park to Ruislip by road (unable to return by rail because of non availability of
crossovers at Finsbury Park) –
L21 L31
13.12.11
From Ruislip to Acton Works by road –
L25
21.09.10 For upgrade mods
L27
27.01.11 For upgrade mods and repair, ex-derailment Earl’s Court – Gloucester
Road on 12.05.10.
L31
22.12.11 For upgrade mods
From Acton Works to Ruislip by road –
L25
21.12.11 Ex-upgrade works
January 2012
27
DESIGNING LONDON TRANSPORT MODELS
by Dr. Arun Sharma
One of the aims behind the formation of this Society, just about fifty years ago, was supporting
furtherance of modelling LT in miniature. Then, as now, the main source of LT railway models was
the Harrow Model Shop whose masters and stocks on closure were taken over by Radley Models.
They continue to market them via their website and their stand at half a dozen or so exhibitions
throughout the year.
This range of models had always been limited however with a discernable leaning towards the
Metropolitan Railway – perhaps because of the location of the original shop in Harrow but more likely
due to being able to avoid modelling some of the complex infrastructure that accompanies the deep
tube lines. After all it is possible to model the MET by employing a single track, two rail system in a
cutting!
Like many members of LURS, I grew up in London and started to collect train numbers whilst at
school. In my case in Leytonstone at a time when the occasional ex-GER F5 2-4-2T could [just] be
seen passing through the station to and from Temple Mills/Epping. The earlier [1923-27] variants of
Standard Stock predominated on the Central Line together with red-painted 1935 flat-fronted
experimental stock on the Woodford – Hainault shuttle.
I came to railway modelling relatively late in life. I had a job which took me around the world
frequently at short notice and, quite often, for extended, unpredictable periods. That life didn’t seem
conducive to kit building but the [occasional] long leaves which followed back in the UK became so.
When I did take up kit building, like most people, it was initially of prototypes that I had actually seen
operating.
GAUGE AND SCALE
00 gauge [1/76th scale] models have never looked quite right to me. This is due to the UK model
industry’s historical compromise with scale. Many modellers are only dimly aware that all the rail
models available from the three main 00 gauge “ready-to-run” [RTR] suppliers in the UK [Bachmann,
Hornby and Dapol (and Triang and Airfix before that)] are a compromise in that the bodies of the
vehicles are built to 1/76 scale whereas the track is built to 1/87 scale. This stems from a time when
motors/operating mechanisms were becoming small enough to fit inside 1/87scale models of
prototypes built to the continental loading gauge but not [in that scale] to those built to the [smaller]
UK loading gauge. In practice, the 00 gauge track looks too narrow with the running rails 16.5mm
apart whereas they should be 18.83mm. Conversely, the wheel flanges are too large compared to
the prototype and this in turn distorts the geometry of points and turn-outs.
In the even-smaller loading gauges that apply to both tube and surface stock, the operating
mechanism problem is compounded with 00 gauge models being redesigned to fit around one or
other of a small range of Japanese off-the-shelf motor bogies. Not only that but the problem of
perspective rears its head. As often as not when we look at the prototype, it is from the side or even
from slightly below. When we look at a model, it is generally from above. Accordingly, in the smaller
scales, there has been an understandable tendency by model designers to not worry too much about
what boxes etc., exist under the solebar of LT multiple unit stock – especially if doing so would
interfere with fitting one of these standard motor bogies.
Although appropriate motors have become smaller, the past and ongoing investment in 16.5mm
track and vehicles by both producers and purchasers of models is such that no mainstream UK
company would seriously contemplate ever moving away from the compromise. However, there are
many modellers who do build their own 18.83mm track and rebuild/re-wheel a chassis to suit it.
Happily, there are also modelling societies that facilitate those moving to such greater realism.
After some initial dabbling with 18.83mm track gauge, my own modelling migrated to the rather larger
scale of 1/43.5 otherwise known as 0 gauge. This is a scale where until say, four/five years ago very
little was available RTR and it was pre-eminently a kit or scratch builder’s scale. “Scratch building”
refers to manufacturing all or a significant proportion of parts of a model oneself. Fortunately, there
are many kit designers as well as commercial sources for most common wheels sizes and fittings
such as chimneys, brake pipes, buffers and e.g., carriage dynamos so kit assembly and scratch-
28
Underground News
building was largely restricted to chassis and body-shells. Equally important, there are thriving 0
gauge societies.
RESEARCH AND DRAWINGS
All well and good for many BR steam engines/rolling stock and even a few LT types [H class 4-4-4T,
Peckett X class 0-6-0ST, ex-GWR pannier tanks and the MET Bo-Bos spring to mind] but not for LT
multiple units which would involve much more work. I decided to start with a straightforward
prototype which I had occasionally seen at Acton. This was L11, the double-ended shunter built from
the driving/contactor compartments of two 1931 Tube Stock driving motors. If this was a success,
then much of the work in subsequently producing a 1931 Tube Stock DM would also have been
done. Clearly no kit existed for L11 in 0 gauge but there were drawings. Some readers may recall
the mass clearout sale of rail and road vehicle large scale engineering drawings that 55
Broadway/Griffith House undertook around 1976. At that time I bought assorted drawings including a
1/16th scale drawing of a 1931 Tube Stock DM. Additionally there were other drawings of this stock
available from well-known drawing suppliers such as Skinley and Terry Russell.
I’m told that the better model makers work on a premise that if you can see detail on a decent
photograph of the prototype, then that detail should be included on the model. It follows that the
larger the model, the more detail that needs to be added. Thus a model can almost become a
snapshot of a prototype of a particular road/rail vehicle at a particular point in time.
You might search long and hard for a drawing which showed you the prominent rivet/bolt head
pattern on L11’s solebar that any good photograph would show you. Additionally, any pair of scale
drawings drawn by different people will have slight differences. So it was with the drawings I
obtained. In fact one of them completely confused the cab/contactor compartment detail of the Acton
and Ealing ends of the loco. The lesson is not only that where possible all detail should be
confirmed from photographs but that you should always confirm critical measurements. The relative
consistency and thickness of the lines used within a drawing and between different drawings can
also vary and makes transferring measurements problematical – especially after enlarging. Often I
have found myself having to completely redraw a drawing or at least having to heavily annotate it
with measurements to maintain consistency. As a result, it isn’t essential at the outset to have highly
detailed drawings if good photographs exist. My 0 gauge model of the long-extinct L8 was designed
entirely using Piers Connor’s excellent schematic drawing in the December 2009 Underground News
with added detail from photographs supplied by Brian Hardy. Other models like the 1940 Waterloo &
City Line double-ended DM and trailer have been based in large part on the very useful sets of
drawings and advice available from the Society’s Modelling secretary, Fris Friswell.
Fortunately L11 existed and not only could detail be readily photographed from the car park at
Epping Station but it also had its own website with some internal photographs. There was also a
1931 pilot motor car at the LT Museum Depot which on request was available to be photographed
and measured in detail.
PATTERNS
As mentioned previously, no LT-type fittings were available commercially for this model. In practice,
Z bogie axleboxes, cab front auxiliary connector boxes, brake pipes, “Deadman's Handle”, front door
handle, contactor compartment ventilation louvres, cab rear bulkhead fuseboxes etc., all had to be
photographed and measured. After much trial and error, this was made much easier by laying a tape
measure alongside the particular part and photographing it with a digital camera but eventually a
scale drawing on graph paper had to be drawn for each. If the possibility of two visits to a prototype
exists, then sometimes I will just take notes and digital photos on the first visit and print copies of
them onto A4 sheets of paper. These are then annotated with the dimensions needed in time for the
second visit and the figures written directly onto the prints.
Leaving aside wheels, motors and gears for the moment, to produce a model of L11, indeed almost
any model, in brass requires two different types of components. The body work is essentially formed
from 3/8mm [15thou] [0.375mm] brass or Nickel-Silver [actually an alloy of brass and nickel] sheet
and the fittings mentioned above from brass or white metal castings. Taking the castings first, as
they are the “show stoppers”, they divide into two groups. There are those that are formed of simple
prismatic or geometric shapes. Straight-forward examples would include L11’s shunting headlamp
or square/rectangular switch- and fuse-boxes that sit on the cab rear bulkhead – these are straight-
January 2012
29
forward to produce from tubular or box-section brass [or plastic] soldered or stuck to a base plate.
Slightly more difficult would be the Westinghouse brake controllers which consist of different
thicknesses of brass or copper wire with thin sheet and brass nuts soldered to them.
Rather more difficult are items like axleboxes/brake pipes/curved roof vents and collector shoes.
These highly visible and intricate items need to be made accurately. At the time there seemed to be
no alternative to getting some of these made by a professional pattern maker. I have to say that this
was a forbiddingly expensive business. On the one hand, pattern makers are very much a dying
breed and so difficult to find. Secondly, even being charged no more than the minimum national
hourly rate, a one inch long Z bogie axlebox with springs will set you back £250. That is without the
subsequent costs of having a mould made from the master by a jewellery foundry and then having
brass copies cast. Having said that, they are beautiful examples of workmanship and the
subsequent brass copies are only a pound or two each. To some extent that also dictated the choice
of prototype as these components would also work on any other Standard Stock DMs and their
derived ballast and pilot motor cars.
BODY – THE HARD WAY
As far as the below-roof bodywork went, essentially it was divided into two cabs, and the four sides of
the two back to back contactor compartments – one pair being rather longer than the other because
of the presence of part of the forward passenger compartment.
There are three ways of treating brass sheet to produce a shape that can later be folded to form a
complex shape like a Standard Stock DM cab – it can be cut into shape, etched or pressed in a die.
Die pressing involves making two slightly oversize interlocking steel presses which have a sheet of
metal trapped in between and are then screwed together distorting the metal sheet into the required
shape. For some simple shapes such as convex smokebox doors it is practical though you would
need a toolmaker and his lathe to make you one. It isn’t practical or economical for half a dozen
complex cab fronts. Etching produces an excellent result and is useful and cheap if producing many
copies. On the other hand, if just producing a couple then a piercing or fret saw will do. The way to
do it is to draw the shape you want to cut onto paper and stick it firmly to the brass with e.g., a “Pritt
Stick”. This involves taking careful measurements from the cab drawing and remembering that it is
not the perceived measurement across the front face which is important but rather the actual length
of the sloping/angled cab front. Bear in mind that these cabs were not flat-fronted – the driver’s [and
opposite] window side of course being angled rearwards and laterally. Then just cut around the
shape and finish off with fine files. Brass stretches slightly on bending but no more than the same
thickness of plastic card so it is worth cutting out a few test pieces of plastic card and trying those out
first. The side extensions were bent back by folding around a 2mm diameter rod to give the
appropriate radius. In an ideal world, these extensions would bend back symmetrically – but when
taken together with the need for the upper half of the body to also taper inwards, several attempts
may be needed.
BODY – SLIGHTLY EASIER WAY
All of this was do-able but was slow and not always one hundred percent reproducible. However, for
a one-off model this was no great problem and I was in no particular hurry. Then four years ago I
was asked by Radley Models whether I could produce L11 as an 0 gauge set of parts that could be
cast in resin and subsequently sold as kits. The castings presented no problems as they had already
been produced. The problem was the sheet metal work. Most brass used in this sort of kit is around
10 to 15 thousands of an inch thick [approximately ¼ to ⅓ mm]. The polyurethane resins used by
industrial casting companies need to be at least 1 or preferably, 1.5 mm thick for rigidity. Therefore
the masters used for the moulds need to be the same thickness. There was no realistic possibility of
thickening up the body and cab sides of the existing model or rebuilding the model in thicker material
as 15 thou is pretty much the limit of readily bending sharp angles in brass.
The outline drawings for the driving cabs and body sides that would be stuck down on the brass were
done in a 2D CAD package called “AutoCad” made by a company called “Autodesk”. The reason for
using that package is that both line thickness and length could be controlled which would solve the
previous problems caused by using conventional pens and pencils. Although other vector drawing
software packages such as “Corel Draw” could have been used, “AutoCad” had the advantage of far
30
Underground News
better control of drawing line length. It isn’t a simple, cheap or intuitive package to use straight out of
the box however and, like many non-professional users, I attended evening classes at the local
“Tech”. Firstly, I discovered that “AutoCad” is excellent for drawings that will be used for producing
the photographic films that are used by chemical etching companies. This suggested that body
thickness could be increased by laminating identical pieces of brasswork together although it meant
that each individual sheet would need the exact same curve manually bent say, around the cab front
or passenger doorway. Secondly, it meant that only half of say, a cab would have to be drawn – the
other half being the same, the software could attach a mirrored half to the original half.
For drawings with complex curves such as the roof section of L11, the need to only draw one half
and then have the computer finish the drawing in this fashion saved a lot of time and grief. My initial
plan was to cut out a series of identical roof sections in brass sheet, solder them upright and
sequentially, like dominos, to a strip of brass and then fill in the gaps with something like “Polyfilla”.
Followed by smoothing down the sides and then when dry using that as a master to produce resin
roof lengths. This would be done using one of the many readily-available room temperature cure
latex moulding materials with two part rapid setting resin. Resin roof lengths could then be trimmed
and applied to the vehicle body. This worked – though much finishing and fettling was required. If I
was building a one-off for someone else then this process could be used but the amount of fiddling
and fettling required would not be much fun for someone buying a kit who might rightly expect that
these design limitations should have been sorted out by the designer and not left to the hapless
purchaser to sort out.
SUBTRACTING AND ADDING
Even more useful was the discovery that “AutoCad” has a basic 3D capability. Essentially this is an
“extrude” command. What this means is that any basic shape such a square, diamond, triangle,
circle or indeed any 2D shape where the bounding lines didn’t cross over each other could be used
as a base and then pulled to whatever height required. A slice through this object at 90degrees to
the axis would always give the same shape as started with. So if you had drawn a shape like the
club shape from a pack of cards, and extruded it, you would end up with a mass rather akin to a very
crude clerestory roof of potentially infinite length. Once the shape had been extruded you couldn’t
do much more with it but it was still quite a useful trick. The real trick of course would be turning that
3D computer image into a solid form. Oddly enough, something similar was possible in the
woodworking business. Long sections of e.g., coving, picture rails and skirting boards had long been
produced by computer-controlled milling machines and routers and some model makers had indeed
produced 0-gauge carriage roofs this way. This is of course a subtractive process – you start with a
long block and remove bits of it until you get the shape you’re after.
As it happened, “The Tech” had another suggestion. They had just acquired an early example of
additive technology in the form of a stereo-lithographic printer [SLA] and were keen to try it out.
Imagine if you will, an inkjet printer which firstly, instead of ink, uses a fine instant-setting glue and
secondly, instead of using paper to print on, uses a flat sheet of very fine powder on a bed that can
move downwards in very small steps. The printer control software takes the [virtual] extruded roof
shape and slices it into a series of hundreds of very thin horizontal slices. The printer then prints out
the first of these shapes onto the powder. Once complete, the bed drops down a fraction and the
glued area is covered by a thin layer of fresh powder and the next slice is “drawn” in glue. This
process continues until every horizontal slice has been printed. The loose unglued powder in each
layer has, all the while, been filling undercuts such as those supporting the overhanging clerestory
eaves found on all later standard stock cars. The loose unglued powder is then brushed away and
the 3D shape seen on the screen is now sitting on the printer bed essentially consisting of a laminate
of glue and powder. Often these will require to be cured – usually with UV light. Although eminently
suitable as masters for casting purposes, many types become brittle with age and are not
themselves suitable as major structural parts of say, a model railway carriage. They tend also to be
heat sensitive and can distort if not cared for.
Over the last few years, other additive technologies have sprung up. Most still use software to
horizontally slice the drawn object into thin layers and then recreate them either by this type of
printing or by firing a focused laser/other beam of light into a tank of jelly which hardens where it has
been hit by the focused beam. Still others take a spool of plastic or metal wire and cause the end to
be vaporized and build up an object using this condensed vapour. Whichever process is used, the
January 2012
31
end result is what matters. In practice this is related to the resolution of the machine which in turn
dictates the level of fine detail possible. Firstly the size of the vertical step between each printing
pass dictates how many layers are required to build the object and in turn dictates the time taken.
The more layers, the more time, the more detail, the smoother the surface and the greater the cost.
Secondly the size of the “print head” dictates the smallest object that can be built. Having said that,
there is no point building small rivet heads on the solebar of L11 if they just rub off when handled. In
practice, that has meant that if producing a run of hexagonal nuts 0.5mm diameter and standing
0.35mm [securely] proud of the surface, the machine has to have a resolution of around 16microns.
The micron is a unit of length – 1,000 microns equalling one millimetre [alt. 25,400 microns equalling
one inch]. Incidentally, sixteen microns is very slightly more than twice the diameter of a red blood
cell!
Understandably, these high definition prints might be considered overkill if just producing segments
of carriage roof so coarser resolutions are readily available at lower prices. Essentially, you get what
you pay for and you pay for what you get!
3D DRAWING
The other advice from “The Tech” was that if 3D printing was likely to be the way ahead in my
modelling then I should consider a move away from “AutoCad” to a recent and more specialised
product from the same manufacturer viz., “Autodesk Inventor”. This is one of a series of rapidly
evolving 3D drawing packages that not only extrudes an object in the same way as “AutoCad” but
can then perform a very wide range, and large number, of individual cutting, revolving, joining,
chamfering etc., actions on the object. Further, if need be, the part can be seamlessly fused to other
similarly constructed parts to form an assembly and the composite assembly printed out by any SLA
printer. In addition to this, the program also automatically produces orthographic, exploded, labelled
and/or perspective drawings of each component or assembly – all very useful if having to produce
instruction sheets showing someone else how to build a model. There are several similar programs
available e.g., Solid Works, ARES, CATIA etc., and all have individual strengths but all are capable
of this same type of activity often referred to as “Parametric” or “Solid Modelling”.
The software is simple to load [it runs under 64bit Windows 7] and used straight out of the box but
once familiar with the interface, it makes sense to get some formal training as there is often more
than one way of solving a problem and with practice come time-efficient shortcuts. Many colleges
run short evening courses on this type of software and additionally there are hard copy manuals and
DVD-based courses available. One characteristic of all of these software packages is the on-line
help. The packages are so widely used that someone somewhere has had the same problem you
are facing and has published the solution on the net! As is often said when referring to wordprocessing packages, the average user will only use a tiny percentage of the software’s capabilities.
The same is certainly true for this type of software. The particular software packages mentioned are
industry-standard ones used to design everything from nuclear submarines to racing cars to Olympic
stadiums. Not surprisingly, their price also reflects that.
1925 CAMMELL LAIRD DRIVING MOTOR
To give an example of how straightforward [albeit with some practice] it can be to produce a model,
there are a series of screen shots showing the stages of construction of a virtual 1925 Cammell Laird
DM. A fuller description follows of each picture:
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Underground News
1. This is the RHS cab floor of
the DM awaiting extrusion.
2. The floor plan sketch has been extruded to the level of the cantrail [roof eave] and the angled
part of the body above the waistline created by slicing away an appropriate angled segment of
the side. At the moment this is still a [virtual] solid block.
3. Looking from behind, the previously solid extrusion has been hollowed out [“shelled” in technospeak] – in this case to a uniform thickness of 1.5mm. Additionally a clerestory shaped sketch
has been drawn on the roof of the cab and extruded forward to the angled cab front.
4. Looking at what
will recognisably
become the cab
front – in fact at
this point the
guard’s end of
the car and the
cab are still
identical.
Obviously,
a
copy of this
stage will be the
start point for
the guard’s end
rather
than
starting
from
scratch.
5.
The clerestory has been shelled out to match the rest of the cab. This sort of task is simply a
matter couple of key strokes/mouse clicks.
January 2012
33
6. The
front
of
the
solebar/headstock with the
ward coupler mounting,
buffer and rivet pattern is
visible. Half of the cab
front door and the side
door are pretty much
complete. Similarly, at this
stage, this cab could either
be turned into the 1925
Cab as built or the
modernised type.
7. The
cab
has
been
mirrored and the two
halves fused prior to
detailing the two sides of
it.
Front
windows,
headlamps etc., have
become
handed
after
modernisation so need to
be done at this stage. If
the original cab front with
equal sized windows was
being built, then the lateral
window could have been
added in the previous
stage before mirroring.
8.
The cab front is now more or less complete. I was once asked about just building LT
Underground train cabs, painting them and sticking them individually onto small wooden plaques
as wall decorations or even as fridge magnets ............ In fact any of these individual stages
could be SLA printed and duplicated.
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Underground News
9.
At Stage 5, i.e., when the cab and clerestory outline was
complete, a 1mm slice was taken off the back and saved as a
separate file. Obviously this will have the same profile as the
back of the cab so a body formed by extruding this will abut
flush to the cab if need be. It is more obvious in the next
picture but note that the roof, body side and floor are all part of
the same extrusion. Thus no problems with marrying up
adjoining sections should arise as they might do if these parts
were separate brass, resin or white metal elements.
10. This is a 90mm long extrusion of Stage 9 and will be used to
form both the forward and rear passenger compartments.
Some work will still be required to produce the varying roof
profile found on this stock as well as the contactor side vents
and the double doors. As these are both paired structures,
only a single one will be drawn and then mirrored.
11. (Overleaf). This is an assembly of
the cab, trailing end, LHS contactor
section and LHS rear passenger
section. The Y and V2 bogies are
added as these assemblies are
useful to check clearances. In this
instance the rear passenger
compartment seating will need to
be raised off the floor so as to
make room for the wheels of the
trailing bogie. The car body is
complete [less rainstrips and roof
vents] but the cab and trailing end
will need the auxiliary control
connector boxes added. Only two
boxes will be added to the
cab/trailing end when sending it off
to be SLA printed [also referred to
as “rapid prototyping” or “RP”] as
that allows the final builder to add
one extra himself.
This can be on one side or the other, depending on whether the end is to be an “A” or “D” end.
January 2012
35
12. This R49 DM cab was modelled from
Piers Connor’s schematic in his LURS
monograph on the R Stock and further
detailed following visits to the preserved
survivor at Acton. Essentially it was built
via the same stages as the Standard
Stock cab – just using different inputs.
On odd occasions I have produced SLA cab
masters of Southern Region EMUs which
have subsequently been used as bases for
white metal castings.
These have then been “married” to brass
etched body sides and the end results can
be rather impressive. It isn’t something I do
with the early twentieth century LT models
because there needs to be a separate
carriage roof with the problems previously
mentioned.
RESEARCH, LIAISON AND SHOW-STOPPERS
Modellers in 7mm scale quite rightly expect to see that sort of level of detail taken into account but
some times both large and small detail just can’t be confirmed and intelligent guesswork is required.
For example, I have no real information on the cab layout of these particular 1925 CL cars but it is a
reasonable assumption that they were laid out broadly similar to the 1927 MCCW car [3327]
preserved at The Museum Depot. There is a saying amongst railway modellers that the best way to
find the answer to this sort of question is to go ahead and build it – as soon as you've done so,
someone is bound to come along and prove to you that you’ve got it wrong!
Where it’s a small matter, perhaps it can be glossed over but sometimes the lack of a small amount
of information can stop a project from getting off the ground at all. I have a reasonable amount of
information on the underframes and bodysides of the 1920 F Stock but nothing on what the cab rear
bulkhead looked like or what the guard’s area layout was – or even confirmation that the guard was
situated in what was the demobbed cab of the original double-ended DMs. I suspect that the
arrangement was very similar eventually to that found in the G to Q23 conversion where the end
windows were plated over and the guards controls mounted on that rear wall. But without speaking
to an F Stock guard or driver [the very youngest would be 70 or so now] it seems impossible to
confirm. I make a point now of carrying a digital camera and tape measure with me. What is
commonplace today won’t be tomorrow which makes societies such as ours with their corporate
memory so important and valuable.
Research and forward planning is thus essential and can not only affect what is built but how it is
designed and built. As stated, the majority of these parts will go forward to SLA/RP and some will
become masters for lost wax castings and others for resin castings. Some knowledge of how these
two different processes work is essential if time and money is not to be wasted. Invariably, casters
and mould makers are delighted to speak to pattern makers to advise on the limitations of their
processes so that nether party wastes time and effort. To give an example, those readers familiar
with the shoebeams latterly fitted to the R stock will be aware that they were handed as there was a
semi-circular boss on the end of the shoebeam mounting on the axlebox which was handed. When I
originally drew both Right and Left axleboxes and these mountings, I sent both drawings off to the
firm, which was going to both produce the SLA masters and then use them to cast copies, to confirm
whether it was possible to cast these parts. They advised removing the mounting boss from each
axlebox so that each axlebox was now identical and thus only one master was required. They also
advised that the two mounting bosses could be RP and cast as a separate item. This saved the cost
of a mould charge and a significant RP charge. More importantly, the success of this particular
model meant that I would never again have to pay others to make patterns for me.
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Underground News
When drawing an item that will be sent to a foundry to be cast, it makes sense to add an extra piece
to it that will form the union of the part and the casting feed. If you don’t, then you might find that a
detailed part of the surface has a blob of brass on it that needs to be carefully filed away. How do I
know this .......?
Thinking about the design before picking up the computer mouse can save much grief. I had just
completed an 0 gauge model of the 30 ton LT Flat Wagon and needed something to fill the bed of
the wagon. I thought that putting three 0 gauge skips into it and attaching it to my 1939 battery loco
to go around stations at night to collect black plastic rubbish bags made sense. So I went off to find
a suitable skip to measure – there never being one around when you want one! After rather
confusing a local builder [who I’m sure still thinks that I came from the local council and had some
devious tax-based reason to measure his skip], I drew one and produced a SLA model. Actually I
only needed to draw a quarter of it as it was both bilaterally and longitudinally symmetrical. Two
mirror commands turned the quarter into the whole. An identical process of just producing one
quarter and twice mirroring it was also used when designing the 4-wheel wooden sided MET ballast
wagon. Incidentally, the black bin liners will probably be made out of DAS modelling putty in due
course.
Another area where it is worth speaking to the SLA company relates to how big a model they can
make. An early Standard Stock car in 0 gauge is about 35cm long. The working bed length for
many high resolution SLA machines is about 20-25cm. That dictates firstly that a complete car can’t
be produced in one go but also, that it needs to be sliced up/designed in sections. In practice that
means two ends and four half body sides. When I produced the District Q23 DM and the associated
double-ended G class South Acton shuttle, there was a different consideration. Once the two
cabs/cab and guard’s end were removed, the sides of the vehicles were symmetrical and true mirror
images – both Left side and Right side as well as end to end. That way, only three parts needed to
be made as each could be copied and the six parts together would make up the complete car. The
downside of producing the Q23 was the large number of underframe fuseboxes, grids, compressor,
air tanks et al. This involved making arrangements with Covent Garden to lurk underneath 4284 to
photograph and measure the parts one Friday before the museum opened to the public. Each
separate part was individually drawn and carried its own SLA and moulding charge so the complexity
of a carriage dictates its cost. Hence the value here of being able to produce the car body with three
parts rather than four.
Shrinkage of metal castings appears to only be significant with large lost wax castings. It appears
not to be a noticeable problem with something of the size of an 0 gauge axlebox. As far as resin is
concerned, I have not noticed any significant shrinkage but then if the whole model is resin, only
differential shrinkage is likely to be of concern and that is particularly unlikely. In practice I have
never had to produce masters oversize to take into account shrinkage of castings. However, if it
ever became an issue then, as previously stated, it would be straightforward to proportionately
increase the overall size of the master by a few percent.
One unusual problem with casting masters relates to hollow spaces. I was producing the air cylinder
that is attached to one side of the Standard Stock DM underframe by the centre doors. I took a short
length of brass tube and soldered a couple of thin strips of brass around it to suggest ribs. The ends
were then plugged with Isopon filler and sanded into smooth domes. “Job Done”, I thought until I got
a call from the white metal caster who told me this master had exploded in his workshop. He was
using a hot-cure vulcanising rubber to make the mould and the air/epoxy vapour trapped inside the
sealed tube had expanded and forced itself violently out through the Isopon plugs!
SCALING UP OR DOWN
Clearly most G Stock components will be common to the Q23 but parts such as the K2 trailing
bogies might also find use under late-period Dreadnought coaches so commonality can also
influence choice of modelling subject. The same applies to the afore-mentioned model of L8. The
US-style bogies on this loco were common to the 1907 AC&F Hampstead Stock and so a model of
the original double-ended Acton shunter L10 is feasible. The same bogie was also used on the two
Hungarian-built Piccadilly/Hampstead “Gate Stock” DM cars converted to battery locos [L11 and L12]
and even the 1905 District Railway electric locos.
January 2012
37
Whilst personally I prefer 0 gauge models, one of the cleverer aspects of “Inventor” is its ability to
scale objects. Whether designing a trolleybus, tube car or a rubbish skip, I always scale the base
source drawing to a simple multiple of 0 gauge. The reason is that over time I have become familiar
with the conversion table of feet and inches divided by 43 and output in millimetres. Once the
completed design is finished [be it a single part or a grouping of parts in an assembly], it can with
very few mouse/keyboard inputs be e.g., shrunken to 0.571 of its size i.e., 00 gauge and sent off for
RP. As mentioned previously, the bed size of many RP machines is 20-25cm and that makes them
capable of printing an entire car in 00 scale. If doing so, it no longer makes sense to separate the
cab from the body or send off four separate body sides. What is actually sent off for SLA is usually
an assembly resembling a five-sided open box. However, the software shrinking process is uniform
so every wall thickness has also been reduced to 57.1 percent. These walls will need to be rethickened to 1.5mm prior to SLA but that is straightforward.
Any other larger or smaller scale is possible of course. Many modellers for example prefer 1/64th
scale [S gauge] or 1/148th scale [N gauge] and it presents no problem producing SLA parts in those
scales from Inventor 0 gauge drawings..
TRAIN SETS AND MOTORS
Many 0 gauge modellers do not have a layout at home though they may well attend “running
sessions” at a model railway society locally. An 0 gauge layout where trains can be run at high
speeds will take up quite a lot of space. Hence many 0 gauge modellers are perfectly happy to just
produce models and keep them on a shelf most of the time. Personally, I don’t have a layout but I do
have a diorama base which appeared in these pages some months ago and which forms a backdrop
for these models when displayed at exhibitions. Whether they go out on club days or whether they
run up and down a short stretch of track on a mantelpiece, the models will need a motor and
gearbox.
Motorising LT rail models whether steam, electric or diesel prototype is not straightforward because
of the presence of the negative return rail between the two running rails. The conventional motor
and gearbox combination will cause the gearwheel to hit this centre rail – perhaps all the time or
possibly just when crossing points. Thus the first consideration, if using this type of motor-gearbox
combination, is to use the smallest diameter gear cog possible. Personally, I’ve found that a Roxey
26:1 gearwheel gives sufficient clearance as long as the vehicle has scale 3ft [or larger] diameter
wheels on the motor bogie. A gearbox that will take this cogwheel is available for both common
[16xx and 18xx] sizes of small motors.
Figure 1 below is hopefully self-explanatory but, in essence, the motor bogie consists of several
parts. Firstly there is an outer cosmetic bogie frame with cosmetic axleboxes attached to it. This has
an inner functional chassis inserted into it. This inner chassis has the two axles passing through it
and the wheels are outside the inner chassis and inside the cosmetic bogie frame. Halfway along
the upper face of the inner chassis, which is really a five-sided box, there is a slot through which
passes a bolt attached to the underside of the carriage. Rearwards of this slot is a square hole
through which passes the upper part of the motor/gearbox combination. The lower part of this
combination is the gear cogwheel through which passes the rear axle.
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Underground News
Figure 1 – Looking Down on Conventional Motor Bogie – Outer Frame and Inner Chassis.
One downside to using this type of motor/gearbox combination is that because the motor/gearbox
combination is vertically above the rear axle, it will probably penetrate some part of the car. As far as
the Standard Stock is concerned, this doesn’t matter as the protrusion is into the windowless
contactor compartment from whence strange noises are expected anyway. However, it is a problem
with vehicles like the R49 DM where the motor protrudes a little way into the passenger
compartment. Personally, I can live with that compromise if I have to.
The second downside is that several of my personal favourite tube stocks employ smaller driving
wheels and therefore don’t have sufficient clearance for this type of gear cogwheel. The car I would
really like to build is the charismatic red-painted 1935 Experimental Tube Stock car 10010 which had
2ft 8in driving wheels but this would need an alternative method of motorising. However, there is a
solution, albeit currently fairly expensive.
This solution involves mounting a small diameter motor horizontally within the inner chassis parallel
to one or other axle and using that to rotate a gearwheel connected by reduction gearing to
whichever axle it is closest to. In this arrangement there is no motor protruding above the top of the
chassis and therefore no need to make a compensatory hole in the floor of the car. At present “ABC
Gears” manufacture bespoke motor chassis of that type with a choice of one or both axles motored
but other manufacturers are looking at off the shelf solutions using a newer generation of small
motors.
IN CONCLUSION
Railway modelling is a broad church. There is no right or wrong way to go about it. Many fine
modellers do however currently consider that using resin and computers is somehow “cheating” and
not really being “engineering in miniature”. Perhaps it isn’t, but life is short and this process works for
me and allows me to have shelves of models of prototypes remembered from younger days that are
firstly, unique and secondly, exactly what I want.
Producing the models in this way means that they fit together without much fettling. It also means
that the number of parts are kept to a minimum with consequent reduced costs. Once painted, it is
not obvious that the models are not metal based.
In addition to those mentioned by name, I would also like to extend my thanks to all those members
of LURS and the staff of the LT Museum who have helped by supplying me with information and
encouragement.
January 2012
39
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
04.01.12 METRO – Maintenance work to the four escalators which extend from Monument to the
DLR platforms at Bank will be in place until April. The work will see the escalators worked on two at
a time for two months each.
05.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Fare dodgers on the Underground and buses are enjoying a 7
week holiday from increased fines after TfL failed to put up warning notices in time. Penalty fares
should have increased from £50 to £80(reduced to £40 if paid within 21 days) across TfL services
from 2 January but will now come into force until 19 February. Fare evasion during 2010/11 totalled
£75M, including £40M lost on the buses and £20M on the Underground.
06.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground has equalled its record for the largest number
of passengers in a day. A total of 4.17M passengers used it on Friday 9 December last year, the
same as Friday 7 December 2007. Christmas shoppers also helped to make the week ending
Saturday 10 December with 24.9M passengers.
06.01.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – An early warning that traffic delays and disruption could be
caused by the building of the Croxley Rail Link. A huge viaduct will be built from Croxley Green,
across the busy A412 (Watford Road) and into West Watford to facilitate the link through two new
stations and into Watford High Street and on to Watford Junction. In the Watford Road area there
may be lane closures when they are building the piers to support the bridge deck, but they will most
likely lift the deck into place during the night time.
06.01.12 METRO – A new automated signalling system at Edgware Road station is improving
service reliability and will help increase capacity, as new longer trains are introduced on the lines.
The signalling upgrade ensures the new trains can run on the Hammersmith & City, Circle and
District lines. Much of the original signalling, which dates back to the 1920s, has now been modified
to accommodate the trains that are 23 metres longer than the existing Circle line fleet. Work has
been ongoing for the past year, with a significant amount taking place in the engineering hours and
during the four-week closure of the lines between Edgware Road and High Street Kensington. This
included relocating signals and installing an equipment room, which was built off-site and craned in
overnight.
09.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Commuters on rail and Underground platforms could soon be
monitored by radar in a bid to reduce suicides. Researchers at Université Lille Nord de France, hope
to adapt the system normally used to scan for aircraft and ships. It would be combined with CCTV
cameras to automatically cut power and stop oncoming trains should it detect someone, or a large
object, falling off the platform. A spokesman said, ”In a large capital city underground, this can
happen two to three times a week and lead to significantly long service interruptions”.
09.01.12 METRO – The Emirates Air Line cabin is part of a display at the LT Museum that runs until
June. Visitors will be able to board the cabin and see an animated film that give an idea of the aerial
views between the two docking stations at Emirates Greenwich Peninsular and Emirates Royal
Victoria Dock. The new cable car system is due to be completed this spring and will carry up to
2,500 passengers per hour.
09.01.12 METRO – With the introduction of the Underground reliability programme, passengers are
seeing a better service. New initiatives include: Introduction of a series of Command Centres set up
for each line on the network; New signal monitoring technology that helps to indicate potential failure;
Closer ties with BT Police in order to improve response times to incidents; Upgraded and more
detailed electronic status update boards.
09.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – It’s one way to get a seat in a packed Underground carriage.
Passengers stripped off their trousers and skirts for a worldwide stunt yesterday. What started as
the “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York has now become an annual event and spread to cities in
more than 27 countries, including London.
10.01.12 SUN – Around 150 people whipped off their kit for the barmy tradition of riding the
Underground without kecks on. The global stunt is run by comedy group “Improv Everywhere”.
40
Underground News
Organiser Dan Becherano said, ”The purpose is to have fun, entertain and see the reaction of people
who aren’t involved”. Around the world, 16,000 daft souls took part.
11.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – The location of a new Underground station for the planned
£950M Northern Line extension from Kennington to Battersea is set to be approved by Lambeth
council. The site in Wandsworth Road, Nine Elms, is the preferred option for the project, which
would also see a new Underground station created at Battersea power station. Real Estate
Opportunities, owner of the power station, has gone into administration, but the Government says it
will meet its £200M commitment to the scheme if a new developer is found swiftly. Critics claim the
new spur is not needed.
12.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter – “So Nine Elms and Battersea are considered so
important that they get a new Underground stop. What were the planners thinking of by stopping it
there? It would be a perfect opportunity to give Clapham Junction the link it desperately needs with
the Underground. I guess it was far too logical to connect South London up as well as North London
is”. – Alan Seddon.
12.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Rosamund Urwin Column – “A “good service” on the (Circle) Line
of torment usually means a train every 10 minutes. More annoying are its countdown boards whose
information is as reliable as that from Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. Half the time, to adapt a line from
Drop the Dead Donkey, you only know that the train is coming, is when the mice start scampering out
of the tunnel. When the debate raged about what the line (no longer, of course, a circle) should be
renamed, I was gunning for Lucifer’s Lasso”.
12.01.12 METRO – A sixth month training placement with LU is on offer to 18 graduates, and will
provide good grounding and insight into the industry, as well as valuable frontline experience.
Typical roles in Track and Train will be in network operations, station and train teams, customer
service, sales and marketing, route strategy, asset management and project management.
Graduates will be funded by and contracted to Network Rail. A TfL spokesperson said, ”We are
pleased to be part of the extremely laudable project. It is providing graduates with a vital first job
opportunity in a crucial UK industry that is expanding to play a major part the nation’s recovery and
future prosperity”.
13.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Boris Johnson is to unveil a new dust-busting Underground train
that will vacuum LU’s tunnels to improve air quality and prevent signal failures. The Mayor will this
year begin testing an innovative new cleaning train that will cut the time taken to “Hoover” the entire
network from 2 years to 2 months. Currently teams of TfL workers have to clean the tunnels
manually every night. The work is so painstaking that a single shift worker can only clean a few
hundred metres a night. The tunnel-cleaning train will consist of one carriage that will be circled with
giant vacuum nozzles, turning the train into a 360-degree sucker that can clean and entire tunnel in
one quick sweep. Critics have said that dust on the Underground could be harmful to commuters
and particularly Underground workers. Fine layers of dust, if allowed to accumulate and settle on
equipment, can cause signal failures and interfere with electrical systems. This new machine will be
able to suck up four times more dust than the current hand cleaning method. (Don’t hold your breath
– the new vehicles aren’t even built yet and the power cars for them are still in a ‘stripped’ state at
Acton Works – Ed.).
13.01.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Rickmansworth artist Ross Ashmore has embarked on the
ambitious task of painting his way through all of the 270 Underground train stations in London. He
has so far completed all the first 64 in Zone One and is now about half way through the 100 stations
in Zone Two. The artist said, “I love the Underground, I love the concept of going below ground and
resurfacing somewhere else. A Doctor Who also did it for me as a youngster – The ‘Yetis’ in the
Underground”.
13.01.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter – (After completion of the Croxley Rail Link) Watford
(Met.) station and the track leading to it should not be left to become an eyesore like many disused
railways, and definitely not be sold off and built on so it could never be a railway again, and no
bridges removed. It should be incorporated into the proposed St. Albans Tramway. Trams could
cross the West Coast mainline at Watford Junction then run along the street, or on a viaduct, to the
Town hall then run alongside Cassiobury Park and be tunnelled under the road into Watford (Met.)
station and then on existing lines to Rickmansworth – John R. Hyde.
January 2012
41
16.01.12 METRO – If you need help or information while waiting for your train, look no further than
your nearest help point. The blue information button connects you straight to staff at the station who
will be able to tell you when the next train is or where to change lines. The green button is for
emergency assistance – e.g. disturbances, vandalism or unattended packages. It will connect you to
station staff, or the police if staff are not available, within 30 seconds. Help points are located on the
platforms of Underground and London Overground stations, at some tram stops, river piers and bus
stations.
18.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Mayor Boris Johnson will demand the Government funds a new
Underground line if he is to back fully the high-speed rail project. He risked a row with ministers over
the £32B link, saying he was “far from happy” with current plans. The Mayor says he will press for
funding for a new north-south Crossrail line, “You cannot possibly go ahead with HS2 unless you
have a plan for alleviating the massive congestion at Euston, and that means another Underground
line”.
18.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – The head of Britain’s Olympic team, Colin Moynihan, says he will
forgo the privilege of being driven on the Olympic “Zil lanes” and will take the Jubilee Line to the
Olympic Park and to allow his car allocation to be used by athletes instead. It is understood that at
least 250 VIPs will be given their own BMW and chauffer to escort them during the Games.
Thousands of other officials, sponsors, dignitaries and athletes will share the remaining pool of cars.
Meanwhile the public have been urged to ditch their cars and travel on trains, buses and the
Underground, to realise organisers’ hopes of creating a “Green Olympics”.
19.01.12 METRO – Refurbishment work on both Piccadilly Line lifts at Earl’s Court station are now
complete, weeks ahead of schedule. The two lifts have been out of service since last year so work
to increase reliability could take place. Passengers with heavy luggage, reduced mobility or
pushchairs will now be able to the use these lifts between Earl’s Court Road ticket hall and the
Piccadilly Line platforms.
19.01.12 METRO – Passengers are being asked to use Leicester Square station until mid-April,
while pavement works take place outside Covent Garden station. The work will reduce the number
of ‘way out’ ticket gates in use at Covent Garden, so to avoid congestion, passengers are being
advised to take a different route.
19.01.12 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER – Aggregate Industries has appointed consultant Waldeck to
design and detail three precast concrete plinths for a memorial structure at Bethnal Green
Underground station. The memorial will be to those who died in the Bethnal Green station disaster –
the worst civilian disaster of WW2 – when 173 people were killed in a crowd crush during an air raid
alert. So far the local community has raised £256K to pay for the first phase of the project. The
Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust appointed Aggregate Industries to manufacture the three
concrete plinths, the largest will weigh 10 tonnes. One of the polished plinths acts as a support arm
for a hollowed out laminated teak stairway.
23.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground platforms across the capital are to get wireless
internet access in time for the 2012 Games. Passengers at 120 stations will be able to check emails
and surf the web from platforms. There had been fears that plans could be shelved after a similar
scheme for the UK’s four mobile operators to offer mobile phone services in Underground platforms
was abandoned last year. It has not yet been revealed whether commuters will be charged for the
service. The editor of Mobile Marketing magazine said, “It’s just a pity it doesn’t extend to carriages
themselves”.
24.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – London’s highest paid Underground driver is receiving a benefits
package worth more than £61,000. The drivers were immediately attacked over their “platinum
plated” deals as the scale of the salary and perks were uncovered. The pay, pension, overtime and
free travel package of a single driver amounted to £61,218. The revelations renewed demands fro
driverless Underground trains, and sparked fresh accusations that the deals had only been won by
unions “holding London to ransom” with strike threats always in the background.
26.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – An Underground train has been turned pink to raise awareness
of the digital TV switchover. The Central Line train has had all 272 of its seats reupholstered in
distinctive Digital UK fabric and the carriages themselves have had been wrapped in new pink livery.
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Underground News
26.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Train staff on the DLR have secured a bonus of up to £2,500 for
working during the Olympics. The deal – for more than 550 staff including train “captains” – is the
best for the Games so far and paves the way for thousands of Underground workers to secure
bumper bonuses. The agreement created astonishment among other train operators yet to finalise
Olympic bonus payments. The DLR, which carries 260,000 people a day, will play a crucial role in
the Olympics with direct links between events at Stratford and Greenwich transporting more than
2,000,000 extra passengers. RMT union leader Bob Crow said, “This is a truly ground-breaking deal
raising the bar in the industry and putting £2,500 in our members’ pockets as a reward for the extra
workload and pressure they will carry throughout the Olympic and Paralympics period”.
26.01.12 METRO – There will be a reduction in the number of Sunday late starts on the Northern
Line between Camden Town and High Barnet/Mill Hill East. Between now and April only one of the
planned closures will take place. The rest of the closures have been cancelled because work on the
signalling installation programme is ahead of schedule. Late starts will begin again on 1 April until
November.
26.01.12 METRO – There will be reduced escalator service at Baker Street station from 1 February
until late May. The ‘down’ escalator to the southbound Bakerloo and Jubilee lines will be out of
service for refurbishment. LU is working to reduce the disruption to passengers by asking them to
use the escalators to the northbound platforms or using Regent’s Park or Marylebone stations only a
short walk away.
27.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – TfL has had to pay about £25M in penalties to Canary Wharf’s
owners because of delays to the Jubilee Line upgrade. Canary Wharf Group, housing the European
HQs of global banks, ploughed hundreds of millions into the Jubilee Line project in the Nineties, as
part of the deal it demanded strict performance figures be reached by the end of 2009. A series of
failures and delays meant the deadline was not met and TfL has been paying huge fines ever since.
27.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – Jubilee Line carriages are crashing together as trains slow down,
severely jolting the passengers, because couplings are wearing out. Bodywork on the trains is
damaged when the ends of the carriages smack together, particularly when slowing to come into
stations. LU said safety was not being threatened. An overhaul of the 15-year-old fleet will take until
the end of June. A source claims the 12 trains of the 63-strong fleet have had to be taken out of
service for the couplings to be replaced.
30.01.12 EVENING STANDARD – How will our transport system cope with the greatest show on
Earth? On a normal day the Underground system carries 3.9M people. The most that has been
carried is 4.2M on 9 December 2011. On the busiest Olympic days 4.5M will be carried. TfL’s
modelling suggests that more than a third of the Underground stations will be affected. On 13
August this year, when the whole Olympic circus heads home, Heathrow will have its busiest ever
day.
31.01.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Hundreds of trees have been cut down near the Metropolitan
Line track in Croxley Green, to stop falling leaves causing delays. Nearby residents have described
the new landscape as “a film scene of a WW1 zone”. The trees also acted as protection for people’s
homes from the noise of trains, and screened back gardens in which now overlook each other.
Others have suggested that animals including birds, dear, squirrels, bats and badgers have not been
seen since the trees were cut down. A TfL representative said the work was part of “vegetation
maintenance” on Metropolitan Line embankments. A survey was undertaken in spring last year,
recommending that trees on the slopes should be coppiced to ground level, and some on top of the
slope should have branches trimmed. The representative said, “the cuttings were overgrown and
some trees were damaged and at risk of falling onto the railway should they fail; others were
obscuring signals and contributing to leaf fall problems”.
CONDITIONS ON THE DISTRICT RAILWAY 1905 – FROM THE TIMES ARCHIVES
Letter to the Times dated 29 December 1905 – “In view of the alarming conditions imperilling the
safety of the public since the electrification of the District Railway, I, with several other daily travellers
on that line, have taken counsel’s opinion on the subject of the disgraceful overcrowding in the
carriages of this railway; and there is a by-law against such overcrowding, and that the only way to
make the District Railway take heed and do something to lessen this crying danger is to appeal to
the Railway Commissioners; and we therefore propose to ask the Commissioners to receive a
January 2012
43
deputation on this subject. Our case mainly is that an accident may happen at any time that, whilst
we naturally are bound to take a certain risk in travelling, no private enterprise, for the sake of
swelling its returns and advertising for the investing public that they have carried 200,000 more
passengers since electrification, has a right to so enormously increase the danger of travelling as is
now happening every day on the District Railway. The discomforts of the accommodation, the
annoyance from the attendants ignorant of their duties, the doors working when they should not and
not working when they should, the terrible jars and jerks which must be dangerous to health, are
after all comparatively minor matters that would accrue in the case of an accident when the carriages
are filled to three times their seating capacity; and that such a position was contemplated by the
organisers of this new system is shown by the fact there are 72 straps for the standing public to hold
to and 48 seats. Any one can imagine for themselves what would happen in an accident. The
standing public being so wedged together it would be difficult for them to help themselves, they might
be thrown upon those sitting down, or those sitting down might be crushed in the panic of those
standing up trying to escape”. – W.Lestocq.
23.12.11 GUARDIAN
DIG FOR BRITAIN; GERMAN “MOLE” SET TO TUNNEL UNDER LONDON
As a vision of the imminent future, it might strike a chill into Europhobic hearts; a German contraption
measuring 140 metres (460ft) in length, designed to drive into the very core of the City within
months.
Yet the unveiling of the first Crossrail tunnel boring machine marked what should eventually be a
very British achievement; a major new rail line across London from Heathrow through to the east,
one of the biggest current engineering projects anywhere in the world, providing jobs and economic
stimulus.
For now, though, the starring role belongs to the machines in the small town of Schwanau, in the
south-western state of Baden Württemberg, at the growing global headquarters of Herrenknecht,
which is prospering as the manufacturer of more than half of such monsters worldwide.
Eight of these £l0M moles have been commissioned for the 13 miles of tunnel: 6 designed to cope
with the London clay from Royal Oak in Paddington in the west, and 2 for the chalk in the eastern
stretch down to Woolwich.
“It’s not so much a machine as a mobile factory," says Roy Slocombe, Herrenknecht's UK director; a
factory with a canteen and toilets for the 12-hour underground shifts. Via conveyor belts and pipes,
the 6.2-metre cutter heads will remove about 6M tonnes of earth. Some has been earmarked to
create a nature reserve at Wallasea Island off Essex.
The first machine will soon be reassembled in Royal Oak to start tunnelling in March through the
capital's labyrinth of sewers and tube lines, plus MoD (location and contents unknown). All tunnellers
have to submit their routes for MoD approval. "It's like playing battleships," said project manager
Andy Alder; planners only know if they have scored a hit, but not where. Crossrail is at pains to
stress that more than 95% of the £l4.8B outlay will be spent in the UK, on other-machinery,
construction and employment. More than 3,000 people are working on Crossrail and
thousands more will be employed in the next four years as the main infrastructure work is
carried out. Further jobs will be supported along the supply chain.
Critics wonder if Crossrail will be a glorified tube. The six new central London stations from
Paddington to Whitechapel are only five miles apart, but backers say the crucial question is not
speed but capacity. Up to 36,000 Passengers an hour can be lifted off London's underground
system.
Crossrail's genesis has been, according to Tony Travers of the London School of Economics, a
peculiarly British example of how not to get big infrastructure schemes off the ground, because
almost 30 years will have elapsed from its political conception in 1989 to its current projected
completion date of 2018.
Funding arrangements eventually struggled into place in George Osborne's 2010 autumn statement,
although contracts for rolling stock and operators need to be signed when more controversy is likely
to ensue.
________________________________________________________________________________
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Underground News
2012 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS & LONDON
UNDERGROUND
by Mark Curran, Senior Planner, LU Access & Olympics Planning
A report of the LURS meeting at All Souls Club House on 10 January 2012
Mark works for London Underground and is a member of a team of 5 who are tasked with planning
LU’s response to the Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympics run from 27 July until 12 August and
the Paralympics from 29 August until 9 September.
Transport for London’s (TfL) aim is to “keep London moving”. Not just people involved with or
spectating at the events but commuters, tourists, business and everyday travellers. Currently LU
transports an average of 4 million customers per day with 528 trains operating during the peak
timetable.
The Olympics and Paralympics will see the largest peacetime logistical exercise in London’s history
with an expected cumulative total of 9 million spectators travelling to events along with the
competitors, officials and sponsors. This will mean up to 1 million passengers every day. Events
take place in sessions (of up to 4 per day) which can start as early as 08.0 and some will not finish
until late into the evening. However, the majority start and finish at the same time as peak travel
(10.00 and 16.30). The arranging of start time has not been the choice of the ODA but has been
“dictated” to them by sponsors and TV schedulers. It is also very likely that spectators will not stay
within one venue for the whole day and may well need to travel between venues to attend different
events. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and London Underground have an operating grant
arrangement of about £30million pounds to assist with this aim, with funding for a complementary
travelcard to accompany every ticket purchased for an Olympic/Paralympic event.
To give an idea of the scale of the logistical issues: the Olympic Park itself comprises three main
venues (Stadium with a capacity of 80,000, Swimming Centre with capacity of 17,000 and the
Cycling Velodrome which holds 6,000) along with other smaller venues and big screens, etc. This
could mean that 150,000 spectators will be in the area at any one time. So, if you include the staff
and officials, this means that up to 500,000 people will travel to and from the site each day of events.
Other venues are (with capacity per day):
ExCel Centre (Judo, etc)
100,000 +
O2 Arena (Gymnastics, etc)
20,000
Greenwich Park (Equestrian events)
Up to 75,000
Wimbledon (Tennis)
30,000 (which is actually less than the attendance at the
annual Championships)
Wembley Stadium (Football)
90,000
Horse Guards Parade (Beach Volleyball) 60,000 (but with 4 different sessions and sets of ticket
holders per day)
Hyde Park (Triathlon, and concerts,
big screens, fun fair, etc)
Up to 80,000
Earls Court (Volleyball)
13,000
Lords Cricket Ground (Archery)
6,500 (which is less than for international cricket matches)
From this list it can be seen that there is a concentration of venues at the eastern end of the Jubilee
Line and so LU, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Overground (LO) are planning to run
over 150 trains per hours into Stratford and adjacent stations.
Line upgrades for the Jubilee, Victoria and Central lines had already been planned but have been
brought forward to be ready in time for this summer. The eastern end of the Jubilee will have its
capacity per hour increased to 30 trains, Central Line trains have been refreshed with new moquette
and improved waterproofing, and the Victoria Line will have train frequency improved and new 2009
Tube Stock trains provided. The DLR have brought forward the completion of the “3 car” project so
that all trains will have been lengthened with associated increase in capacity.
The Westfield Shopping Centre was originally planned to open between 2013 and 2015. This is now
fully opened ahead of schedule with associated improvements to Stratford station (platforms
resurfaced and passenger routes through the station altered) and the opening of Stratford
January 2012
45
International. Another issue at Stratford station is that it usually handles 170,000 passengers per
day, with three-quarters (130,000) of them interchanging between LU, DLR and LO and never
leaving the station itself. During the Olympics it is anticipated that over 500,000 people will want to
enter or exit the station per day.
The Javelin train will run from St. Pancras to Stratford International and then on to Ebbsfleet
International. It operates with Class 395 HS1 rolling stock which, with 12 carriages, has a loading
level of 1,100 passengers per train. The line’s capacity is for only be 8 trains per hour and so this will
not be enough to meet the expected demand. This places a great importance upon the Central,
Jubilee and DLR services into Stratford and West Ham.
Mark’s main task is Demand Modelling. This involves the use of computer software [Emme/2 and
Railplan] to understand home many people will be coming to London, where they will commence
their journey and to which station they are travelling to. This is very much predicting the
unpredictable as the two variables are people and the future! The travel models produced have
modified as tickets have been bought and sold. The expected services are as follows:
CENTRAL, JUBILEE AND HAMMERSMITH & CITY LINES
27 July
(Olympics Opening Ceremony)
Last train departing Stratford at 02.30
Close of traffic 03.30
Sunday
45 minute earlier start to services than Close of traffic 02.30
usual and peak level timetable
Last train leaves Stratford at 01.30
Days 1-6
Last train leaves Stratford at 01.30
Close of traffic 02.30
Days 7-16
Peak level services in morning, Close of traffic 02.30
(Athletic events held at Olympic afternoon and from 22.00 until close of
Stadium)
traffic
ALL OTHER LINES
27 July
Close of traffic 03.30
Sundays
30-45 minutes earlier start but off-peak Close of traffic 02.30
level timetable
Days 1-16
Close of traffic 02.30
In addition:
 All District Line trains will run to Plaistow or Barking with no Mansion House or Tower Hill
terminators.
 Hainault – Woodford and Heathrow Terminal 4 loop will both close at usual time (not close of
traffic).
Those stations effected are not just those nearest venues, but also interchanges and ones where
trains will pass through already full of passengers from further down the line (expected to be St.
Pauls, Chancery Lane, Canada Water, and Gloucester Road).
Every station has a “Congestion Control and Emergency Plan” and those expected to be affected in
any way by this summer’s events have had their plans reviewed and updated as required. Changes
will include exit or entry only operation; one way routes, opening ‘firemans lifts’ to public use, and
new Olympic/Paralympic specific signage. These signs are white lettering (New Johnston) on pink
backgrounds with the 2012 logo and will be consistent across all LU, DLR, LO, Heathrow Express
and main-line stations. The overall aim is to getting passengers out of stations as quickly as
possible.
West Ham station has been adapted to act as a “gateway” station to relieve pressure on Stratford. It
is about 1km from the Olympic Park. Manor Road will be closed to all traffic and a temporary
footbridge and entrance, new lighting and signage have been installed to direct spectators on to the
Greenway footpath. Upon return, they will queue along the footpath and enter via the temporary
entrance.
Earl’s Court station will change to entry only from Warwick Road and exit via Earl’s Court Road.
There will be extensive signage and marshals employed to direct spectators to the entrance to the
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Underground News
Volleyball venue entrance which is on Brompton Road. This entrance is located opposite West
Brompton station but due to this station having only three exit gates and a wooden footbridge it is
totally unable to accommodate the passenger numbers anticipated!
Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch stations will operate as exit only between 10.00 and 22.00 each
day and may be closed completely at short notice if congestion reaches danger levels.
On the DLR, Pudding Mill Lane will be closed throughout the period of the Olympics and Paralympics
as it is actually situated within the security cordon. Shadwell will be one-way operation and Cutty
Sark station will close to entry or exit during Equestrian events in Greenwich Park as the station and
area outside are too small to handle the crowds expected.
Another part of Mark’s work is “Travel Demand Management”. This splits in to three areas:
 Advice to business – travel planning for staff to adjust their start and finish times. Hundreds of
London’s biggest employers have “signed up” to this scheme.
 Spectator Information Services – specific journey planners will go on line via the
Olympics/Paralympics websites to give spectators routes around the most congested stations and
direct them to the gateway stations such as West Ham. Leaflets specific to each venue will be
produced.
 Londoner Influence Campaign – this launches in February with a series of advertisements to
inform and influence Londoners to the serious message that this summer is going to be the
busiest every on LU.
Graphs have been published on the TfL website showing what is anticipated to happen if Londoners
do not adapt their usual travel patterns. One example is that London Bridge station is likely to have
waits of over 30 minutes between 17.00 and 21.00. Mark hopes that Londoners will not suffer
“Olympic fatigue” and become tired of being told what to do and where they can and cannot travel
to/through.
On the upgrade/maintenance front: from 27 June no signalling upgrades will be implemented nor any
works which could risk an operational failure. Between 17 July and 9 September there will be no
planned closures – work on the Victoria Station Upgrade and CrossRail will be suspended and only
critical maintenance will be undertaken. The daily close-down during the Olympic period will be only
two hours per night and track walks and train preparation must continue. To achieve this, staff who
would have been working on planned maintenance projects will be reassigned to routine
maintenance. The Emergency Response Unit will have four vehicles in operation (instead of the
usual three) and some of these vehicles will have Police drivers who can operate under “blues and
twos” to get response to issues quicker. Temporary spares depots will be established across
London to enable quicker access to equipment.
The contractors for escalators, lifts and ticket machines (Thales/Connect, Powerlink and Prestige)
have all had their contracts enhanced during the Olympic period to provide faster services.
Staff from Special Requirements Teams and Revenue Control Inspectors will be reassigned to
station duties along with all the 2,000 – 2,500 staff from HQ offices who are customer service
trained. They will all receive specific training and a series of articles have appeared in “On the Move”
and on the LU Intranet.
The issue of union unrest has been in the media; but agreement has been reached to suspend some
usual working patterns under the “Professional Train Operators’ Agreement”, and compensation is
being paid to drivers accordingly. .
Additional coordination rooms have been established for the period and these will allow co-ordination
of all existing London control rooms, not just of trains but streets, buses, Police, security services and
even COBRA (the Government’s Emergency Control Centre in Downing Street). These include the
Transport Coordination Centre (TCC), in TfL’s Palestra office, and the Olympic Park Transport
Integration Centre (OPTIC) in the ODA’s transport office at Stratford station.
The Paralympics in late August and early September take place once most the schools have
returned from holiday but it is still expected that spectator numbers will be similar to the Olympics,
although with fewer venues. Trains will run to the same extended close of traffic hours but with
slightly fewer operating in peak hours (expected level of 20 trains per hour).
January 2012
47
Mark finished by summarising that a lot has already been done to meet the unprecedented demand
anticipated this summer but there is still lots to do to keep London moving. However, it must be
remembered that this is a summer to enjoy sport, and success is keeping transport off the front
pages.
The meeting thanked Mark in the usual manner, following which a number of questions were asked.
Amanda Day
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Underground News
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS
BEYOND THE ELEPHANT
by Jonathan Roberts
A report of the LURS meeting at All Souls Club House on 13 September 2011
The talk began with a photograph of the entrance of Elephant and Castle shopping centre with the
model elephant itself facing west, with the tail pointing south east – does this say something about
the history of the extension in that direction?
Jonathan Roberts wrote a report in September 2010, for stakeholders, including the Lewisham
Council Sustainability Select Committee about the southern extension of the Bakerloo Line. Mr.
Roberts was asked to comment on the potential of any extension, what is not possible, why do it,
how long would it take, what would the costs be, etc. and the document itself was seen as being a
stimulus for action. Since the report was written, things have moved on slightly and so further
information, including an update on official thinking, spending pressures and priorities, project risks,
etc. were included in the report to the LURS that were not included in the original document.
HISTORY OF THE BAKERLOO SOUTHEAST EXTENSION
In the last 85 years there have been at least nine chances to extend the line:
 Ideas and inquiries were made in the 1920s – cases were made for extension of both the
Piccadilly Line and the Bakerloo Line. The Piccadilly was extended, the Bakerloo was not.
 1931 – A case was put forward for an extension to Camberwell in the 1931 Camberwell Act
though a lack of funding meant this good scheme came at the wrong time.
 1935-40 – An extension to the Bakerloo Line was proposed during the initial versions of the New
Works Programme but various stakeholders, including Finchley, lobbied to get the Northern Line
extended instead. The Bakerloo was then dropped from the final drafts of the New Works and
was intended to be in the next New Works Programme but the war then got in the way.
 1949 Camberwell project – Work started, however the project was cancelled with funding and
specification issues (such as the planners only building a 2-platform terminus into the plan rather
than a 3-platform terminus).
 1957 – The Victoria Line took precedence and the Bakerloo was sidelined again.
 1965 – The Railway Plan for London was essentially a toss-up between extending the Bakerloo,
building the Fleet line or an Aldwych extension to Waterloo.
 1970s – GLC study into extending to Peckham but this was again behind the Fleet/Jubilee Line.
 1980s – The DLR scheme to the Docklands took precedence.
Essentially the line has been behind others for many years though the extension even got as far as
being shown as ‘Under Construction’ on tube maps, such as in the June 1949 edition where the
Camberwell extension was shown.
LESSONS FROM HISTORY – WHAT MUST YOU DO:
History shows that in order to get a scheme built, it must fulfill several criteria:
 Business case – Why does your scheme have merit against everything else going on around you?
(not even just against other rail schemes).
 Government backing as well as any future government – These schemes often scan multiple
parliaments.
 Stakeholders – The line goes through more than one borough, etc. Do different boroughs agree,
have similar views, etc.?
 Private sector and partnerships – Are they in agreement?
 Funding and financing – Is the money available? When?
 Affordability.
ANY CASE FOR AN EXTENSION?
The scheme is currently in the Mayor’s revised Transport Strategy. However, in order to gain
approval, much broader benefits than just transport must be shown – regeneration, business, etc.
January 2012
49
Nowadays the Underground is not virtuous just because it’s a ‘tube’ – any schemes must connect
with other transport links – isolation is not good.
RECENT EXAMPLES OF SCHEMES IN LONDON




1970s – Split the Bakerloo Line in the north west into two lines.
1990s – Jubilee extension to Docklands and Stratford.
2000s – East London Line closure and reopening as London Overground
2010s – Crossrail and Thameslink. Very expensive but were given the go-ahead because,
critically, these were projected to bring in more jobs, effectively paying for themselves and
boosting the UK’s economy.
MAYOR’S TRANSPORT STRATEGY DOCUMENT
The document assumes that the currently-planned Bakerloo upgrade will be complete in 2020 – this
is currently optimistic. It may be underway but is unlikely to be complete. This will consist mainly of
the visible benefits: higher capacity and more trains which are more energy efficient and have higher
total capacity. Progress is being made although the Bakerloo used to be 30 trains per hour a few
decades ago.
The document also defines the Bakerloo Line as having a north west – south east strategic role,
which is good. At the moment the Bakerloo is the least used of all tube lines and so presents a big
opportunity in that more passengers can be put through it. In terms of regeneration areas such as
Harlesden, Paddington, Elephant & Castle and inner south east London would benefit greatly.
An improvement in the Bakerloo would also free some capacity through London Bridge and would
also improve transport accessibility. However, at the moment, it is not funded and there is no
timescale.
WHAT IS THE WORTH IN DOING IT?
Reasons, now and future, can be summarised by:
Regeneration
Investment in the local area
Capacity versus demand on rail
Housing and population growth
Environmental factors, rising petrol prices, a possible low carbon future
Slots released on the main lines
REGENERATION NEEDS
Studying GLA maps based on the 2010 index of multiple deprivation it appears that areas such as
Harlesden and Willesden Junction are much worse off than inner southeast London. Similarly east
and north east London still have major areas of deprivation. This does not put a huge case forward
for a south east extension. However, looking at the amount of investment and economic activity in
various south east London boroughs, when compared to areas such as Newham which has had
huge amounts of money for the Olympics and Canary Wharf with business the areas around the
proposed extension seem to have done rather poorly. When this comparison is made, the extension
seems to have a decent case.
Other statistics were explained, including a ‘growth corridors graph’ to 2031 on National Rail. The
south east, having separated out Thameslink is in the lower areas of growth – not a great influence.
Graphs also showed lots of poor housing in the proposed extension area although did not appear too
bad compared to some, such as areas near Heathrow and north-east London.
PUTTING EXTENSIONS ON A MAP
Extensions generally aim for a major interchange and in this case it would likely be Camberwell or
Peckham. From the costing already announced in the Tunnel Talk report detailing the potential
Northern Line extension to Battersea it is therefore possible to work out the relative costs of the
Bakerloo extension options.
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Underground News
What is immediately apparent is that costs rise very quickly, especially when extensions are
underground. Stations cost in the region of £100 million whereas adding an extra interchange to a
station is around £50 million. Tunnels come in at around £180-200 million per twin-track mile and
adding on the cost of project management, sidings and control centres, it suddenly becomes
remarkably expensive to do anything underground.
Various options can be no longer achieved. For example, the Bricklayers Arms route has been built
on and Thameslink is taking up capacity on the track south of Elephant. The number of stations now
also has to be scrutinised: it is impossible to justify a tube station on every corner, they now have to
be built where interchanges exist, where economic growth will be greatest, where nearby developers
will subsidise the cost, and therefore hard choices to be made.
CURRENT OPTIONS
Inner London scheme B1 to Canary Wharf
This is effectively a Jubilee Line bypass. The extension is extremely busy and needs slack: Canada
Water interchange is hugely busy and has been a proven success as have other parts of the line and
there is certainly now a case to be answered on bypass. It would have the benefits of the
regeneration of the Old Kent Road, a relief in congestion, spurring economic growth. However,
would it be possible for it to be done via Canada Water to allow interchange? The total cost of these
scheme would be approximately £1.6 billion for 3.5 miles of tunnel.
Inner London B2 – Charlton
This route would follow the Thames Corridor, linking at Canada Water and Greenwich before
heading out towards Charlton. The main problem with this route being that it depends very much on
junction alterations at Lewisham to allow more main line trains through that congested point, but with
alteration there a Charlton option may allow more national rail capacity to be gained. This scheme
would cost almost £2 billion for 3.5 miles.
Inner London B3 - New Cross, Lewisham.
This is one classic extension – down to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate/New
Cross. It is relatively straightforward but main line benefits again depend on how much Lewisham
Junction can be changed. This also would work out at £2 billion.
Inner London B4 – Peckham direct
This route would go via Burgess Park and the Aylesbury Park Estate, an area in big need of
regeneration. The route length would be two miles and as not as many trains would be needed the
projected cost works out at £950 million. It has the lowest capital cost of all the proposals and would
be least at risk of clogging up central London.
Inner London B5 – via Camberwell
This is the other classic route: via Camberwell/Denmark Hill to Peckham (as proposed by the GLC in
the 1970s, when there were proposals for a depot triangle and housing at Peckham). This would
work out at £1.2 billion - but would serve more centres than B4.
OTHER OPTIONS
There are also several other options, mainly of extending a Peckham line further to outer London,
such as to Lewisham or Catford which would cost in the region of £2-£2.3 million overall. For options
beyond Lewisham, it might even be possible to extend on existing railway and get rid of mainline
branch trains although sharing Underground and main line stations would be prohibitively expensive:
grandfather rights mean this can take place on existing routes but step-free access, ATP, trainstops,
etc. would mean huge changes to existing infrastructure would have to be made.
There is also a case to be made for not going beyond Isle of Dogs when the DLR infrastructure is
already in place and Crossrail will fulfill some of this demand.
Possible options would be to extend to Bexleyheath (with possible depot sharing at Slade Green?).
With the shopping complex of Bluewater not that far away an extension here could possibly give the
line a destination. Bromley North could be a possibility but there is no main line slot release and
January 2012
51
compared to Bromley South would mean slow times to London. Catford and Hayes have already
been separated from other lines and so they are their own master.
The capital costs are similar to Bexleyheath or Hayes: around £3.2-3.6 billion and would give the
benefit of slot release – up to 8 an hour from Bexleyheath, although it has been mentioned that
Hayes’ 6 slots may be more beneficial as they cause more problems at Lewisham Junction.
VALUE FOR MONEY
This can be done yourself using the TfL statistics by comparing increase in passengers against cost.
Examples of passenger usage of tube stations compared to mainline stations in a similar area are:
 Piccadilly Line – Bounds Green to Cockfosters. The Underground has 3.5 times more passengers
than the equivalent Great Northern Line.
 Northern Line (north) – From West Finchley northwards (ex-GN) v Great Northern stations - 2.5
times more usage on the Underground.
 Northern Line (south) v the main Southern stations – 3 times more usage on the Underground.
 Northern Line (south) v the Thameslink loop through Wimbledon (although admittedly only 3 trains
per hour) – 13.7 times more passengers on the Underground.
Averaging this out, it can be reliably stated that a tube infrastructure would result in 3 times more
users than the equivalent rail network. This then gives an idea of passenger numbers which then
means with projected costs you can get the cost per single passenger over the lifetime of the
scheme – this is more telling than just upfront costs alone.
The cost per passenger at Charlton is surprisingly low although this comes against one of the higher
upfront costs at ca. £2 billion. The lowest price scheme, B4 to Peckham, would cost about £50,000
per passenger for one year with the cheapest per passenger being B2 to Charlton at just over
£40,000. The highest cost per passenger would be B3 to Lewisham at £55,000 per passenger per
year. Of the outer London schemes, Hayes is significantly more expensive per passenger than
Bexleyheath.
A TfL-commissioned study in 2009/10 looked at the connectivity, regeneration, rail benefits of various
schemes. The Bakerloo gives most benefits but also at the most cost. The preferred alignment in
this report was via Camberwell to Peckham. On a map this is a very roundabout route and is very
curvy. This has the non-benefit of possibly annoying some commuters who prefer low-frequency but
direct routes, e.g. Hayes to Cannon Street. Altering this runs the risk of being a line on the map that
has voters concerned and doesn’t get stakeholder endorsement.
WHY NOT JUST GO SOUTH RATHER THAN SOUTH EAST?
Extending the line at Camberwell and then carrying straight-on has been discussed for many years
and was examined in 1957. However, Crossrail 2 will occur as Victoria Line relief at some point in
the 2020s, possibly driven by High Speed 2, ahead of the Bakerloo extension. In addition the
Victoria Line is just one mile to Herne Hill, and was originally designed to be able to go to Crystal
Palace. This is in contrast to the Bakerloo Line which is the only available option for south east
London.
BUSINESS CASES
The preferred TfL scheme has a ratio of 1.4 : 1 benefits to cost, but better schemes do exist at a
ratio of 1.9 : 1. At present the Department for Transport currently sets 2:1 as a value pass mark –
becoming a new investment scheme worth doing.
However the Bakerloo extension would serve fewer critical areas and objectives than other rail
projects. London’s new priorities are already emerging: Crossrail extensions, Crossrail 2, Orbital
capacity (e.g. 5-car trains on the East London Line, expanding West London line), more mainline
capacity, including 12-car trains – does this in itself take away the case for the Bakerloo extension?
It is also necessary to accommodate the impacts of High Speed 2 – so far it seems that the Bakerloo
extension is not yet justifying priority attention.
GOVERNMENT AND MAJOR STAKEHOLDER VIEWS
Any extension would bring less national benefit than Crossrail and High Speed 2. They would also
question whether it is good value to extend beyond Lewisham – potentially there are only 6-8 peak
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Underground News
slots per hour. There is also a lack of clarity on best value route and boroughs not yet signed up to
the extension or lobbying taken place.
In addition, the promoter, TfL, has a long shopping list and the Bakerloo is not quite marking its
priority above everything else. Nationally it seems that people are complaining that London already
has had too much in the run up to the Olympics.
FUNDING
There is a Government Spending Review every 3 years and as yet TfL doesn’t know where funding
will come after March 2015, to 2021, let alone as far as 2041. The Northern Line extension is
looking for alternative financing from developers. However, there are few large developments in the
Bakerloo catchment area.
Long-term planning can be done, however lots of factors: elections, mayoral elections, etc. tend to
skew this planning when lots of lobbying takes place. Crossrail 2, trams, tube upgrades, HS2 phase
1, phase 2, etc. are all on the long-term list and so the Bakerloo might end up behind all of these,
especially considering the potential cost of £2-4 billion.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
One fundamental issue would be the location of stabling sidings or a depot – the Hayes branch is
almost impossible with golf courses the only (unrealistic) option at the moment! This is similar to
problems faced during the Northern Line extensions when it was proposed that a depot would have
to be as far out as Bushey Heath.
Another consideration is the question of whether it is efficient to replace a 12-car south east peak
train with 2 or 3 shorter Bakerloo trains, each with fewer seats. Would this only end up having the
same number of customers and seats? In addition it only solves 1 of the 5 Lewisham Junction lines
and would annoy users who like direct City services.
IN CONCLUSION
There is a good to strong case for extension of the Bakerloo Line but not an overwhelming one and it
is a high-risk scheme without strong passenger support as well as the high cost of the scheme which
is not yet a TfL priority. To go with this there is only modest political and stakeholder interest and so
the case for extension is the same as it’s always been: it remains nice to have but the current funding
gap is critical. Would phasing an extension be a viable alternative?
WHAT OTHER SCHEMES COULD BE BUILT WITH THE SAME MONEY?
A cross-river tram would cost approximately £1 billion.
The Bakerloo solution is not the only rail solution but the only one currently on the table but questions
need to be raised as to whether it right to marry inner and outer proposals in one scheme. The inner
scheme would be vastly easier but may not ring enough bells to get through the planning stage.
BAKERLOO IN THE SOUTH EAST – A NEW WAY?
Build the Bakerloo extension in phases in the 2020s but also think about future-proofing for 2040-50.
Thought also needs to be given about main line options that might solve Lewisham Junction issues
without the obvious downsides for local commuters: is Mile End a relevant example of easy
interchange for the City and West End passengers. If so, where could this be done?
To show that the Bakerloo extension was still in the minds of Londoners, in September 2011 Val
Shawcross was due to question Boris Johnson on the extension – it was suggested that it would
have been possible to pre-draft the likely answer.
In short the speaker suggested that there is still an awful lot of work to do to get the trunk to point to
the south-east rather than its tail as at present.
Michael Woodside
January 2012
53
UNDERGROUND DIARY
JANUARY 2012
The only incident of note on (Bank Holiday) Monday 2 January was a signal failure at Finchley
Central, which suspended the Northern Line north of East Finchley from 06.05 to 06.40. However,
trains continued to work through the failure until normal signalling was restored at 07.35.
On Tuesday 3 January the Northern Line was suspended Finchley Central – High Barnet from
08.45 to 09.20 because of a person ill on a southbound train at West Finchley. Euston Square
station closed from 16.00 to 16.40 because of a fire alarm panel defect. The other incidents of the
day were all due to adverse weather – heavy rain and high winds:
 A section of tin roof found its way onto the track and became lodged under an eastbound District
Line train at Barons Court at 05.20, suspending services west of Earl’s Court until 05.50. Further
flying debris resulted in another suspension from 07.50 to 08.20.
 Just before midday three trees had fallen across the westbound track on the approach to Osterley,
suspending the Piccadilly Line west of Northfields. One stalled westbound train was authorised to
return to Boston Manor, where it arrived at 12.25. Services resumed at 14.50 after the trees had
been cut down and removed.
 Chorleywood station closed 12.00 to 12.30 – flooding.
 Outer rail Circle and eastbound District Line trains non-stopped Bayswater from 12.00 to 13.10
because of flooding.
 Flooding in the depot area at Waterloo suspended the Waterloo & City Line 12.05 until 12.55.
 Gants Hill station closed 12.20 to 12.45 – flooding in ticket hall.
 Flooding caused East Finchley to close from 14.55 to 15.30.
Wednesday 4 January was as follows:
 Clapham Common station closed 08.35 to 10.10 – Local power failure.
 Central Line suspended Leytonstone – Liverpool Street 09.40 to 10.05 – person ill on a
westbound train at Stratford.
 District Line suspended to Edgware Road 11.00 to 11.35 – points failure at Edgware Road, which
reduced reversing facilities to one platform.
 Highgate station closed 17.50 to 18.45 – escalator defects.
 Piccadilly Line suspended east of Arnos Grove from 21.10 – person under an eastbound train at
Southgate. Services resumed at 22.30 but the eastbound platform at Southgate remained closed
until 23.30.
St. John’s Wood station remained closed until 06.00 on Thursday 5 January because of escalator
defects. The Northern Line had a disrupted morning peak with intermittent trains being back-tripped
between London Bridge and Borough. This culminated with a 20-minute suspension of the
southbound City branch from 09.50 whilst engineers attended and dealt. An eastbound District Line
train struck a tree on the track east of Kew Gardens at 15.45, suspending the Richmond service until
16.50. The incident train detrained at Gunnersbury and worked empty to Lillie Bridge depot. The
Northern Line was suspended north of Archway from 16.05 to 16.40 because of a loss of signalling
control in the Finchley areas. Points failing on the eastbound Piccadilly Line at Acton Town from the
Heathrow direction resulted in a 40-minute suspension of that branch from 16.40. A points failure at
West Kensington at 19.00 suspended the District Line west of Earl’s Court to Ealing and Richmond
until 19.50.
A derailment of an empty train by 2½ cars in Cockfosters depot at 03.50 on Friday 6 January
resulted in 10 trains being cancelled for the morning peak. Westbound District/Circle Line trains
non-stopped Victoria station from 08.55 to 11.05 because of flooding from a street-level burst water
main.
A partial collapse of the ticket hall ceiling at Edgware on Saturday 7 January resulted in the station
closing at 08.10, with trains running empty between Burnt Oak and Edgware. Fortunately there were
no injuries and following temporary repairs, the station reopened at 13.35. The Jubilee Line was
suspended east of North Greenwich from 14.35 because of a loss of signalling control in the
Stratford area. However, a small number of trains were able to work forward to West Ham between
15.15 and 16.15, reversing in Stratford Market depot. Services resumed throughout at 16.35.
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Underground News
The northbound Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line was unable to start up until 09.30 on
Sunday 8 January because of a late finish to overnight re-railing work at Warren Street. Points
failing at Lambeth North suspended the Bakerloo Line south of Piccadilly Circus from 08.50 until
09.55. An intermittent signal failure on the eastbound approach to Wimbledon Park from 15.15
culminated in a suspension between there and Wimbledon from 17.35 until 18.10. The Bakerloo
Line was suspended throughout the LU section from 20.30 because of a person under a northbound
train at Lambeth North. The service resumed as far south as Piccadilly Circus from 21.00 and
throughout at 21.30.
Less than perfect Metropolitan Line peak services on Monday 9 January were due to a combination
of ‘passenger action’ (morning) and points failing in Neasden depot (evening). Heathrow T123
station closed from 11.35 to 13.00 because of water ingress and flooding in the ticket hall. A multiple
signal track circuit failure at Wimbledon Park at 00.10 resulted in the late-night trains being delayed,
with stalled trains being authorised into platforms. The service resumed at 01.05 to last trains.
Lift defects saw Lambeth North station close at 06.55 on Tuesday 10 January. Reopening was at
08.25 but a repeat of the same problem caused another closure from 08.45 to 11.05. The discovery
of a broken rail on the eastbound Piccadilly Line at Earl’s Court just after 18.00 suspended services
between Hammersmith and Hyde Park Corner. One stalled eastbound train was authorised to return
to Barons Court, where passengers were detrained by 18.45. Services resumed at 19.40 after
temporary repairs had been made. A signal track circuit failure at Bank suspended the Waterloo &
City Line from 19.10. Two trains were stalled on the eastbound, each being authorised in turn to
return to Waterloo, which had been completed by 19.40. Services resumed at 20.05.
There was nothing out of the ordinary to note for Wednesday 11 January.
Points failing at Waterloo prevented the Waterloo & City Line from starting up until 08.50 on
Thursday 12 January. A further suspension to undertake repairs took place from 10.35 to 11.20.
At 13.10 a loss of the signal main current at Harrow-on-the-Hill suspended the Metropolitan Line
north of Wembley Park and the Piccadilly Line west of South Harrow. Four trains were stalled
between stations: An eastbound train approaching Rayners Lane was authorised into the station
(13.30), and a southbound train approaching West Harrow arrived there at 13.40. A ‘down’ Chiltern
train stalled approaching Harrow arrived after points had been secured and a stalled ‘up’ Chiltern
was authorised to return to Moor Park and detrain there. The Piccadilly Line resumed at 13.40 and
the Metropolitan Line gradually from 13.50.
Friday 13 January was a bad day for the Jubilee Line, beginning with computer signalling problems
at Stanmore from the start of traffic, with services suspended in consequence north of Wembley
Park. However, the rest of the Jubilee Line was unable to start until 05.35 because of track defect
discovered overnight at Willesden Green. This also affected the Metropolitan Line south of Harrow
until 05.35. The Jubilee Line resumed to Stanmore at 08.30, but was suspended once again
between Finchley Road and Waterloo with a train unable to move at Bond Street at 08.50. It was
eventually moved to Charing Cross enabling services to resume at 09.35. The combination of both
incidents resulted in over half the service being cancelled for the morning peak. Two other lines also
had problems from the start of traffic. On the Piccadilly Line, a temporary speed restriction and
restricted reversing facilities at Arnos Grove saw several trains cancelled in both peaks, while a loss
of signal control at Watford suspended the Metropolitan Line between Moor Park and Watford until
08.20.
Saturday 14 January wasn’t much better, summarised as follows:
 Eastbound Jubilee Line trains non-stopped London Bridge 05.40 to 09.40 – defective platform
edge door (PED).
 Central Line suspended to and from Ealing Broadway from 05.40 – points failure North Acton
Junction. One stalled train authorised to return to West Acton. Further problems suspended the
West Ruislip branch from 07.25. Service resumed briefly at 08.50, only to be suspended again
from 09.05 with the same problem. The West Ruislip branch resumed at 09.35 but the Ealing
service remained suspended until 12.00.
 Earl’s Court station closed 07.00 to 10.15 – fire equipment defect.
 SSR services suspended through Moorgate 15.45 to 16.20 – eastbound C Stock train stalled with
an air burst.
January 2012
55
Overrunning work on points prevented the Metropolitan Line from starting up south of Harrow-on-theHill and the Jubilee Line between Wembley Park and Waterloo, both until 08.00 on Sunday 15
January. In the meanwhile a signal failure at Rayners Lane suspended the Metropolitan Line’s
Uxbridge branch and the Piccadilly Line west of South Harrow. One stalled Metropolitan Line train
was authorised to return to West Harrow, where it arrived at 08.15. Services on both lines resumed
at 08.55. Also in trouble early on were the District and Piccadilly lines, both suspended through
Acton Town from 07.10 for an hour because of a multiple signal failure, although some eastbound
Piccadilly Line trains were able to work via the eastbound local line from Northfields and thus avoid
the failure. There were two further problems for the Piccadilly Line, with a signal failure at Arnos
Grove from 08.10, followed by a signal failure at Finsbury Park at 10.50. The latter incident resulted
in a suspension between Arnos Grove and King’s Cross until 12.00 with a reduced special service
implemented and trains working through the area under failure conditions until 13.10. The
combination of these incidents resulted in an average of 15 trains being cancelled for the most of the
day.
On Monday 16 January points failing at Praed Street Junction suspended all SSR services west of
Edgware Road from 09.05 but had a severe knock-on effect east of Edgware Road. One train
stalled on the eastbound approach was authorised to return to Paddington H&C, where it was
detrained by 09.45. While this incident was on-going, points failing at King’s Cross at 10.30 resulted
in the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines being suspended completely along with the Metropolitan
Line to the City. (King’s Cross was being used to reverse trains to reduce blocking back because of
the Edgware Road failure). The passengers on one stalled westbound train were detrained out
through King’s Cross disused station, while two other stalled trains were returned to Farringdon and
Barbican to detrain. Both problems were resolved to enable services to resume at 11.30.
Tuesday 17 January was thus:
 Bank station closed and Waterloo & City Line suspended 07.10 to 07.55 – fire alarm operation.
 Jubilee Line suspended Canons Park – Stanmore 14.55 to 15.50 – signal failure at Stanmore.
 Westbound District and Circle Line trains non-stopped Victoria 15.45 to 16.30 – flooding.
 Victoria Line suspended south of Victoria 17.40 to 18.55 – person under a southbound train at
Stockwell. 12 trains were cancelled for the evening peak.
Wednesday 18 January began with points failing at Baker Street, which suspended the Metropolitan
Line south of Wembley Park from 06.10 to 07.00. Just as this incident was drawing to a close, the
Wimbledon branch of the District Line was suspended from 07.05 to 07.55 because of a signal
failure at Parsons Green. The Barnet branch of the Northern Line was then suspended north of
Finchley Central from 08.00 until 09.45 because of points failing at Finchley Central. The
northbound starting signal in platform 2 at Baker Street failed from 19.05, suspending services once
again south of Wembley Park. Because of the number of A and S Stock trains in the City section,
there was a severe knock-on effect to the Circle and Hammersmith lines while ‘main line’ trains were
cleared. This was effectively achieved by shunting them back towards the City from platforms 2 and
6, as nothing could proceed northbound. Services resumed at 20.05.
Apart from the mundane and usual problems, none of which were too service affecting, the only
incident of note on Thursday 19 January was a Network Rail signal failure between Kensal Green
and Willesden Junction, suspending the Bakerloo Line north of Queen’s Park from 10.30 to 11.10,
although trains then continued under failure conditions until the fault was fixed at 14.30.
On Friday 20 January, an intermittent signal failure at Cockfosters culminated with a suspension
east of Oakwood from 11.40 to 12.35. Just before 16.00 a points failure at Aldgate suspended the
Metropolitan Line east of Baker Street, the Hammersmith & City Line east of King’s Cross (whilst
stalled trains were dealt with) and the Circle Line in its entirety. The District Line was also
suspended through the area from 16.25 while a Hammersmith & City Line train was authorised to
return to Aldgate East – after points had been secured. All lines resumed at 17.20. The day ended
with a local power failure at Baker Street, which closed the station from 00.25 until the end of traffic.
Local signalling was also affected, trapping one C&H train and three Metropolitan Line trains
between stations until 00.45.
There was nothing out of the ordinary to report for Saturday 21 January, Sunday 22 January and,
amazingly, Monday 23 January too!
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Underground News
Tuesday 24 January began with traction current problems at Kennington which prevented the
southbound section between Elephant & Castle to Stockwell from being switched on at the start of
traffic. This suspended services south of Charing Cross and Moorgate on the southbound until
06.50, when the Charing Cross – Kennington loop service began. Services to Morden began at
07.40 after an obstruction and some debris was found on the track and removed. SSR services
were suspended through Baker Street from 05.55 to 06.35 because of points failing at Baker Street
Junction. The District Line was also suspended between High Street Kensington and Edgware
Road, to allow some breathing space in the queue of C&H trains at the latter. The Jubilee Line was
suspended north of Willesden Green from 10.25 to 11.40 because of points failing at Wembley Park.
A multiple signal failure on the westbound at Bromley-by-Bow from 05.55 on Wednesday 25
January suspended services through the area until 06.35, while a defective London Overground
train stalled leaving Richmond at 17.05, suspending the Richmond branch until 17.30.
A 5mph temporary speed restriction on the westbound in the area of Ruislip siding from the start of
traffic caused some delays to the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines during the day on Thursday 26
January, with five trains on the latter cancelled for the morning peak. The length of the speed
restriction was reduced later in the afternoon, which eased the situation somewhat.
On Friday 27 January a points failure at Gunnersbury Junction suspended the District Line between
Earl’s Court, Richmond and Ealing Broadway. The Ealing service was able to resume at 13.15 after
a stalled train approaching the junction was authorised to return wrong line to Turnham Green. The
District Line service to Richmond resumed at 16.20. An eastbound Hammersmith & City Line train
stalled approaching Edgware Road at 15.45, delaying services through the area for 20 minutes.
Warren Street station closed from 18.50 because of a fire close to the station at street level.
Because gas cylinders were thought to be involved in the fire, the station remained closed until
21.35. Escalator defects closed Swiss Cottage station from 19.00 to 19.50.
There were no incidents as such on Saturday 28 January, but the Piccadilly Line had a number of
cancellations throughout the day because of problems with the engineering work arrangements at
Northfields. From midday onwards on the Central and Metropolitan lines, insufficient Train Operators
resulted in a number of cancellations, reaching a maximum of eight on the latter late in the evening.
(This bodes well for the Olympics – more Train Operators will obviously be required to maintain a full
service by then. This has shades of the cancellations the Underground endured in the 1970s, when
there was a severe lack of guards. The problems were more acute on late shift Saturdays. As yet,
the situation hasn’t become quite that bad).
The Piccadilly Line continued with several cancellations throughout Sunday 29 January associated
with the weekend engineering work at Northfields. At 22.05 a westbound Circle Line train stalled at
Praed Street Junction, suspending C&H services west of Edgware Road and the District Line east of
High Street Kensington until 22.35. The Bakerloo Line was suspended north of Queen’s Park from
23.10 to 23.45 because of a stalled Bakerloo Line train entering Stonebridge Park depot.
St. John’s Wood station was closed from 09.15 to 12.55 because of escalator defects on Monday 30
January, while an unattended vehicle close to Monument station resulted in the Bank/Monument
station complex closing from 22.00 to 22.25.
The only problem of note on Tuesday 31 January was the closure of White City station from 10.10
because of a major fire at the former Unigate Dairy opposite the Television Centre and very close to
the Underground station. The discovery of gas cylinders kept the station closed until 19.30. Trains
scheduled to reverse at White City did so, but were detrained at Shepherd’s Bush.
January 2012
57
POINTS OF INTEREST
SOUTH HARROW SIDINGS
Roy Allen writes –
Further to Michael Smith’s letter
in the February issue in respect
of South Harrow sidings, the
photo (Left) was taken by W.
Noel Jackson in April 1929
outside the station building.
The NS bus carries the garage
plate ‘SH’. At this time routes
114, 158 and 206 terminated
here. Jim Joyce in his book
“London Transport Garages
from 1948” records that the
South Harrow garage was for
six vehicles and lasted from
April 1925 until the opening of
Harrow Weald garage in April
1930.
The only place it could have been was to the left of the signal cabin on Underground Group property.
I believe reading that the original 1903 car sheds were dismantled and taken to Lillie Bridge when
Ealing Common Depot became operational in 1905. This excess of land at South Harrow was
probably purchased in 1899 for a goods yard at a time when Forbes still harboured aspirations for
freight trains to run onto the District to serve a developing community. Other than the 1903 pictures
and the series of station photos by John Burns in 1910, I have not seen any pictures of South Harrow
branch or the sidings area until the Piccadilly began running in 1932 and then not of the sidings.
John Hillman writes –
Regarding Michael J. Smith’s letter about South Harrow sidings in Underground News No.602, there
is an undated Locomotive Publishing Co. picture in the book “London Transport Railway Album” by
Chris Heaps, published by Ian Allan in 1978, on page 93, of a two road carriage shed at South
Harrow. The building looks to be quite long and substantial, from the picture it is hard to tell if it is
built of brick or wood. There are two trains stabled alongside the shed and semaphore signals on
the main line which may give an idea of the date.
Regarding the small bus garage mentioned at South Harrow, this housed six buses and was
replaced on 9 April 1930 not 1950’s when the present Harrow Weald bus garage opened.
Piers Connor writes –
The OS Map for 1914 shows the ground (where the 1903 shed was) as vacant. There were no
buildings and no tracks. There is a crossover east of the footbridge. The 1930s map shows the
rebuilt station and the six sidings.
Editor’s Note –
In response to Piers’ note (above), this gave me a base date to work from. The District Railway
Notices were good at recording signalling alterations, but having checked from June 1905 (which
was the last time that South Harrow put trains into service, which was the same time that electric
trains began running to Hounslow and South Acton) through to the end of 1914, I can find no
reference to the decommissioning of the signalling for access to and from it. However, there are
references to the sheds being used to store GNP&BR (Piccadilly Railway) Tube Stock, with loco
moves to move them being on 30 September 1908, 1 October 1908, 13 October 1910 and 14
October 1910. So I can only assume they were demolished between late-1910 and 1914 along with
decommissioning of the signalling to and from it.
Mike Horne writes –
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Underground News
As far as I can see, there was some resignalling done during or shortly after March 1910. The
Inspector’s report refers to the connection from the down line to the sidings on the up side,
presumably still there in March 1910, then, which is consistent with your notes.
However the reference is rather confusing. The diagram shows the arrangements after the change
and shows 12 crossover (to sidings), 13 locking bar and signal 11 ex-sidings. However, the
Inspecting Officer implies that the crossover is not in use and is disconnected from signal box and
appears to suggest that the locking bar should also be taken out of use “until required”.
I infer from this that the most likely date for sidings coming out of ‘official’ use was March 1910
(Inspection on 13th) but that some or all the track remained until the stored cars were removed,
presumably by levering over points for the purpose, and that track was probably removed soon after.
I have no idea when the shed went, but it never had a permanent look!
The signals at South Harrow seem to have been converted to electro-pneumatic from mechanical at
the same time.
WHITECHAPEL AND LONG DISTRICT TRAINS
Editor’s Note: Further to the notes in the February 2012 issue of Underground News, a public trial of
a 9-car train on the District Railway took place before its introduction on 1 April 1908. In fact the trial
began on 10 February 1908. The arrangements were as follows:
Train 35, 06.35 ex-Ealing Common depot to East Ham to be 3 cars (instead of 6).
At East Ham the 3-car to couple to the west end of a 6-car train and 07.36 ex-East Ham to be 9 cars.
On arrival in platform 4 at Whitechapel at 07.54, to divide and front 3-car to depart all stations to
Mansion House (except St. Mary’s), then taking up the working of Train 17, 08.01 Mansion House to
Mill Hill Park.
John Hawkins writes –
1973 TUBE STOCK
It has recently been mentioned in this journal that the forthcoming resignalling of the Piccadilly Line
was anticipated before the 1973 Tube Stock was delivered. The birth of 1973 Tube Stock followed
immediately upon the successful opening of the world’s first fully automatic railway with 1967 Tube
stock. This signalling system had been developed over only a couple of years in the early 1960s,
and the Signal Engineer’s Department were keen to take it to the next stage with driverless trains.
Anticipating passenger resistance, it was decided to accumulate experience with driverless trains on
non-passenger carrying journeys. There was no doubt at that time that all new rolling stock should
be able to operate automatically, but this would have to await line resignalling. In the event the case
could not be made for the additional costs involved when passenger demand was falling, and
resignalling of the system continued with traditional colour light signals for another twenty years.
But at the time it was thought that resignalling of only sidings and depot approaches might be
undertaken. Train crews at that time involved two men, a motorman and guard, although later there
was only one train operator. To bring a train to or from depot required the payment of the crew to
walk between the booking-on point and the stabling roads, a cost which would mount up when
multiplied by the number of trains on each line. This could be avoided if depot staff prepared trains
for un-crewed departure under new signalling, allowing the crew to join them at the platform and
continue conventionally in passenger service.
Depot workings generally only occur once for each train at the start and end of the day, with a few
mid-day stablers. Automatic operation to and from reversing sidings on every trip would allow the
crew to leave their train to visit toilet and tea-making facilities, before meeting their train at the
opposite platform. Whilst this might not appear to be a saving, spare crews were located at many
such locations to provide such a relief, and could be withdrawn with automation. During late running,
there would also be no need to await the crew changing ends in the siding. An arriving unstaffed
train could swiftly depart from the siding if required, the crew changing ends by walking the platform
whilst the train visited the siding. Changing ends through a train in a siding involves opening and
closing many communicating doors!
New rolling stock was originally envisioned for the Northern Line to replace ageing 1938 Tube Stock,
but after approval of the Heathrow Extension it was decided that purpose-designed trains would be
January 2012
59
used on the Piccadilly Line and the 1959 Tube Stock would transfer to the Northern Line. In the
meantime, political pressures led to the acquisition of two batches on 1972 Tube Stock which were
adapted from the 1967 Tube Stock design. On the Piccadilly Line trains were regularly scheduled to
reverse in sidings at Wood Green, Barons Court, Acton Town (both ends), Northfields, Rayners Lane
and Ruislip which would have seen many driverless reversals if new signalling could have been
installed. Currently only the last three sidings are regularly used, together with those at Heathrow
Terminal 5. Precautions after the 1975 Moorgate tunnel-end collision required additional terminal
protection to be provided, which generally slowed the entry of trains into sidings. As passenger
traffic built up, the time to detrain them from short-workings increased, sometimes delaying following
through trains. To ease train running the number of short workings decreased, and growing traffic
justified the extended working.
Today the number of regularly used reversing sidings is much reduced. Nevertheless, the idea of
driverless operation of trains not in passenger service has again been raised for consideration!
EVO TRAIN
I was just thinking that the half-length EVO train to be trialled on the Waterloo & City will be about as
short as this formation could be.
There are three car types required to make a train, and with the end car repeated at each end, a four
car formation would test all types. Since they are shorter than current cars, perhaps the Waterloo &
City will trial a five-car formation. This would be the equivalent of a ten-car formation for the Central
Line, which I think is what they were talking of. This would be about the equivalent of current bogiecentre to bogie-centre spacing, so will not make much difference to the gap at curved platforms.
Ignoring the placing of compressors, batteries, etc, there must be three main car types in this sort of
train:
 End car – with open gangway at only one end and only one bogie.
 Middle car – with open gangway at both ends and two bogies (so longer than other cars).
 Between car – with open gangway at both ends and only one bogie.
So a Waterloo & City train may be E-B-M-B-E.
A monospace font can show as follows, where o represents a bogie and D shows position of a
double-doorway. With no doorway possible over the bogie, whose wheels must be concealed under
longitudinal seats in the conventional way, the doors are spaced unevenly down the train. Each car
has two doorways on each side, which results in even passenger loadings at each one, although
they alternately receive heavier loadings from the left and right along the train .
E - B - M - B - E
_D_D _D_D _D_D_ D_D_ D_D_
o
o
o
o
o
o
Full length trains on other lines will just have additional B type cars added where there is only one
shown in this formation. These trains are going to be harder to split than S stock, with an
accommodation bogie required to support the non-bogie end of a car.
The S Stock is being introduced on the old signalling, and the old trains will be withdrawn before the
new signalling is commissioned, but cabless trains cannot run without the new signalling being
completed first. So the date ranges given for the line upgrades must include resignalling before new
train delivery. There may be some desk based work included at the start of the period and some
removal of redundant signalling at the end of the period, but it looks like LU are banking on getting
nearly fifty years of service from both the 1972 and 1973 Tube Stocks! Not so with the 1992 Tube
Stock!
DEEP TUBE PROGRAMME
A November LU presentation to union representatives about the Deep Tube Programme has been
put on the Internet by one union for the information of its members. It is in accord with the
Operational Vision Board paper of that month (see page 19, January 2012 edition) and confirms that
air conditioning is being pursued for the new EVO train concept. A foundation phase of the project
should be completed by the end of 2012 which will provide sufficient details for discussions with
unions, suppliers and stakeholders. The feasibility stage involves an initial trial implementation on
60
Underground News
the Waterloo & City Line in 2015-2017. A chart shows progressive implementation of the upgrade
over the Bakerloo Line 2017-2022, Piccadilly Line 2019-2025, and Central Line 2021-2026, which is
much slower than suggested in the leaked LU document of July 2011 (page 17, January edition).
The Waterloo & City Line is shown again in 2022-2024 when presumably the current fleet will be
replaced.
The LU presentation to staff reps about the Deep Tube upgrades in November has been put on the
net by ASLEF:
http://www.aslef.org.uk/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=131514
The dates tie in with the November Board paper of course, rather than the mid-year leaked report.
It seems that EVO development will not use Old Dalby or South Ealing test tracks, or use HainaultWoodford shuttle, but have settled on the Waterloo & City!
I suppose there are advantages in being short, central, tube tunnel demo, and long non-traffic hours
especially at weekends. Also can only be one half-length train to cut costs.
But where are they going to squeeze another train on the line? If they leave the reversing siding free
for test running, all sidings are already taken.
I wonder if they can relay the Armstrong lift siding for stabling, or was it filled on closure? Was it a
tube tunnel or cut and cover, which would ease access to the test train when stabled?
Perhaps they will outstable a train at Bank, and keep the EVO in the workshop during the day.
We wait to see.
January 2012
61
THE 67s AND THE VICTORIA LINE
5 – THE STOCK SETTLES IN
by Piers Connor
STAGES
The Victoria Line opened in stages. The first stage, between Walthamstow and Highbury & Islington,
opened on 1 September 1968, the second stage exactly 3 months later on 1 December. Both days
were Sundays. The full opening to the then terminus at Victoria took place on Friday 7 March 1969,
with the Queen performing the opening ceremony. By this time, all the original order for the 1967
Tube Stock had been delivered to Ruislip depot (the last arriving on 18 December 1968) and all
(apart from the original unit, 3001) had been commissioned and were available for service by 19
February 1969. There was a slow down in delivery for the Brixton extension stock, which only arrived
at the rate of one train a month, instead of 1½ a month.
Figure 1: The first 4-car unit of
1967 Tube Stock (Unit No.
3001) on test at South Ealing,
3 November 1967. As a driver
on the Piccadilly Line at the
time, I used to see this unit
regularly. It was sometimes
stabled in Northfields depot
where I was based, so I would
sneak a look inside from time
to time. There was a lot of
instrumentation, I recall. The
testing was done on the fast
tracks while the Piccadilly Line
service used the local tracks.
LT Museum photo.
THE LINE IN OPERATION
In February 1970, less than a year after the opening, F. Gordon Maxwell, the Operating Manager of
the Underground, gave a paper8 to the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers outlining the planning
and describing the operation of the Victoria Line. Another, similar paper 9 was given to the
Underground’s own Signal Engineer’s Technical Society by Colin Cray, the Divisional Superintendent
of the Northern & Victoria lines. Although Cray was present at the Maxwell presentation, his paper
covered a number of different subjects and, in their reading, they complement each other quite well.
Neither paper was specifically aimed towards the rolling stock but there were lots of comments about
the technology and its operation in service that are worth recounting here. Maxwell’s paper provoked
a lively debate during the discussion afterwards and some of the points made were interesting in
showing the thinking of the day. There were also some sharp comments by senior engineers about
their brothers in other departments and some witty responses by Maxwell himself. There were also
some interesting lessons that could have been learned and some interesting predictions. The
discussion following Cray’s paper was not recorded but he provided some interesting insights into
how he saw the railway’s operation at the time.
DAMP & VENTILATION
Both papers mention the problems they encountered with water in the tunnels. Cray spoke of “pools
of water” that they tried to dry with “large and cumbersome heaters of various sorts”. Maxwell
8
9
Maxwell, F.G. (1970), “The Victoria Line in Operation”, Technical Meeting of the Institution of Railway Signal
Engineers, 17 February 1970, London.
Cray, C.M. (1970), “The Victoria Line in Operation”, Meeting of the Signal Engineers Technical Society, 25 November
1970, London.
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Underground News
describes how the sleeper blocks were set into position with wet patches around the concrete and
the blocks became saturated with water as a result. This prevented the track circuits from working
properly. Trains under test were getting code tripped when they lost the ATC signal and the wet rails
caused them to skid to a stop, causing flats. Cray recalls that they had complaints of vibration from
nearby residents and that these were largely the result of running trains “with square wheels”.
Repairing these resulted in a shortage of trains for the opening of Stage 1. Maxwell records how
they had to lift 48,000 rail chairs and provide insulating pads under them to improve the track circuit
performance. They also fitted nylon bushes to the coach screws securing them. This work occupied
much of the planned testing time and left them with less than two weeks to try out the trains and the
ATC equipment for Stage 1.
Once the line opened, they watched the track rather carefully. They were worried that the rails would
wear into patterns under automatic operation. It had been assumed that such wear didn’t appear on
manually operated lines because of the different drivers’ variable braking techniques but that it could
appear on an ATC railway. It didn’t happen. Apparently, the performance of the 1967 Tube Stock
was sufficiently variable in its own right.
Maxwell said that there was a desire to keep the temperature in the running tunnels down to 70°F
(21°C). It was realised, even then, that temperatures in tunnels would rise as more trains were run.
The Victoria Line was provided with purpose-built ventilation shafts at suitable locations and these
were used to help dry out the tunnels before the start of operations. For other lines, although
Maxwell didn’t say so, the trouble was that they were experiencing an almost continuous fall in
passenger numbers year on year. This was to accelerate during the 1970s and it was getting more
and more difficult to spend money on things that couldn’t be justified to the politicians and that
couldn’t be seen by the public. Nowadays, after almost 20 years of rising traffic numbers,
temperatures are regularly recorded at 30°C10.
NOISE AND IBJs
Even though they eliminated the difficulties causing
flats, there was still considered to be a noise
problem. Maxwell spoke of their disappointment at
the high noise levels but he did say they were
surprised that there hadn’t, so far, been any
complaints from the public about it. Of course,
there was the comparison with existing lines, which
were all rather noisy. At the time, LU did some
tests with a ’67 Stock train on the Piccadilly Line
and a ’59 Stock on the Victoria Line to compare
noise levels and Maxwell reported that there wasn’t
any real difference between the two types. Of
course, the noise got worse with time and wear.
AF TRACK CIRCUITS
Audio frequency track circuits were first
introduced on the Chicago Lake Street line in
1965 (R.J. Hill, 1996) but there was a 20-year
long path to the acceptance by LU of what was,
at first, called the “block-jointless” or, as we
now know it, AF track circuit. There were tests
at various locations, including South Ealing,
Totteridge and Highgate.
LU tested their own design, perhaps to
overcome the cost of patents already registered
by suppliers like Alstom and to try to match to
performance of the existing circuits – a vain
hope that was already realised on BR, who
were also testing AF circuits.
The line was equipped with welded rail but the
signalling system required insulated block joints LU also tried some signalling manufacturers’
(IBJs) at frequent intervals and these were a versions and eventually settled on the
significant source of noise. Maxwell noted an Westinghouse type FS2500, which was
average of 100 block joints for each route mile of ultimately used on the Bakerloo resignalling of
the railway.
The discussion after the paper 1988-90. My thanks to D. Burton and M. Horne
for many of these details.
included some comments about block joints and
noise from Harry Hadaway, Robert Dell’s Deputy
Chief Signal Engineer. Hadaway said that, like the Chief Civil Engineer (who wasn’t at the meeting),
the signal engineer didn’t like block joints either. They caused failures. He said that there were
“block-jointless systems around the world” but LU (he meant his boss Robert Dell) didn’t consider
them proven yet and they would have to do more testing with them before they were convinced they
were safe to use. It was the late 1980s before they appeared in service on the Underground – see
box.
10
Douglas L, “Air-conditioning of London Underground – reality or dream?”, Engineering & Technology Magazine, 2
Vol. 5, Issue 10 July 2010, IET, London.
January 2012
63
He also took issue with the idea, which he said was put forward by the Chief Civil Engineer, that the
block joints were the main reason for the noise and suggested, tongue in cheek, that since they were
to be “with us for some little time yet” he (the CCE) should redesign them, if he thought he could do
better. He also mentioned the possibility of resting block joints on chairs, after “Continental” practice,
as he described it.
Hadaway referred to the “dampness” of the line that they discovered when they wanted to start
running trains. He compared it to potholing where people, “went hundreds of feet below the ground
and through several feet of water to get to some distant objective”. There was, he said, so much
water that it was impossible to get the track circuits to function.
DRIVERLESS TRAINS
In the discussion following Maxwell’s paper, both Dell and Hadaway mentioned driverless trains. In a
time of serious staff shortages in all public services and especially on the Underground, it was the
ultimate goal. The engineers knew it was possible and they wanted to show what they could do.
Hadaway described the Victoria Line as “not automatic; only a system where the level of manual
operation had been reduced”. He was right, of course, since a fully automatic railway would have
unmanned trains and stations like an airport people mover. Maxwell’s view was, predictably, that the
problem with driverless operation was that, when something went wrong with the train, it couldn’t
answer back to an enquiry from the controller. He went on to say they would need someone on the
train and that it could be “a pretty lady”; they didn’t necessarily need someone with technical
expertise. Hadaway tentatively suggested that, even if they couldn’t have a “fair damsel”, a “black
box” could offer the control centre all the information it needed. Nowadays, it seems, we have both.
There was a curious exchange between Dell and Maxwell about train set numbers. In his paper,
Maxwell criticised the control room system because it displayed the number of the next train due at a
location, not the number of the train actually there. This was always a problem for the operators in
control centres using programme machines in that, when the “job went up the wall” and trains arrived
out of turn or very late, no one knew which train was which. The train describers on platforms also
showed the wrong destination confusing both staff and passengers on site. Dell offered a simple
solution – have driverless trains and abandon the use of train numbers. Maxwell responded by
saying that this might be possible on a simple line like the Victoria Line, as long as there were no
crews needing a meal relief but other lines with complicated services needed them. He then put Dell
firmly in his place by telling him that, in reality, train numbers were necessary because, not only did
the crews want to get back to their home depot but “also the passengers had some interest in going
to Richmond and not being taken to Ealing Broadway in order to make the train system simpler”.
PARKING BRAKES
Both Cray and Maxwell complained about the hydraulic handbrakes on the trains and their habit of
dumping their fluid on the track at inconvenient times. Cray noted one occasion when a train ran
from Seven Sisters to King’s Cross before anyone noticed the handbrake was applied. The resulting
flats were “very serious”. Cray suggested that part of the problem was that it was difficult for the
Train Operator to get a “feel” for his train in the way a manual driver would and that this would
prevent detection of these sorts of problems11. Dell, in his comments, suggested that the
Underground should adopt a spring applied parking brake and they did but only 10 years later with
the introduction of the D Stock on the District Line. They finally got rid of the dreadful hydraulics
during a “panic” replacement programme following the King’s Cross fire. The thought was that the
fluid was inflammable and anything that came close to inflammability was expunged, regardless of
cost or disruption. The removal of wood from escalators comes to mind as one programme like that.
The replacement of the hydraulic parking brake by a spring applied system was rather more
justifiable, especially given its unreliability. It was carried out in 1989-90.
PERFORMANCE
Both papers give some numbers for performance. Since we are now at the stage where the new
2009 Tube Stock and new Distance-to-Go signalling system is roughly in the same position as the
11
In my experience, this was no guarantee that these sorts of problems would be detected. I recall and incident where a
C Stock was dragged for several stations in service by a driver who was only alerted to the problem by a passenger
complaining of the smell of overheating.
64
Underground News
Victoria Line was when these two papers were written, I thought it would be interesting to offer a
comparison. However, this data comes with a health warning. My somewhat hazy memory suggests
that the methods of calculation are now rather different. Data collection is more robust now but the
figures are also more easily massaged, especially in view of the higher political profile enduring
these days.
TABLE 1: COMPARISON OF PERFORMANCE OF VICTORIA LINE – 1970 AND 2011
Data
1970
2012
Number of passengers per day
200,000
308,00012
Number of passengers per peak hour
20,000
31,000 est.
Mean distance between train failures (kms.)
7,200
11,000
In general, the numbers of passengers have increased by 50%, including the inclusion of the Brixton
extension, which opened in 1971. Cray noted that, at 200,000, the line had reached its design
capacity and that it was still increasing. Surprisingly, new train performance has improved, also by
about 50%, quite contrary to what you might believe from media reports and from taking into account
the enormous increase in complexity in today’s new trains. Whilst on the subject of train
performance, it is worth recording that, in 1970, the average speed on the Victoria Line was 25-30%
higher than older lines.
STEPPING BACK
A feature of Victoria Line operation planned from the very beginning was “stepping back”. Maxwell
described how well it was working at Victoria when the initial service was reversed there. It had long
been in operation at the Elephant & Castle terminus of the Bakerloo and it was a good way of getting
30 trains per hour service turned round in a 2-platform terminal.
Stepping back starts when the driver of the first arriving train shut down the cab immediately after
opening the doors. With the doors open the relief driver would walk into the rear cab and wait for the
“Other cab on” light to switch off to show him that it was OK for him to enter the cab and “open up”
for departure. The arriving driver now walked up the opposite platform so that he reached the
departure end in time for the next train to arrive and the process was repeated. When the terminal
was moved to Brixton, the procedure was moved there too. Assuming prompt action by the train
crews, the process can work very well but it does require precision and proper supervision.
Interestingly, the whole train turnround process was carefully studied during the design stage for the
1967 Stock. A network analysis was carried out and Webster provided a diagram for it in his 1969
paper as shown on the next page (Figure 2). Time was allowed for drivers to exchange comments
over the cab-to-cab phone if necessary and for drivers to collect their belongings or settle in.
Looking at the detail in Figure 2 shows how many tasks are actually involved in something the driver
does several times a day, almost without thinking about it. The whole process was timed to be
completed in 84 seconds. It was often done in less.
OVERRUNS
There were some comments by Hadaway about the overruns at the terminals. The ATC system, as
designed, allowed trains to run into the terminal platforms at full speed. The assumption was that, if
a train failed to respond to the station brake commands, it would get tripped at the platform end and
would therefore need a full speed braking distance beyond. The cost of providing these had been
questioned, particularly as people were used to the short dead end terminals seen at most termini
like those at Cockfosters, Baker Street or Aldgate. Hadaway said that the number of buffer stop
collisions at existing terminals was such that he thought the usual design was too short. He also
noted that a cautious driver could put up to 20 seconds on the run in and that this “this kind of timing
could be fatal for the headway”. He felt that the full speed overrun was completely justified. A few
years later, following the Moorgate collision of 28 February 1975, manual terminals were fitted with
speed controlled trainstops and this proved his point about being fatal to the headway. It cost two
12
www.londonfirst.co.uk, since TfL doesn’t seem to provide daily line figures. Accurate and meaningful figures for
comparisons are very hard to get, particularly from the days before full automatic fare collection.
January 2012
65
trains an hour on every line. It would be interesting to know what his comments might be today on
the new 20m overruns provided at Baker Street and Aldgate at huge cost.
Figure 2: Network analysis of train reversal procedure at terminal using stepping back of drivers (Webster
1969).
Of course, overruns at terminals were not the only problem. Most of the original lines were stretched
to their limits in terms of the platform lengths in relation to train lengths. The Victoria Line was built
with platforms 25 feet longer than the trains. This was deliberate. It was not certain that the ATO
stopping accuracy could be contained within the planned ± six feet.
INTERFERENCE
During the discussion on Maxwell’s paper, Colin Cray mentioned that they had suffered a number of
examples of people getting into the rear cabs and messing about with the equipment. There were
even occasions when empty cabs were used as toilets (by passengers) 13. He also quoted instances
where someone had lifted seats and cut out brake equipment 14, although they had been caught.
This was, he felt, cause for concern on a driverless train. Maxwell responded by suggesting that
perhaps, if Mr. Hadaway was able to offer a black box, “would it also have a black truncheon in its
hand?”.
Cray brought up the subject of electrical interference. It was found that arcing from collector shoes
interfered with code receipt but this was quickly rectified with capacitors fitted in the circuitry.
However, there was an obstinate problem when Victoria was the terminus. Some trains, when
standing in the northbound platform would experience an unexplained emergency brake when a train
departed northbound from the adjacent southbound platform. After some serious head scratching
and some experiments, it was found that the arrangement of the negative traction feed meant that
when the reversing train crossed over onto the northbound road just north of the station, the sudden
rise in current in the negative rail caused the runback detector to trip in the north end car of the train
in the northbound platform. The problem was neatly solved when a wooden block was inserted into
the negative rail so that the section of rail under the north end runback detector would not actually
13
14
This was not unusual in the days before cabs were locked.
Not possible these days with seats being secured shut.
66
Underground News
carry current to the train further along. The connection was via a feeder cable laid along the floor of
the suicide pit. The solution remained in position for many years thereafter15.
BRIXTON
The Brixton extension was opened by Princess Alexandra on 23 July 1971. This was advertised as
“completing the picture”, despite an extension to Croydon being mooted from time to time both
earlier and since. There was also a serious suggestion in the early 2000s that the line should be
extended in a single track loop towards Herne Hill but this was after an analysis, in which your author
participated, found that it would require two additional trains and that the additional traffic would be
more than the already overcrowded line could cope with.
Nine additional trains were purchased for the Brixton extension, as mentioned in an earlier article
and, to house some of them, an additional four roads were built at Northumberland Park depot in a
new shed to the east of the original building.
Figure 4: One of the
Brixton extension trains
is
shown
in
Northumberland Park
depot in 1973. The
Brixton trains were
identical to the original
order. The photo is a
posed shot with the
train standing with
almost half outside the
inspection shed. Photo:
LT Museum.
SETTLING IN
By the time the Brixton extension was opened, the existing line had pretty much settled down and the
extension followed the pattern, with few serious problems. The traffic continued to grow until the line
became the busiest on the system. The stock performed well, perhaps the only real issue being the
stopping accuracy under ATO. As mentioned above, there was already some flexibility for train
stopping positions. Trains tended to overrun or stop short but drivers soon learned to step in in time
and adjust the stop manually. The TV monitors were originally positioned against the platform wall to
widen the visible range. They were replaced by colour monitors on the platform edge in 1988-89.
The ’67 Stock was inducted into the standard Underground overhaul process where units were
transferred to Acton Works on a time/mileage basis. Unit 3024 went early, in May 1973, as a trial to
see how the work would be done. The first unit to go under the regular scheme was 3004, which
went in June 1974. The last unit (3069) went for its first overhaul in December 1981. From 1986,
heavy overhauls were transferred from Acton to line depots. Only 21 units had two overhauls at
Acton, the last one (3068) going there in 1985. Northumberland Park tried its first overhaul with units
3029 and 3035 in October 1986. Most subsequent overhauls were done there apart from a few that,
during 2007-08, had an overhaul at Acton instead of Northumberland Park while the depot was being
altered and expanded for the arrival of the 2009 Tube Stock. The last ’67 unit to get an overhaul was
3059 in November 2008. It is interesting to see how overhaul periods were extended over the life of
the stock. At the time of the first 1967 Stock overhaul in 1973, most older stocks were getting 6yearly visits to Acton. The plan for the ’67 Stock was 9-yearly and this was, on average, achieved
while Acton was doing them. When the work went to Northumberland Park, the period was pushed
out to 10 years and some units went to 12 years between overhauls. That said, the workload was
15
Letter from Mr. P. Creswell, Underground News No.494, February 2003 and E-Mail from Ted Robinson February 2012.
January 2012
67
altered somewhat as techniques for maintenance improved and efforts were made to see that work
was concentrated where most needed. Some work formerly done on overhaul was done during the
programme lift or during inspections.
To be continued …….
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Underground News
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
“RAIL No.690 – 22 February – 6 March 2012”, pages 76-77. “A Day in the Life of Simon Hanney –
General Manager, Epping and Ongar Railway”.
This is an interesting article on the varied work of the GM of the EOR. This includes communicating
with the local community, ensuring that all policies, procedures, rule book, safety management
system, emergency plans, risk assessments, and other documentation is fully updated and reviewed.
It also covers and the progress on the Railway’s plans for resumption of passenger services later this
year, on this ex-LU section of the Central Line that was closed in 1994.
01.03.12 METRO – A new poster campaign by LU is encouraging passengers to bin their rubbish
and help reduce delays. Litter such as coffee cups, drink cans, bottles and food packaging can get
stuck in train doors or fall on the track. Newspapers, often left on trains or platforms for passengers
to read, can sometime be blown on to the track and cause signal failures. The first poster has the
message “What doesn’t go in the bin causes delays on the track”. In the past year, the number of
bins on the Underground has increased by 25%.
02.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground is running its most reliable service in a decade
thanks to a “Germanic approach” to management, claims Mayor Boris Johnson. He said, “The latest
performance figures demonstrate we are bang on target to deliver the most reliable year of service
for a decade”. Commuters disagreed and stated there were at least six serious delays in the past
two weeks. There was anger from the Underground’s unions to the Mayor’s claims.
02.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Central London Forward group is suggesting that
Underground services should run later at Weekends so Londoners can make the most of the city’s
nightlife. The move would cut long queues at taxi ranks and bus stops, making it safer and easier to
get home from a night out on Fridays and Saturdays. Warning have been made that the current
operating hours are “no longer suitable for a 24-hour global city”. Services currently run from about
05.00 to 01.00.
02.03.12 WESTERN MORNING NEWS – ASLEF have stepped up their opposition to driverless
Underground trains after a young child fell between carriage and the platform (at Finchley Road) on
the Jubilee Line. The union said the driver of the train spotted a tiny hand reaching up from the track
when he made a final visual check before starting the train. The boy, aged 5, escaped without injury,
after all the automatic devices in place showed the platform was clear and it was safe for the train to
depart. The driver’s action saved the child from death or injury.
02.03.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from Christopher Gunning – TfL attitude to wildlife and
habitats makes heartening reading and claims, “Although the Tube is often associated with
underground tunnels, more than half of the network is above ground. The 4,000 hectares of land
surrounding the Tube’s rail; tracks act as a safe haven for a huge variety of wildlife including bats,
badgers, reptiles and water voles. We are working to protect and enhance the biodiversity of our
track and highway verges, including street trees”. Not in Croxley you’re not. Here your workers are
wrecking the environment by cutting down literally hundreds of perfectly healthy trees (see From the
Papers 31.01.12 entry); every species imaginable in this area of ancient and supposedly protected
woodland. Our garden, which borders the railway, is becoming a refuge for terrified animals and
birds trying to escape the chainsaw massacre. So why is TfL squandering resources on this
unnecessary butchery? Too many slippery leaves? Then why not just deal with those relatively few
trees particularly close to the railway line?
05.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter from R. Love – When Mayor Boris Johnson claims that the
Underground’s reliability is at its best since 2003, I wonder whether the statistics used are robust. I
catch the Jubilee Line at Waterloo shortly after 08.00 each day and lately the number of occasions
when the doors between the mainline station and the Underground ticket hall are kept shut due to
overcrowding, has increased. Each time, my journey ends up taking 20-30 minutes longer, but when
the delay is due solely to sheer weight of numbers no refunds are given and it is not reported as a
problem with the system.
January 2012
69
05.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Cable thieves have struck on the Underground for a second time
in seven days, causing disruption for thousands of Jubilee Line commuters when cable was cut
between Wembley Park and Stanmore. Over the past five years there has been a near seven-fold
increase in cable thefts and related incidents on the Underground.
05.03.12 METRO – A limited number of original 1960s Metropolitan Line luggage racks have been
restored and are now available to buy from the LT Museum. The racks were removed from
decommissioned A Stock, and come in three sizes. They are light but strong, having carried
briefcases, shopping bags, suitcases and coats for around 50 years between the City and Baker
Street to the classic “Metroland” destinations out to Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Comment by Richard Godwin – While I was in Delhi, I had the
chance to ride on the city’s admirable new Metro system. I was just marvelling at the sign requesting
passengers not to carry manure onto trains when we passed through a station called Green Park.
Any relation? Imagine how much money and hassle the international traveller could save if London’s
Green Park contained a “deep metro” portal to its Indian twin.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter by Andy Robson – I can’t be the only person tired of trying
to navigate through both tourist luggage and selfish commuters at platform entrances and stairwells
on the Underground. Couldn’t TfL paint yellow “no stopping area” grids in high pedestrian traffic
areas, as happens in other countries? That would ease both congestion and delayed customers’
blood pressure.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Thousands of Underground and rail users are still being “ripped
off” on Oyster pay-as-you-go because they don’t touch out at the end of a journey. The latest figures
show that the total cost of “incomplete” journeys rose to £66.5M last year. An incomplete journey,
only 1.6% of journeys, is normally one where the card holder has not touched out at the end of a
journey. Reasons for incomplete journeys include passengers forgetting to tap in or out, barriers
being left open to prevent overcrowding after major sporting events or concerts, and machines failing
to work. TfL moves to combat the problem include automatic refunds in circumstances for
passengers who forget to touch out.
09.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – TfL aims to cut huge delays caused by passenger illness, by
employing a team of BTP trained as medics who will be able to respond to emergencies quickly. A
team of 20, plus two emergency response cars, will be employed on key lines ferrying people to the
Olympic Park this summer. They will be able to move people off trains on to their vehicles, which will
contain treatment facilities. Currently station staff have only basic first-aid training and services can
be delayed for up to an hour as they wait for paramedics to arrive and decide whether a patient can
be moved. LU bosses hope the new unit will be able to get to the scene first and make a decision
earlier. Other measures to cut delays include using motorbikes to carry spare parts across London
to get to broken down trains.
09.03.12 METRO – As any hassled commuter braving the daily scrum that is rush hour on the
Underground knows, anything that makes you smile is welcome. Some turn to Metro (naturally),
others listen to music, read a book or play a computer game. But those heading to the Northern Line
at Angel, a simple whiteboard with a few well chosen words, has proved to be a godsend. LU
colleagues Ken Waters and Rathees Kadadcham have been writing a daily quotation on the board
for the past few months. Some have included, “If you don’t pay your exorcist, do you get your house
repossessed?” and “Childhood is like being drunk – everyone remembers, except you”.
09.03.12 METRO – Underground workers could pocket an extra £850 for working during the
Olympics. The RMT has been locked in a dispute with LU over the bonus deal. The union confirmed
it had received the offer which will affect 18,000 staff. RMT’s Bob Crow said, “Moving from nothing
to £850 is a massive shift by LU. The offer will now be considered by union reps”.
09.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – (Further to above item) – The unions have already used their
industrial muscle to force through other huge Olympic bonuses, including up to £2,500 for DLR staff,
and up to £900 for Overground drivers. UNITE union has also threatened strike action by London’s
28,000 bus staff unless they get £500 each.
09.03.12 TIMES – (Further to above items) – Drivers on the Underground have been offered £1,000
bonus to work during the Olympics. RMT leader Bob Crow said he had put the offer to his
representatives but declined to recommend it to members, although a spokesman said it represented
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Underground News
“significant movement” in negotiations. Boris Johnson, the chairman of TfL, became London’s Mayor
promising to negotiate a no-strike deal with transport unions. Four years later he finds himself
humiliated by union bosses whose feet are still firmly on the windpipe of the capital’s overloaded
network. If 70,000 people volunteering to help at the Games for nothing is a source of national pride,
the greed of RMT and the cowardice of TfL is a cause for national embarrassment. In the meantime,
now that the principle of payment according to numbers of passengers has been accepted, we can
look forward to RMT accepting pay cuts when the crowds have departed and carriages grow emptier
again.
12.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Top City experts delivered a damning verdict on mayoral
candidate Ken Livingstone’s plan to cut fares by 7% if he is elected. They claimed TfL faces years of
financial turmoil and economic collapse and could cost £1B in lost revenue. Rating’s agency
Moody’s is warning that any fall in TfL revenue will lead to a “downgrade” in its credit rating, which
would cause higher rates for borrowing. TfL bosses fear upgrades to Underground lines would be
scrapped and fares would have to increased as a result
12.03.12 METRO - A text from Suzie – I love the Piccadilly Line as it’s the only one where a 5ft 2in
shorty like me can reach the overhead grab rails.
13.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The new 1,000-tonne Crossrail tunnel boring machines,
nicknamed Ada and Phyllis, were unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson, accompanied by Transport
Secretary Justine and Greening. (“Ada” was an extraordinary mathematician who collaborated with
Charles Babbage, the inventor of the “difference machine” – the world’s first computer. “Phyllis” was
a portrait painter who got lost on the way to a party in 1935 in London, and she spent the next year
walking London’s streets – a distance of 3,000 miles – and drew up the A-Z Guide). (See also
21.03.12 to 03.04.12 below).
14.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – UNITE union has rejected an offer of £850 bonus from LU
bosses, for extra work during the Olympics, as “not being enough”. The union representative said,
“UNITE was prepared to accept the deal, but the strings attached are totally unacceptable. It would
be irresponsible to accept this deal”.
14.03.12 METRO – A widower was killed when he ignored safety signs to smoke a cigarette between
carriages on a Metropolitan Line train. He had been drinking on the anniversary his wife’s death,
when he lit and walked out on to the rain-soaked footplate separating the two carriages, and slipped
when the train went over a bump and was dragged hundreds of yards up the track. Toxicology
results showed he was 3 times over the drink driving limits. A witness in the same carriage pulled
the emergency alarm. The train’s driver said, “There was no way of knowing what the incident was.
LU policy is to continue to the next station and get help”.
15.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Although there doesn’t seem to be much prospect of privatising
the present Underground network, there is rather more interest in allowing redundant stations to be
put to use for commercial purposes such as nightclubs. Tory MP Mike Weatherly is backing efforts
of the Old London Underground Company “to open up London’s ghost stations and deep level
shelters to the public as a viable enterprise following HM Treasury’s Wider Markets Initiative “as an
exciting opportunity for outside investment in the leisure and tourism sector”. Aldwych and Brompton
Road are just two potential sites that could be revamped as hot nightspots or similar .......
15.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Editorial – Plans to install Wi-Fi internet access on the
Underground are exciting, but they do not go far enough. There will be free internet access at 80
stations during the Olympics, but after that, provider Virgin Media will charge for access. Moreover,
the service will be available only on platforms, not in carriages. London needs an Underground for
the 21st century; regardless of some passengers’ annoying phone calls, that should mean full, free
internet access.
16.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – In the first election debate Mayor Boris Johnson has warned he
is prepared to take “historic decisions” to keep Underground unions from holding the transport
system to ransom. He threatens to press ahead with plans for more driverless trains to break the
grip of union barons. The Mayor’s rivals claimed his aggressive stance could condemn London to
more crippling strikes and insisted it is “vital” he meet the unions leaders for talks instead.
16.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground’s second largest union, TSSA representing
ticket office and managerial staff, has thrown out the £850 bonus offer for working longer hours
January 2012
71
during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying there are “too many” strings attached. The RMT,
representing drivers, is still considering its offer of £800 – £1,200 bonuses.
16.03.12 METRO – London could get a 24-hour train service if independent mayoral candidate
Siobhan Benita is voted in. She plans to provide a skeleton 24-hour train service to the outer London
suburbs and extend Underground services to 01.30 on Fridays and Saturday. She said, “If we have
a 24-hour city, you have to have a transport system to go with that. A lot of people, especially
women on their own, are uncomfortable taking the night bus and a lot of people can’t afford taxis”.
As part of her plans, Londoners will get a free weekend travel every month, with discounts in
restaurants, shops and attractions. She also intends to freeze fares until April 2014 and improve the
river boat service between Putney and Greenwich.
19.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground union leaders are demanding an Olympic bonus
deal for more than £2,000 for train drivers, who have already been offered £800 – £1,200 each for
working longer and changed hours during the Olympics. LU understood that “an agreement has
already been reached with the drivers”. The RMT also rejected a £850 offer from LU for 13,000
more staff, which excludes drivers. The escalating row threatens to be an embarrassment for Mayor
Boris Johnson over a lack of agreement over Olympic payments, which is set to dominate the weeks
before the mayoral election.
19.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Column by Lucy Tobin – A single Underground station has more
signs than the whole of Times Square – “priority seat”, “service suspended”, “mind the gap”, “these
escalators are out of service”, “ticket inspectors are easy to spot – they look like you”. I have looked
in earnest for a sign that must surely be there but that I’ve never seen. The one that says, “the Tube
gives you an invisibility cloak, use it wisely”. It must be there, because why else would otherwise
entirely civil people behave like unseeable beings as soon as they step on the Underground? Like
the on-train make-up sessions. I can see the benefits of another 10 minutes in bed in favour of
some mirror-gazing between Kennington and Camden Town. What makes me sure people think
they’re invisible is the nose-picking, eyebrow-plucking, balls-scratching, skin-exfoliating, deodorantspraying activity that kicks off as soon as the “mind the closing doors” is heard. It opened my eyes to
a whole new game of Eye Spy – Tube Activities That Really Should Take Place In The Bathroom (or
TATRSTPITB for short). Leave your imaginary cloaks at home please, Londoners – and your
personal grooming sessions too.
19.03.12 METRO – Londoners will be able to use Wi-Fi to access mobile internet services at
Underground stations from June. A contract has been awarded to Virgin Media to provide access at
up to 120 Underground station platforms, at no cost to taxpayers. The partnership with LU will see
more than 80 stations Wi-Fi enabled by June.
19.03.12 CITY AM – Underground workers are set to reject yet another Olympics bonus offer,
leaving transport bosses scrambling to avoid strikes during the Games. Almost 150 RMT reps will
call on the union to turn down the latest £850 overtime and bonus package. The reps said the offer
unfairly excludes drivers and admin staff. The RMT executive will meet to decide whether to turn
down the package. Unions have already sealed bonus deals for workers at Network Rail, Virgin
Trains, London Overground and DLR.
20.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – A scheme which allows Underground engineers to travel in a
flashing “blue light” road vehicle has almost halved response time getting to critical incidents in the
first month of operation. It came as LU bosses announced they are to increase the members of the
Emergency Response Unit, from 100 to 130, who are first on the scene at all major Underground
incidents. ERU engineers are using three new BTP vehicles, driven by a police officer, to cut
through London’s traffic with the same blue light used by the Met, fire and ambulance services. The
ERU is used for incidents where public safety could be at risk, such as stranded trains, “person
under a train” or any obstruction on the track.
21.03.12 – 03.04.12 RAIL MAGAZINE – (see 13.03.12 above) – In addition to Phyllis and Ada,
other tunnel boring machines have been named Victoria and Elizabeth, and Mary and Sophie.
23.03.12 METRO – Talks at the conciliation service ACAS, to settle a dispute over Olympic pay for
Underground staff collapsed again. Union leader accused LU of attempting to impose “new strings”
in order to “sabotage” the talks. LU said its offer would see station maintenance, service control staff
and operational managers receive up to £850 subject to attendance, customer satisfaction scores
and working flexibility for defined periods to help deliver a successful transport system.
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Underground News
23.03.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from Stuart Alderman – I rather naively assumed that
some credit had been allowed on the costings for the Metropolitan Line extension to Watford
Junction, for the sale of the unwanted land on the to-be-disused line to Watford Met. station. One
solution to keep Watford Met. operating would be to put a crossover halfway down the platform at
Croxley. This would allow a 2 or 3 car shuttle train to operate between the Watford Junction
services. By putting the crossover at platform mid-length, the train could arrive at Croxley, unload
the passenger for the London bound service, then reverse via the crossover to the other platform to
pick up passengers for Watford Met. On a schedule of 4 minutes each way and a 6 minute stopover
at each end would give a maximum 20 minute service, requiring only one train and one driver.
27.03.12 CITY AM – Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an all out push towards automation of
the Underground network, pledging that he will never again buy an Underground train that requires a
driver. “It is time for London to learn from other metro networks and get the benefits of automatic
train control, with all the efficiency benefits that will bring, and absolutely no loss of safety”, he said at
the launch of his manifesto. He also pledged to take on what he called “hardline union barons” who
cause disruption to services.
27.03.12 METRO – The RMT union warned that Mayor Boris Johnson is preparing to take a “lethal
gamble with passenger safety in his quest for votes”, by introducing driverless Underground trains, if
re-elected. The Mayor responded by saying, “It may be that some hardline union barons will object,
as they have traditionally objected to many technologically improvements”.
27.03.12 METRO – The Queen has been presented with a specially designed Diamond Jubilee
Oyster card to mark her 60 years on the thrown. The card features an official portrait of Her Majesty
and will be available to the public from May.
29.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Jubilee Line commuters have again suffered huge disruption,
only days before the new 30-train-an hour service will be introduced. A signal failure at North
Greenwich crippled the entire line from Stanmore to Stratford. Used by more than 650,000 people
per day, the Jubilee is the main route to the Olympics. The London Assembly transport committee
pointed out it is the only line to report in latest figures a rise in delays caused by infrastructure
failures.
29.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground bosses are being accused of “robbing” commuters
be penalising them for simply walking through a station. An Oyster system anomaly means travellers
can be charged £4.60 for going through one entrance at Paddington and exiting the station 100
yards away. The situation occurs when Oyster card holders wanting to use the H&C Line swipe in at
Praed Street across the road from the main station, then directed along a corridor through a second
swipe barrier and into the main station. This anomaly was confirmed in a test by this newspaper.
29.03.12 METRO – The “spoof” Olympic Legends Underground Map replaces all station names with
legendary Olympians and each underground line is dedicated to a sports discipline, such as track
and field or boxing. Some of the biggest names in sports history are featured, including sprint king
Usain Bolt as Victoria, multi-gold medal winning rower Sir Steve Redgrave as Knightsbridge and
basketball great as King’s Cross St. Pancras. The challenge of compiling the list of athletes for the
map was met by journalists Alex Trickett and David Brooks. “There were heated debates and a few
late changes of heart but we are happy with the result; dozens of nations are represented and all
sports at the 2012 Games are accounted for”, said Trickett.
29.03.12 METRO – Work to prepare for the tunnel boring machines at Crossrail’s Canary Wharf
station in 2013 has been completed five months ahead of schedule. Construction work began three
years ago. Since then the construction team has poured 375,000 tonnes of concrete and pumped
out nearly 100M litres (equivalent of 40 Olympic size swimming pools) of dock water.
29.03.12 METRO – Two of Britain’s strongest men have recreated a video version of the TfL “Get
Ahead of the Games” poster showing weightlifters squeezing out of a busy Underground train.
Britain’s Strongest Man competitor Rob Frampton and weightlifter Rich Corvin brought the colourful
ad to life at Charing Cross to raise awareness of the campaign, which encourages commuters to
make alternative travel plans ahead of the summer’s events. View the boys in action at –
www.youtube.com/user/GAOTG.
January 2012
73
30.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – A Victorian Underground station could be taken apart brick by
brick and rebuilt seven storeys up. Fifteen flats and shops are planned for the site of the former
Shoreditch station in Code Street, but while modern materials will used on the lower floors, 30,000
original bricks will be hoisted up to “crown” the new building. The station was built in 1876 and
closed in 2006, after being replaced by the new Overground Shoreditch High Street station
30.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The number of RMT union members taking part in strikes has
fallen by 43% while Boris Johnson has been Mayor. While there have been 15 strikes during the
Johnson tenure and only 8 under Ken Livingstone, the number of strikers were 10,865 under
Johnson and 19,052 under Livingstone. LSE transport expert Tony Travers said “the decrease was
partly due to the economy, but also because individual union members are becoming “less militant”.
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Underground News
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
“RAIL No.690 – 22 February – 6 March 2012”, pages 76-77. “A Day in the Life of Simon Hanney –
General Manager, Epping and Ongar Railway”.
This is an interesting article on the varied work of the GM of the EOR. This includes communicating
with the local community, ensuring that all policies, procedures, rule book, safety management
system, emergency plans, risk assessments, and other documentation is fully updated and reviewed.
It also covers and the progress on the Railway’s plans for resumption of passenger services later this
year, on this ex-LU section of the Central Line that was closed in 1994.
01.03.12 METRO – A new poster campaign by LU is encouraging passengers to bin their rubbish
and help reduce delays. Litter such as coffee cups, drink cans, bottles and food packaging can get
stuck in train doors or fall on the track. Newspapers, often left on trains or platforms for passengers
to read, can sometime be blown on to the track and cause signal failures. The first poster has the
message “What doesn’t go in the bin causes delays on the track”. In the past year, the number of
bins on the Underground has increased by 25%.
02.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground is running its most reliable service in a decade
thanks to a “Germanic approach” to management, claims Mayor Boris Johnson. He said, “The latest
performance figures demonstrate we are bang on target to deliver the most reliable year of service
for a decade”. Commuters disagreed and stated there were at least six serious delays in the past
two weeks. There was anger from the Underground’s unions to the Mayor’s claims.
02.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Central London Forward group is suggesting that
Underground services should run later at Weekends so Londoners can make the most of the city’s
nightlife. The move would cut long queues at taxi ranks and bus stops, making it safer and easier to
get home from a night out on Fridays and Saturdays. Warning have been made that the current
operating hours are “no longer suitable for a 24-hour global city”. Services currently run from about
05.00 to 01.00.
02.03.12 WESTERN MORNING NEWS – ASLEF have stepped up their opposition to driverless
Underground trains after a young child fell between carriage and the platform (at Finchley Road) on
the Jubilee Line. The union said the driver of the train spotted a tiny hand reaching up from the track
when he made a final visual check before starting the train. The boy, aged 5, escaped without injury,
after all the automatic devices in place showed the platform was clear and it was safe for the train to
depart. The driver’s action saved the child from death or injury.
02.03.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from Christopher Gunning – TfL attitude to wildlife and
habitats makes heartening reading and claims, “Although the Tube is often associated with
underground tunnels, more than half of the network is above ground. The 4,000 hectares of land
surrounding the Tube’s rail; tracks act as a safe haven for a huge variety of wildlife including bats,
badgers, reptiles and water voles. We are working to protect and enhance the biodiversity of our
track and highway verges, including street trees”. Not in Croxley you’re not. Here your workers are
wrecking the environment by cutting down literally hundreds of perfectly healthy trees (see From the
Papers 31.01.12 entry); every species imaginable in this area of ancient and supposedly protected
woodland. Our garden, which borders the railway, is becoming a refuge for terrified animals and
birds trying to escape the chainsaw massacre. So why is TfL squandering resources on this
unnecessary butchery? Too many slippery leaves? Then why not just deal with those relatively few
trees particularly close to the railway line?
05.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter from R. Love – When Mayor Boris Johnson claims that the
Underground’s reliability is at its best since 2003, I wonder whether the statistics used are robust. I
catch the Jubilee Line at Waterloo shortly after 08.00 each day and lately the number of occasions
when the doors between the mainline station and the Underground ticket hall are kept shut due to
overcrowding, has increased. Each time, my journey ends up taking 20-30 minutes longer, but when
the delay is due solely to sheer weight of numbers no refunds are given and it is not reported as a
problem with the system.
January 2012
75
05.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Cable thieves have struck on the Underground for a second time
in seven days, causing disruption for thousands of Jubilee Line commuters when cable was cut
between Wembley Park and Stanmore. Over the past five years there has been a near seven-fold
increase in cable thefts and related incidents on the Underground.
05.03.12 METRO – A limited number of original 1960s Metropolitan Line luggage racks have been
restored and are now available to buy from the LT Museum. The racks were removed from
decommissioned A Stock, and come in three sizes. They are light but strong, having carried
briefcases, shopping bags, suitcases and coats for around 50 years between the City and Baker
Street to the classic “Metroland” destinations out to Amersham, Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Comment by Richard Godwin – While I was in Delhi, I had the
chance to ride on the city’s admirable new Metro system. I was just marvelling at the sign requesting
passengers not to carry manure onto trains when we passed through a station called Green Park.
Any relation? Imagine how much money and hassle the international traveller could save if London’s
Green Park contained a “deep metro” portal to its Indian twin.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter by Andy Robson – I can’t be the only person tired of trying
to navigate through both tourist luggage and selfish commuters at platform entrances and stairwells
on the Underground. Couldn’t TfL paint yellow “no stopping area” grids in high pedestrian traffic
areas, as happens in other countries? That would ease both congestion and delayed customers’
blood pressure.
07.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Thousands of Underground and rail users are still being “ripped
off” on Oyster pay-as-you-go because they don’t touch out at the end of a journey. The latest figures
show that the total cost of “incomplete” journeys rose to £66.5M last year. An incomplete journey,
only 1.6% of journeys, is normally one where the card holder has not touched out at the end of a
journey. Reasons for incomplete journeys include passengers forgetting to tap in or out, barriers
being left open to prevent overcrowding after major sporting events or concerts, and machines failing
to work. TfL moves to combat the problem include automatic refunds in circumstances for
passengers who forget to touch out.
09.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – TfL aims to cut huge delays caused by passenger illness, by
employing a team of BTP trained as medics who will be able to respond to emergencies quickly. A
team of 20, plus two emergency response cars, will be employed on key lines ferrying people to the
Olympic Park this summer. They will be able to move people off trains on to their vehicles, which will
contain treatment facilities. Currently station staff have only basic first-aid training and services can
be delayed for up to an hour as they wait for paramedics to arrive and decide whether a patient can
be moved. LU bosses hope the new unit will be able to get to the scene first and make a decision
earlier. Other measures to cut delays include using motorbikes to carry spare parts across London
to get to broken down trains.
09.03.12 METRO – As any hassled commuter braving the daily scrum that is rush hour on the
Underground knows, anything that makes you smile is welcome. Some turn to Metro (naturally),
others listen to music, read a book or play a computer game. But those heading to the Northern Line
at Angel, a simple whiteboard with a few well chosen words, has proved to be a godsend. LU
colleagues Ken Waters and Rathees Kadadcham have been writing a daily quotation on the board
for the past few months. Some have included, “If you don’t pay your exorcist, do you get your house
repossessed?” and “Childhood is like being drunk – everyone remembers, except you”.
09.03.12 METRO – Underground workers could pocket an extra £850 for working during the
Olympics. The RMT has been locked in a dispute with LU over the bonus deal. The union confirmed
it had received the offer which will affect 18,000 staff. RMT’s Bob Crow said, “Moving from nothing
to £850 is a massive shift by LU. The offer will now be considered by union reps”.
09.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – (Further to above item) – The unions have already used their
industrial muscle to force through other huge Olympic bonuses, including up to £2,500 for DLR staff,
and up to £900 for Overground drivers. UNITE union has also threatened strike action by London’s
28,000 bus staff unless they get £500 each.
09.03.12 TIMES – (Further to above items) – Drivers on the Underground have been offered £1,000
bonus to work during the Olympics. RMT leader Bob Crow said he had put the offer to his
representatives but declined to recommend it to members, although a spokesman said it represented
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Underground News
“significant movement” in negotiations. Boris Johnson, the chairman of TfL, became London’s Mayor
promising to negotiate a no-strike deal with transport unions. Four years later he finds himself
humiliated by union bosses whose feet are still firmly on the windpipe of the capital’s overloaded
network. If 70,000 people volunteering to help at the Games for nothing is a source of national pride,
the greed of RMT and the cowardice of TfL is a cause for national embarrassment. In the meantime,
now that the principle of payment according to numbers of passengers has been accepted, we can
look forward to RMT accepting pay cuts when the crowds have departed and carriages grow emptier
again.
12.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Top City experts delivered a damning verdict on mayoral
candidate Ken Livingstone’s plan to cut fares by 7% if he is elected. They claimed TfL faces years of
financial turmoil and economic collapse and could cost £1B in lost revenue. Rating’s agency
Moody’s is warning that any fall in TfL revenue will lead to a “downgrade” in its credit rating, which
would cause higher rates for borrowing. TfL bosses fear upgrades to Underground lines would be
scrapped and fares would have to increased as a result
12.03.12 METRO - A text from Suzie – I love the Piccadilly Line as it’s the only one where a 5ft 2in
shorty like me can reach the overhead grab rails.
13.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The new 1,000-tonne Crossrail tunnel boring machines,
nicknamed Ada and Phyllis, were unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson, accompanied by Transport
Secretary Justine and Greening. (“Ada” was an extraordinary mathematician who collaborated with
Charles Babbage, the inventor of the “difference machine” – the world’s first computer. “Phyllis” was
a portrait painter who got lost on the way to a party in 1935 in London, and she spent the next year
walking London’s streets – a distance of 3,000 miles – and drew up the A-Z Guide). (See also
21.03.12 to 03.04.12 below).
14.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – UNITE union has rejected an offer of £850 bonus from LU
bosses, for extra work during the Olympics, as “not being enough”. The union representative said,
“UNITE was prepared to accept the deal, but the strings attached are totally unacceptable. It would
be irresponsible to accept this deal”.
14.03.12 METRO – A widower was killed when he ignored safety signs to smoke a cigarette between
carriages on a Metropolitan Line train. He had been drinking on the anniversary his wife’s death,
when he lit and walked out on to the rain-soaked footplate separating the two carriages, and slipped
when the train went over a bump and was dragged hundreds of yards up the track. Toxicology
results showed he was 3 times over the drink driving limits. A witness in the same carriage pulled
the emergency alarm. The train’s driver said, “There was no way of knowing what the incident was.
LU policy is to continue to the next station and get help”.
15.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Although there doesn’t seem to be much prospect of privatising
the present Underground network, there is rather more interest in allowing redundant stations to be
put to use for commercial purposes such as nightclubs. Tory MP Mike Weatherly is backing efforts
of the Old London Underground Company “to open up London’s ghost stations and deep level
shelters to the public as a viable enterprise following HM Treasury’s Wider Markets Initiative “as an
exciting opportunity for outside investment in the leisure and tourism sector”. Aldwych and Brompton
Road are just two potential sites that could be revamped as hot nightspots or similar .......
15.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Editorial – Plans to install Wi-Fi internet access on the
Underground are exciting, but they do not go far enough. There will be free internet access at 80
stations during the Olympics, but after that, provider Virgin Media will charge for access. Moreover,
the service will be available only on platforms, not in carriages. London needs an Underground for
the 21st century; regardless of some passengers’ annoying phone calls, that should mean full, free
internet access.
16.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – In the first election debate Mayor Boris Johnson has warned he
is prepared to take “historic decisions” to keep Underground unions from holding the transport
system to ransom. He threatens to press ahead with plans for more driverless trains to break the
grip of union barons. The Mayor’s rivals claimed his aggressive stance could condemn London to
more crippling strikes and insisted it is “vital” he meet the unions leaders for talks instead.
16.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground’s second largest union, TSSA representing
ticket office and managerial staff, has thrown out the £850 bonus offer for working longer hours
January 2012
77
during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying there are “too many” strings attached. The RMT,
representing drivers, is still considering its offer of £800 – £1,200 bonuses.
16.03.12 METRO – London could get a 24-hour train service if independent mayoral candidate
Siobhan Benita is voted in. She plans to provide a skeleton 24-hour train service to the outer London
suburbs and extend Underground services to 01.30 on Fridays and Saturday. She said, “If we have
a 24-hour city, you have to have a transport system to go with that. A lot of people, especially
women on their own, are uncomfortable taking the night bus and a lot of people can’t afford taxis”.
As part of her plans, Londoners will get a free weekend travel every month, with discounts in
restaurants, shops and attractions. She also intends to freeze fares until April 2014 and improve the
river boat service between Putney and Greenwich.
19.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground union leaders are demanding an Olympic bonus
deal for more than £2,000 for train drivers, who have already been offered £800 – £1,200 each for
working longer and changed hours during the Olympics. LU understood that “an agreement has
already been reached with the drivers”. The RMT also rejected a £850 offer from LU for 13,000
more staff, which excludes drivers. The escalating row threatens to be an embarrassment for Mayor
Boris Johnson over a lack of agreement over Olympic payments, which is set to dominate the weeks
before the mayoral election.
19.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Column by Lucy Tobin – A single Underground station has more
signs than the whole of Times Square – “priority seat”, “service suspended”, “mind the gap”, “these
escalators are out of service”, “ticket inspectors are easy to spot – they look like you”. I have looked
in earnest for a sign that must surely be there but that I’ve never seen. The one that says, “the Tube
gives you an invisibility cloak, use it wisely”. It must be there, because why else would otherwise
entirely civil people behave like unseeable beings as soon as they step on the Underground? Like
the on-train make-up sessions. I can see the benefits of another 10 minutes in bed in favour of
some mirror-gazing between Kennington and Camden Town. What makes me sure people think
they’re invisible is the nose-picking, eyebrow-plucking, balls-scratching, skin-exfoliating, deodorantspraying activity that kicks off as soon as the “mind the closing doors” is heard. It opened my eyes to
a whole new game of Eye Spy – Tube Activities That Really Should Take Place In The Bathroom (or
TATRSTPITB for short). Leave your imaginary cloaks at home please, Londoners – and your
personal grooming sessions too.
19.03.12 METRO – Londoners will be able to use Wi-Fi to access mobile internet services at
Underground stations from June. A contract has been awarded to Virgin Media to provide access at
up to 120 Underground station platforms, at no cost to taxpayers. The partnership with LU will see
more than 80 stations Wi-Fi enabled by June.
19.03.12 CITY AM – Underground workers are set to reject yet another Olympics bonus offer,
leaving transport bosses scrambling to avoid strikes during the Games. Almost 150 RMT reps will
call on the union to turn down the latest £850 overtime and bonus package. The reps said the offer
unfairly excludes drivers and admin staff. The RMT executive will meet to decide whether to turn
down the package. Unions have already sealed bonus deals for workers at Network Rail, Virgin
Trains, London Overground and DLR.
20.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – A scheme which allows Underground engineers to travel in a
flashing “blue light” road vehicle has almost halved response time getting to critical incidents in the
first month of operation. It came as LU bosses announced they are to increase the members of the
Emergency Response Unit, from 100 to 130, who are first on the scene at all major Underground
incidents. ERU engineers are using three new BTP vehicles, driven by a police officer, to cut
through London’s traffic with the same blue light used by the Met, fire and ambulance services. The
ERU is used for incidents where public safety could be at risk, such as stranded trains, “person
under a train” or any obstruction on the track.
21.03.12 – 03.04.12 RAIL MAGAZINE – (see 13.03.12 above) – In addition to Phyllis and Ada,
other tunnel boring machines have been named Victoria and Elizabeth, and Mary and Sophie.
23.03.12 METRO – Talks at the conciliation service ACAS, to settle a dispute over Olympic pay for
Underground staff collapsed again. Union leader accused LU of attempting to impose “new strings”
in order to “sabotage” the talks. LU said its offer would see station maintenance, service control staff
and operational managers receive up to £850 subject to attendance, customer satisfaction scores
and working flexibility for defined periods to help deliver a successful transport system.
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Underground News
23.03.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from Stuart Alderman – I rather naively assumed that
some credit had been allowed on the costings for the Metropolitan Line extension to Watford
Junction, for the sale of the unwanted land on the to-be-disused line to Watford Met. station. One
solution to keep Watford Met. operating would be to put a crossover halfway down the platform at
Croxley. This would allow a 2 or 3 car shuttle train to operate between the Watford Junction
services. By putting the crossover at platform mid-length, the train could arrive at Croxley, unload
the passenger for the London bound service, then reverse via the crossover to the other platform to
pick up passengers for Watford Met. On a schedule of 4 minutes each way and a 6 minute stopover
at each end would give a maximum 20 minute service, requiring only one train and one driver.
27.03.12 CITY AM – Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an all out push towards automation of
the Underground network, pledging that he will never again buy an Underground train that requires a
driver. “It is time for London to learn from other metro networks and get the benefits of automatic
train control, with all the efficiency benefits that will bring, and absolutely no loss of safety”, he said at
the launch of his manifesto. He also pledged to take on what he called “hardline union barons” who
cause disruption to services.
27.03.12 METRO – The RMT union warned that Mayor Boris Johnson is preparing to take a “lethal
gamble with passenger safety in his quest for votes”, by introducing driverless Underground trains, if
re-elected. The Mayor responded by saying, “It may be that some hardline union barons will object,
as they have traditionally objected to many technologically improvements”.
27.03.12 METRO – The Queen has been presented with a specially designed Diamond Jubilee
Oyster card to mark her 60 years on the thrown. The card features an official portrait of Her Majesty
and will be available to the public from May.
29.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Jubilee Line commuters have again suffered huge disruption,
only days before the new 30-train-an hour service will be introduced. A signal failure at North
Greenwich crippled the entire line from Stanmore to Stratford. Used by more than 650,000 people
per day, the Jubilee is the main route to the Olympics. The London Assembly transport committee
pointed out it is the only line to report in latest figures a rise in delays caused by infrastructure
failures.
29.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground bosses are being accused of “robbing” commuters
be penalising them for simply walking through a station. An Oyster system anomaly means travellers
can be charged £4.60 for going through one entrance at Paddington and exiting the station 100
yards away. The situation occurs when Oyster card holders wanting to use the H&C Line swipe in at
Praed Street across the road from the main station, then directed along a corridor through a second
swipe barrier and into the main station. This anomaly was confirmed in a test by this newspaper.
29.03.12 METRO – The “spoof” Olympic Legends Underground Map replaces all station names with
legendary Olympians and each underground line is dedicated to a sports discipline, such as track
and field or boxing. Some of the biggest names in sports history are featured, including sprint king
Usain Bolt as Victoria, multi-gold medal winning rower Sir Steve Redgrave as Knightsbridge and
basketball great as King’s Cross St. Pancras. The challenge of compiling the list of athletes for the
map was met by journalists Alex Trickett and David Brooks. “There were heated debates and a few
late changes of heart but we are happy with the result; dozens of nations are represented and all
sports at the 2012 Games are accounted for”, said Trickett.
29.03.12 METRO – Work to prepare for the tunnel boring machines at Crossrail’s Canary Wharf
station in 2013 has been completed five months ahead of schedule. Construction work began three
years ago. Since then the construction team has poured 375,000 tonnes of concrete and pumped
out nearly 100M litres (equivalent of 40 Olympic size swimming pools) of dock water.
29.03.12 METRO – Two of Britain’s strongest men have recreated a video version of the TfL “Get
Ahead of the Games” poster showing weightlifters squeezing out of a busy Underground train.
Britain’s Strongest Man competitor Rob Frampton and weightlifter Rich Corvin brought the colourful
ad to life at Charing Cross to raise awareness of the campaign, which encourages commuters to
make alternative travel plans ahead of the summer’s events. View the boys in action at –
www.youtube.com/user/GAOTG.
January 2012
79
30.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – A Victorian Underground station could be taken apart brick by
brick and rebuilt seven storeys up. Fifteen flats and shops are planned for the site of the former
Shoreditch station in Code Street, but while modern materials will used on the lower floors, 30,000
original bricks will be hoisted up to “crown” the new building. The station was built in 1876 and
closed in 2006, after being replaced by the new Overground Shoreditch High Street station
30.03.12 EVENING STANDARD – The number of RMT union members taking part in strikes has
fallen by 43% while Boris Johnson has been Mayor. While there have been 15 strikes during the
Johnson tenure and only 8 under Ken Livingstone, the number of strikers were 10,865 under
Johnson and 19,052 under Livingstone. LSE transport expert Tony Travers said “the decrease was
partly due to the economy, but also because individual union members are becoming “less militant”.
80
Underground News
UNDERGROUND DIARY
MARCH 2012
On Thursday 1 March, two signals failing on the eastbound at Wood Green from 15.55 suspended
the Piccadilly Line east of King’s Cross. The last of three stalled trains reached platforms by 16.35
with services resuming at 16.45. A cable theft in the Fairlop area suspended the Central Line from
23.35 effectively until the end of traffic. The passengers on two stalled trains were detrained via the
track back to Barkingside station, this being complete by 01.00. Once cable repairs had been made,
the stalled trains reached Hainault depot just after 04.00.
A signal failure at Stanmore suspended the Jubilee Line north of Wembley Park from 09.40 on
Friday 2 March. Three trains were stalled, the last being clear of passengers by 10.20, from when
services resumed. A person under a westbound Piccadilly Line train at Northfields on the ‘local’ line
suspended the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line from 10.40. The problem was exacerbated by
the signalled routes on the ‘fast’ not responding, hence the suspension to Heathrow rather than
being able to ‘run round’ the problem. This, in turn, delayed the District Line’s Ealing service
because of the traffic jam of trains in the Acton Town area. Services resumed at 11.35. Circle and
H&C services were suspended between Hammersmith and Edgware Road from 16.45 to 17.15
because of a person ill on an eastbound train at Goldhawk Road.
Saturday 3 March was as follows:
 Bakerloo Line suspended south of Lambeth North 12.15 to 12.55 – track fire reported at Elephant
& Castle.
 Waterloo & City Line suspended 08.50 to 09.20 and 09.50 to 11.50 – signalling computer failure.
 District and inner rail Circle Line suspended Embankment – Whitechapel 15.45 to 16.15 and again
18.15 to 18.50 – multiple signal failure eastbound at Mansion House caused by a cable defect.
The District Line’s Edgware Road service was also suspended from 19.00 to 22.00 because of a
signal failure at Earl’s Court.
On Sunday 4 March a person under an eastbound train at Southgate suspended the Piccadilly Line
east of Arnos Grove from 09.25 until 10.15. However, Southgate station remained closed for a
further hour. A northbound Northern Line train unable to move off from Euston at 22.25 suspended
the northbound City branch until 23.00.
An unattended item on an eastbound Central Line train at Bank suspended the service between
Holborn and Liverpool Street from 14.35 on Monday 5 March. The station also closed which
suspended the Waterloo & City Line also. Services resumed and the station reopened at 15.15.
On Tuesday 6 March the northbound City branch of the Northern Line was suspended from 17.45 to
18.10 because of a person ill on a train at Euston. The day ended at 23.50 with two incidents, firstly
yet another cable theft at the east end of the Central Line, bringing the service to a stand until the
end of traffic between Newbury Park and Hainault. Then a premature discharge of current on the
northbound Victoria Line delayed the last northbound train at Green Park for 45 minutes from 00.50
while safety procedures were implemented before it could be recharged.
A severed cable and resulting multiple signal failure at Green Park resulted in a late start to the
Victoria Line between Highbury and Brixton on Wednesday 7 March, with first trains running south
from Highbury from 06.10 and north from Brixton from 06.40. A signal failure on the southbound at
Totteridge from 14.55 eventually resulted in a suspension of the High Barnet branch from 18.50 to
19.20.
On Thursday 8 March Hyde Park Corner station remained closed until 11.10 because of escalator
defects. The Jubilee Line was suspended north of Willesden Green from 08.35 with a signal failure
at Neasden. Services resumed at 10.10 but continued well under par because of train crewing
issues (late running, trains and crews in the wrong place, etc.). Recovery was then hampered with a
defective northbound train at Wembley Park at 14.10, generating another 20-minute delay. In the
meantime Wanstead station closed from 08.55 to 09.35 with a smell of smoke on the station. An
intermittent signal failure on the northbound approach to Seven Sisters culminated in a suspension
north of Highbury from 11.25 to 12.15 with a further 15-minute delay from 13.00. The Piccadilly Line
service was suspended west of South Harrow from 15.45 to 16.25 following a bridge strike just west
of the station. A local power failure closed West Kensington station from 18.00 to 19.25. The day
January 2012
81
ended with an unattended item at Hammersmith D&P station, suspending both lines through the
area from 23.45 until 00.30. The large number of trains and associated blocking back also resulted
in the outer rail Circle Line being suspended between Embankment and Edgware Road.
The only event worth noting on Friday 9 March was a defective eastbound Jubilee Line train at
Canning Town at 08.40, suspending services east of North Greenwich until 09.30.
On Saturday 10 March the Piccadilly Line was suspended Arnos Grove – King’s Cross from 16.30
to 17.55 because of a person under a westbound train at Wood Green. The inevitable shuttle
service on the Rayners Lane branch was implemented to give more trains in the central area and
Heathrow branch, but the Rayners Lane branch itself was suspended from 19.15 to 20.15 because
of a SPAD at Rayners Lane. This also included the Metropolitan’s Uxbridge branch, but the rest of
the Metropolitan Line was also suffering from a defective northbound train at Finchley Road from
19.35 to 19.55.
The Piccadilly Line service to the Heathrow terminals was suspended west of Hounslow Central from
the start of traffic until 06.45 on Sunday 11 March because of a loss of signalling control at Hatton
Cross. A person under an eastbound Piccadilly Line train at Finsbury Park at 08.05 suspended the
service between King’s Cross and Arnos Grove for an hour.
On Monday 12 March an S Stock train arriving at Chesham at 07.50 overran the stopping mark and
DM 21034 hit with the fixed red lights with the service suspended in consequence. Once the incident
train departed Chesham and the fixed red lights repaired, services resumed at 10.10. For the third
day running the Piccadilly Line service was disrupted by a person under a train, this time on the
eastbound at Hammersmith at 11.30 with services being suspended between Acton Town and Hyde
Park Corner until 13.10.
Two defective trains – one each on the northbound at Victoria and Euston – disrupted the Victoria
Line’s evening peak on Tuesday 13 March. Otherwise, nothing else of significance is reported.
On Wednesday 14 March the Northern Line was suspended between Morden and Camden Town
via Bank from 08.05 to 08.30 because of a person under a northbound train at Oval. There was no
other serious delay noted.
The Hainault – Woodford section of the Central Line was suspended from the start of traffic on
Thursday 15 March because of a cable theft at Grange Hill. The inner rail service (from Hainault to
Woodford) began at 07.45 with the intention of the outer rail service resuming shortly after.
However, the first train through on the outer rail stalled approaching Grange Hill, where a second
section of missing cable was discovered. Once repairs had been completed, the outer rail service
began at 12.35. A signal failure just before 18.00 at Heathrow T5 suspended the Piccadilly Line
between there and T123 until 20.20.
The only incident of note on Friday 16 March was a signal at Baker Street from 14.45, which
suspended the Metropolitan Line south of Harrow-on-the-Hill. One stalled southbound train at
Marlborough Road disused station was authorised to return to Swiss Cottage disused station and
thence over the crossover (via a colour light signalled move) to the northbound line, which was then
followed by a southbound stalled at Lords disused station, where the procedure was repeated.
Services resumed at 16.10 with 11 trains cancelled for the evening peak.
Escalator defects closed Angel station from 16.55 until 20.50 on Saturday 17 March, while a
passenger ill on a northbound train at South Kenton suspended the Bakerloo Line north of
Stonebridge Park from 18.10 until 18.50.
There was nothing to report for Sunday 18 March.
Another cable theft on the Central Line, between Snaresbrook and Leytonstone, resulted in a
number of cancellations through the main part of the day on Monday 19 March, reaching eight
during the early afternoon. Quite simply the midday Northolt – Loughton service was cancelled to
provide some breathing space in the timetable for recovery.
Tuesday 20 March was as follows:
 Central Line suspended Holborn – White City from 13.30 (Marble Arch – White City from 14.00) to
14.55 – person under a westbound train at Lancaster Gate. The station remained closed until
15.35.
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Underground News
 Bakerloo Line suspended north of Queen’s Park 15.55 to 16.35 – defective northbound train at
Harlesden.
 Metropolitan Line suspended south of Harrow-on-the-Hill from 17.00 – signal failure at Wembley
Park. Resumed to Baker Street at 17.55 and to Aldgate at 18.45. Three sets of points had to be
secured which led to delays in stabling both Metropolitan and Jubilee Line trains in Neasden depot
towards the end of traffic.
 South side of Circle Line suspended (Aldgate – Edgware Road) 18.15 to 20.30 – signal failure at
Aldgate.
The Victoria Line was brought to a stand shortly before 08.00 on Wednesday 21 March with a
southbound train that stalled between Seven Sisters and Finsbury Park. Four trains were stalled, the
last of which had two people that required medical assistance on arrival at Seven Sisters. The
incident train meanwhile worked empty to Highbury to reverse back to depot. Services resumed at
08.35. A repeat signal failure at Aldgate from 14.30 resulted in a suspension of the south side of the
Circle Line (Aldgate – Edgware Road) from 16.35 through to the end of traffic. Just before 17.00 the
southbound Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line was suspended until 17.25 because of a
person under a train at Leicester Square.
On Thursday 22 March points failing at North Greenwich disrupted the Jubilee Line from the start of
traffic. Trains generally worked through the area under failure conditions but were suspended east
of North Greenwich from 06.30 to 07.25 and again for a short time just after midday. A total of 19
trains were cancelled for the morning peak. Points failing at Gunnersbury Junction suspended the
Richmond branch of the District Line from 11.00. One stalled train was authorised to return to
Turnham Green for which the Ealing service had to be suspended from 11.25 to 11.45 while points
had to be secured and the wrong direction move completed. Services resumed at 12.45.
All was uneventful on Friday 23 March until 14.50, when a points failure at Watford suspended the
service between there and Moor Park until 15.35. One stalled train was authorised to return to
Croxley, where it arrived at 15.20. Points failing at Waterloo suspended the Jubilee Line between
Green Park and Canary Wharf from 18.35. Points also failing at London Bridge prevented services
from reversing there! One eastbound train was stalled between Westminster and Waterloo and its
passengers were detrained back to Westminster, which began at 19.45 and was complete by 20.20.
In gathering staff to assist in the detrainment, St. James’s Park station was closed from 19.50 until
20.45. In the meanwhile a westbound train was unable to move off from Westminster, adding to the
problems. Services resumed throughout at 21.15. This Friday evening was supposed to a test of
the timetable for the Olympics (see page 242), but this shut-down put paid to that!
There was nothing out of the ordinary to note for Saturday 24 March that hasn’t been seen before.
Two signals failing at East Putney from the start of traffic on Sunday 25 March initially caused
delays for the District Line’s Wimbledon branch, but culminated in a suspension west of Putney
Bridge from 09.30 to 10.15. A person reported on the track between Whitechapel and Stepney
Green suspended the District and Hammersmith & City lines through the area during the early
afternoon. Although only a 20-minute delay, the latter line managed to clock up 7 cancelled trains.
Monday 26 March began with a Network Rail track defect at Headstone Lane which, because of
current arrangements, suspended the Bakerloo Line north of Stonebridge Park from 10.15 until
12.25. Two signals failing again at East Putney at 12.35 suspended the District Line between Earl’s
Court (Putney Bridge from 13.00) and Wimbledon until 14.05. A person ill on a northbound train at
Highgate suspended the Northern Line north of Archway from 18.15 to 18.40. The day ended (in the
early hours of the following day) with a person under a westbound train at Caledonian Road at 00.15.
This was the penultimate westbound train, with the last train being held at Holloway Road until clear
at 00.50.
The only notable incident on Tuesday 27 March occurred approaching the end of traffic, when an
eastbound Jubilee Line train stalled at West Ham at 23.35, suspending services east of North
Greenwich. Two eastbound trains were stalled, one approaching West Ham, which was authorised
forward and passengers detrained by midnight, the other approaching North Greenwich, which
reached the platform also at midnight after the train in front in the platform had been detrained and
moved off empty. Services resumed at 00.30 after the offending train had reached Stratford Market
depot.
January 2012
83
The Northern Line began Wednesday 28 March with two signals north of Morden on the northbound
from the start of traffic. This resulted in a suspension between Morden and Tooting Broadway from
06.25 to 07.00 while repairs were effected. A person under an eastbound District Line train at East
Ham at 11.25 suspended services through the area until 12.15. A signal failure affecting the bay
platform at Barking necessitated Hammersmith & City trains reversing via Barking sidings from
14.15, with some being turned short at Moorgate (Plaistow bay platform was unavailable because of
defective points).
A track fire on the westbound at Caledonian Road at 06.30 suspended the Piccadilly Line between
Cockfosters and King’s Cross until 07.05 on Thursday 29 March. Service recovery was
problematical with a number of trains cancelled right through until after the evening peak. A multiple
signal track circuit failure on the westbound at Barking from 08.25 resulted in an initial 20-minute
stand while trains passed through under failure conditions. Whilst this failure was on-going a track
circuit failure at Bromley-by-Bow from 08.50 (whose area is also controlled by Barking Cabin)
suspended services through the area. Both sites were clear at 10.10 but recovery was also a
prolonged affair – the Hammersmith & City Line remained suspended east of Moorgate until 11.30,
and train crewing issues at Edgware Road led to a suspension of the outer rail Circle Line for a
period of time around lunch time.
On Friday 30 March, the east end of the District Line was disrupted again, this time with a multiple
signal failure at Upminster from 16.05 which suspended services east of Dagenham East. One train
stalled on the approach to Upminster was authorised to return to Upminster Bridge, where it arrived
at 16.40. A cable fault was diagnosed and after repairs services resumed at 18.05. SSR services
through Liverpool Street were suspended from 18.55 to 19.30 following a SPAD on the eastbound
approach. A person found injured on the northbound platform at Northwood suspended the
Metropolitan Line’s northbound local service from 21.50, with Watford trains running via the
northbound ‘main’ and Rickmansworth and Amersham/Chesham trains similarly diverted. One
stalled northbound train was authorised to return to Northwood Hills, where it arrived at 22.15.
Services resumed at 22.45.
The only notable event on Saturday 31 March occurred at the start of traffic, when a cable theft in
the Canons Park area and consequent inability to charge traction current, suspended the Jubilee
Line north of Wembley Park until 07.55.
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Underground News
UNDERGROUND ITEMS FROM THE TELEVISION
AN OCCASIONAL SERIES
by Paul Creswell
CONFESSIONS FROM THE UNDERGROUND
Thursday 2 February 2012, Channel 4, 22.00 to 23.05.
This programme was a ‘one-off’ and looked at the operation of the Underground from the point of
view of some of the staff, both operating and engineering, involved. The identity of those involved
was not revealed, in case this should effect their employment in any way. They were all played by
actors, who seemed to your reviewer to be quite convincing in their roles. The programme was
narrated by Richard Wilson (well known as the lead part in “One Foot in the Grave”).
Your reviewer admits to some puzzlement at the way in which he would approach his review of this
particular programme. Ten staff (i.e. actors voicing them) took part and, as invariably happens, we
were switched from one to another at a very fast pace! There were some 120 ‘quotes’ (not counting
the narrator in between), with one member of station staff clocking up 26 of these! I decided that the
easiest (but maybe not the best!) way to tackle the review was thus to try to deal with ‘subjects’
rather than ‘people’.
In reading this review, I feel that is only fair to point out that, when given anonymity, people are free
to say almost anything and so it is probable that one or two chose to over-exaggerate some points,
or just take the opportunity to ‘grind their axe’. Ultimately, even the accuracy of some of the points
quoted below may possibly be open to question?
Just for the record, the staff were named (in visual credits) as:
Pete (station staff)
Patricia (station staff)
David (station staff)
John (driver)
Rosemary (station supervisor)
Ray (signal engineer)
Dan (Controller)
Chinna (emergency response unit) Steve (driver)
Dennis (track maintenance)
This is the order in which they first appeared.
SAFETY ON PLATFORMS AND STATIONS, INCLUDING STAFFING LEVELS
Pete’s ultimate fear is having too many people on the platform and then having to face a judge and
explain why he let so many down there. Someone swears at him every day with regard to the train
running or his own appearance. At times there are some 5,000 people trying to get through the
gateline, with only two staff to oversee them. If it flows it’s fine, but if it does not it is frightening. You
are always under pressure to keep the station open.
The worst people are men in their thirties in suits – worse than football hooligans! Strangely, as
‘hoodies’ do not want to be seen, they leave you alone. Although he served in the military, he feels
more threatened on the platform. At least in the services you have a rifle or similar to defend
yourself with!
He has been followed to the station ‘safe room’ and finds people will face right up to him if he tells
them their ticket is not valid – so close that he feels their breath on his skin. He has tried telling them
‘there is no need for that’ and is then likely to get slapped in the face or punched in the chest. He
was assaulted twice in a few months.
There are so few of ‘u’ and so many passengers and he does consider that his own safety has
decreased considerably, of recent times.
Patricia felt overwhelmed at times and tends to concentrate on the tickets and not look at the faces.
She feels people are being lied to (about the service situation) and then they take it out on the
person they can see – herself. It is possible to go from a platform with about 400 people on it to a
figure of over one thousand in about three minutes, especially if there is a delay. She mentioned one
time when two ‘guys’, who had been drinking, had no money on their Oyster cards – apparently this
was her fault. Abuse and threats are common. She called the police to one such incident, where the
man had threatened to ‘come round there and get you’ and it took five of them to restrain just one
individual – very traumatic. When she started on the Underground, there were generally two or three
staff, so she did not feel overwhelmed, but now she is often on her own.
January 2012
85
David tends to pretend people are not there – all those eyes looking at you. He feels that, when
people enter a station, they seem to lose their sense of social habits and inhibitions. He guesses
that even Mother Theresa would ‘lose her rag’ on a gateline! It is very difficult to be nice to the sixth
person when you have had five consecutive insults. There is almost a ‘state of war’ between staff
and the public.
At times it has been very close to something going seriously wrong. It has not happened, so he
admits he could be exaggerating, but passengers do sometimes come and tell him ‘it is dangerous
down there’. The system is seriously understaffed and he feels vulnerable. Safety is always a
concern and he feels that, at any moment, it could all go ‘spinning off into chaos. He does not
actually believe that passenger safety is undermined, but at times it is bursting at the seams.
John feels that the platform/train interface is the main area for potential accidents. He worries about
two things. The first is ‘one under’ (i.e. a suicide, see later in this review) and the second is not being
the driver who drags a kid to their death (see also under ‘Dan’ later). He reminded us of guards
(“remember them?” he quipped) who would check everything was safe. They have been replaced by
mirrors and monitors.
He also mentioned ‘self despatch’ (where the driver has neither a human colleague nor equipment to
assist with the train’s safe departure). He tells us that ‘anything could happen’ between when you
looked down the train and actually started it moving.
In training, safety is drummed into you. The rule book was ‘written in blood’. He thinks that senior
management are trying to ‘tweak and erode’ some of the ‘standards we’ve all worked to’.
Station closures are an inconvenience for passengers and management – it affects the ‘points’ on
their ‘target’ (i.e. the management).
Rosemary reminded us that safety regulations are sometimes broken with regard to station staffing.
At her own station, the minimum number of staff (for it to remain open) is two. The station must be
closed if there are not two available. This ruling came about following the King’s Cross fire (of 1987)
where 31 passengers were killed.
She had been asked to keep her station open when she was the only staff member present. She
had asked for some clarity as to whether this was a request or an instruction and the Service
Manager involved promptly ‘backed off’. You can always please management, but, if anything goes
wrong, it is your job at risk. She recalled a colleague who kept a station open for half an hour with
only themselves present. She stated that this was recorded in the station log book.
Dan mentioned that we read all the time about passengers stuck ‘here and there’. The Mayor (of
London) is always being pushed to ‘speed things up’. He feels this is happening too much and that
the system is going from a ‘safety’ to a ‘speed things up’ point of view too rapidly.
He recalls a boy getting his jacket straps (or other part of clothing) caught in the doors and being
dragged to his death.
As regards the ‘self despatch’, the driver has to get out of his seat and get on to the platform. If all is
clear he goes back to his cab, shuts the doors, one final check and off. If there is a bend, he will
have to walk a little way down the platform. It makes his (i.e. Dan’s) life easier, but is not as safe. If
the 'safety wedge' is continually 'shaved away' something will eventually give.
Steve told us that everything (now) revolves about the 'service'. The world might be falling apart
outside, but as long as the service runs, managers are happy. He also feels that decades of
experience in running a safe railway are being cut away. The meaning of running a safe railway has
been undermined.
SAFETY ON AND OF TRACK AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
John advised us that on every single day you experience a rough ride – trains are jumping around all
over the place. You get on a train and hope you get off. Fingers crossed and hope for the best!
Ray mentioned that some relay rooms are very small and hold more equipment than they were
originally designed to accommodate. You have to go in sideways. Some (electrical) conductors are
not covered and the gloves provided tend to slip. 100 volts gives a bit of a ‘tingle’ and he has had
shocks in his neck when stepping back in some rooms. He has also experienced mice running up
his arm!
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Underground News
If you have to attend equipment in the tunnel (i.e. during traffic hours), you have to drop down from
the train and the rails are sometimes greasy. Also, you have to work with the power on, though you
are trained for this eventuality.
Health and Safety regulations require you to have good access, space to work and adequate lighting.
London Underground are pushing the regulations to the limit.
Trainstops (which halt trains if they pass a red signal) are maintained every twelve weeks, but there
are plans to increase this to 24/26 weeks, which he felt was dangerous.
Chinna commented that, if you were drinking a cup of tea on a train and it went up your nose, this
was probably due to a ‘dipped’ joint in the rails, where there was a gap beneath the point where the
two rails were bolted together.
There were more major track overhauls, which was great, but minor jobs do not happen any more.
Everything that moves needs to be maintained.
Steve mentioned that older drivers, when noticing an ‘oddity’ in the track, will go more slowly over it
next time around to try to understand what is really happening.
He was seen studying a report of eight defective sleepers (about 15 to 20 feet of track). He would
have expected this to be repaired quickly, but it went from June to February at least. In 2010, the
track ‘spread’ under the weight of an engineers’ train in the Earl’s Court area and the train derailed.
He felt that there was a ‘reactive’ rather than ‘proactive’ approach to track maintenance.
A derailment is a worry for drivers every day. For years he had anticipated an incident between
Barons Court and Acton Town, but now expects it to happen in a tunnel section.
Dennis told us that there are regular ‘patrols’ who fill out reports detailing what needs to be done to
keep the track in good condition. When he started with the Underground they had a big gang. If
(now) they had more staff, more would get done. He reads from a report of ‘eight defective timbers’
(reviewer comment: the same one as ‘Steve’ just above?). Surely one was defective before two
were? He also mentions the ‘TANC’ system – this being an abbreviation for ‘Temporary Approval
Non-Compliant’. He cites this as ‘gobbledygook’ for ‘O.K. for a bit longer’.
He does agree that things (meaning, assumedly, track maintenance) have improved since the Earl’s
Court derailment, (see under 'Steve', just above). Shorter walks (i.e. Patrols), more time and more
contractors’ staff are now available. He is a little more confident than he was, but they still have to
write things down and they do not get done.
There is a scheme to change patrols from twice per week to once per week. He does not consider
this is safe as anything can happen. A joint or broken plate will not be patrolled for 6/7 days, which
allows more time for anything to occur.
SUICIDES AND THE AFTER EFFECTS
Pete said that, as far as recovery from suicides is concerned, the ‘show must go on’. Though there
is a relevance to that principle, decencies (regarding the body and it’s disposal) must still be
observed.
Patricia said that signs of a potential suicide included taking off wedding rings and erratic behaviour.
She remembered a colleague who wrestled a woman to the ground because he realised she was
about to jump. She knew a supervisor at Stratford who would not go near the cupboard in which
bodies were temporarily stored (see also under ‘Chinna’ below).
John commented that you approach a platform and there are kids hanging their legs over the edge
and youths pretend to push their mates on the track.
Chinna added that the London Ambulance Service no longer take bodies away as once they did.
The body remains on site until the arrival of the coroner, which can take up to a couple of hours. To
allow the service to resume the body must be placed in a storage cupboard until the Coroner’s
arrival.
Cleaners have been known to go to such a cupboard seeking their equipment and have, obviously,
had a nasty surprise, especially if not forewarned. There is clearly a need to provide as much dignity
as possible and also to resume the service as soon as possible. He could not see a practical
solution to this problem.
January 2012
87
Steve said that when you see a potential suicide you are blowing your whistle, braking hard and
thinking ‘turn round’. Whilst it is not his fault, someone is now dead and it hits you hard.
INFORMATION AND IT'S (SOMETIMES) NON-AVAILABILITY
Pete maintained that service up-date announcements were sometimes wrong and people downstairs
were waiting ten minutes in thirty-five degrees heat when announcements were claiming all was well.
He thought station staff should make these announcements. He claimed, however, that mystery
shoppers ‘score’ if they hear this and the station manager is constantly looking at his ‘score’. He
(personally) ‘skirts round’ this system by telling passengers ‘not at this station’!
Patricia was, she said, unhappy about passengers being told lies about the service. Whenever
there is an incident, she cannot obtain information as all the other stations affected are also trying to
contact the Line Controller. He is clearly unable to pick up the phone to all of them, as well as also
deal directly with the incident itself.
John told us that the famous announcement that ‘there is a good service ...’ is often crap. Your
reviewer hastens to add that the last word there was John’s choice, not his!
Rosemary also complained that the service may be rubbish, but the boards (up-dated by the
Network Operations Centre) do not state this. She has to say there is a good service even when she
knows it is incorrect – she cannot tell the customers what the trouble might be. (Reviewer's
comment: The narrator referred to the 'National Operations Centre', but our editor reliably informs
me that the N.O.C. certainly has no responsibility for the systems elsewhere in the U.K.).
CHARING CROSS INCIDENT
At one point, particular attention focussed on an incident at Charing Cross. Patricia was shown
reading from a report about this incident (or so it appeared) and she took viewers through it in some
detail. At 09.25, the Station Supervisor reported masses of dust and could barely see the end of the
corridor concerned. At 09.34 the station was evacuated and it was then reported that the station
could not re-open as there were still masses of dust in the atmosphere and also caked on the floor.
By 10.51, mopping and dusting were completed and at 11.11 the station re-opened and trains
recommenced stopping normally.
At 11.48, there was a further alert on the station fire panel. The dust cloud had returned. An
engineer reported a massive thud, just before a cloud of dust. Fire doors experienced great force by
slamming together or extreme air pressure whilst closed. The Station Supervisor felt nauseous, had
irritable eyes and a sore throat. He was stripped down and his clothes bagged up and taken away by
ambulance. The Customer Services Assistant was worried about the possibility of asbestos. “This is
clearly a phenomenon we have not understood completely”.
(Reviewer's comment: That last sentence is quite worrying! The narrator told us that checks
regarding asbestos were negative. However, we were also told that these were conducted some
hours after the actual incident, so if they had been positive what effect might there have been and
on how many passengers in the period since re-opening at 11.11? How could they all have possibly
been traced for checks? The incident was quoted as ‘last May’ and the programme was credited as
made in ‘2012’ so I assume this would be May 2011. Thus, this is presumably the incident which
appears in ‘Underground Diary’, at the very top of page 377 in Underground News No.595 – July
2011 and relates to Sunday 1 May 2011. This is an interesting example of how complex a story can
lie behind a brief report which occupied just one and a half lines in Underground News!
EFFECTS OF SHIFTS ON STAFF
Pete told us that getting up at 03.15 disturbed his sleep pattern and he felt wrecked after seven
days.
Patricia commented that there is just time for a coffee before the morning peak hour. She is on her
feet for the rest of the day. There is no quiet period until the end of her shift. Just one meal break is
permitted. She is very tired when she gets home.
Sometimes people do offer you coffee and she was once handed a rose – by a drunk, but it counted!
David comments that he gets home with his head drumming – it is a very ‘wearing’ job.
Steve said that he found it difficult to counteract boredom, as you have to stay alert when driving.
You cannot listen to music or read a paper or book.
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Underground News
SUMMARIES OF STAFF FEELINGS – BOTH GOOD AND BAD
Pete exclaimed that he was astounded most of the time (that things ran as well as they did)! He felt
a sense of pride in a system that moved 3.5 million people a day, but also felt that it was being
‘pushed to the limit’ It is a marvellous transport system, with old decaying bits and new bits added
on.
David claimed that the engineering staff are the ‘unsung heroes’. He could not do anything without
his colleagues. People on the underground are first rate.
John was clear that the best part of the job was going home. Sometimes you got a ‘thank you’ from
a passenger.
Steve considered that the system was suffering ‘death by a thousand cuts’. You do not see the first
cut or the last cut, but the system is being bled dry. However, he said he enjoys the job and the
responsibility of being in a public service.
At this point the review will be brought to an end. There are other comments that could have been
included, but your reviewer felt there is quite enough above to get the full ‘flavour’ of the programme.
All in all, a very interesting programme all round. Hardly any errors were noticed (except National
Operations Centre – see under ‘Information and its (sometimes) non-availability’ above), but then
you would expect the staff to get references right, providing that the film company (‘Rare Day’) then
accurately reported what the staff told them! Even having worked on the Underground (1958-1987),
your reviewer found that things appear to be very different comparing ‘then’ (25 plus years ago) and
‘now’, particularly bearing in mind the combined (negative) effects of a depletion of front-line staff
and the vast increase in passenger numbers.
Underground News carries opinions from LUL management in every issue (under the headings of
‘Press Releases’ and ‘Publicity Material’), so your reviewer decided to leave his review entirely to the
staff – whose ‘voice’, after all, was the main objective of this programme. Management comments
were given (by a female voice at times) and also by notice boards, of the type seen in stations, but
carrying various management responses to the items covered by the staff.
Editor’s Note:
It is not intended to review every item of Underground interest on the television, as we have to be
aware that some programmes might not be suitable for review because of their content. For
example, the recent programme “Death Unexplained” of Tuesday 21 February 2012, was considered
not to be in the interest of the majority of the members, because the programme covered (only in
part) a suicide on the Underground and the following coroner’s inquest.
Moreover, it is not our intention to ‘take sides’ about a programme, but to report the facts as they
were portrayed on the television programme – correct or otherwise.
January 2012
89
EDITED PRESS RELEASES
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
LONDONERS URGED TO PLAN AHEAD FOR GAMES
TRAVEL AS FULL AND FINAL UNDERGROUND AND
RAIL ‘HOTSPOT’ DATA RELEASED
23 April 2012
London 2012, Transport for London, Network Rail, train operating companies and the Association of
Train Operating Companies (ATOC) today published full and final information on when and where
the UK’s Underground and rail networks will be most affected during this summer’s London 2012
Games. The information on the ‘hotspots’ came as Londoners and those who live, work and travel in
the capital were urged to plan and explore their alternative travel options.
While around two thirds of Underground and DLR stations will be unaffected, the spread of ‘hotspot’
stations across the public transport network means that the DLR, Central and Jubilee lines will be
exceptionally busy at certain times throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games. For those who
still need to travel at peak times, TfL, Network Rail, the train operating companies and ATOC have
now provided the complete and final picture on which stations will be most affected, and advice on
alternative travel options, available at www.getaheadofthegames.com Examples of station and
Underground ‘hotspots’ include:

Bank Underground and DLR station – will be exceptionally busy between 08.00 and 10.00 and
16.00 to 22.00 on weekdays throughout the Olympic Games, and 08.00 to 11.00 and 14.30 to
20.00 on weekdays throughout the Paralympic Games due to spectators using the Central Line to
travel to and from events at the Olympic Park, the DLR to travel to and from events at Greenwich
Park and ExCeL and because they will be interchanging there.

Earl’s Court Underground station – will be exceptionally busy throughout the Olympic Games
due to the Olympic Volleyball events being held at Earl’s Court. The station will be particularly
busy during the changeover periods between the three daily events that will take place, and will
be busiest from midday, and in the early evening and late evening from Saturday 28 July to
Sunday 12 August.

London Bridge station – will be exceptionally busy between 07.00 and 09.30 and 16.00 to 21.30
throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games – including at weekends. Spectators travelling to
and from venues in the Olympic Park, ExCeL, North Greenwich Arena, Greenwich Park and the
Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich will pass through or change trains here and the Jubilee Line
at London Bridge will be particularly busy.

London Waterloo NR station – will be exceptionally busy throughout the Games as it is a key
interchange station for spectators, particularly those travelling to Eton Dorney for rowing, the
cycling time trial event at Hampton Court, the sailing at Weymouth, the tennis at Wimbledon or
those arriving for events in central London – including beach volleyball, the triathlon and the cycle
road races. The station will particularly busy between 07.30 and 10.00 on weekday mornings
throughout the Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Mile End Underground station – will be busier than usual throughout the Games because of the
Olympic Games Live Site in Victoria Park. It will be particularly busy between 07.30 and 09.30 as
spectators head to the events in the Olympic Park and between 22.30 and 01.00 during the
Olympic Games as people leave the Olympic Park and the nearby Live Site.
SHORTLISTED BIDDERS FOR THE BANK
STATION CAPACITY UPGRADE PROJECT
24 April 2012
London Underground announced today the four bidding groups who have been shortlisted to go
through the new Innovative Contractor Engagement (ICE) procurement process for the Bank Station
Capacity Upgrade project. The Bank and Monument Underground station complex is located in the
heart of the City of London financial district and is the fourth busiest interchange station on the
Underground network with 96,000 passengers during the morning rush hours, which is set to
increase. The upgrade project will, by 2021, deliver increased capacity at Bank station and a stepfree route between the Northern Line platforms, DLR and street levels.
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Underground News
Following the advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in November 2011,
LU has completed its evaluation of the Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) responses and aims to
award a contract by July 2013.
The pre-qualified bidders are listed in alphabetical order:




BFK Joint Venture (BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial SA & Kier).
CVC Joint Venture (Costain, VINCI Grand Projets & VINCI Construction).
Dragados SA.
MBA Joint Venture (Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty & Alpine Bemo Tunnelling).
CROSSRAIL
SHORTLIST FOR MAJOR TUNNEL
FIT-OUT CONTRACT CONFIRMED
22 March 2012
Crossrail today announced that the following organisations have been shortlisted for the major fit-out
of the new rail tunnels. The indicative value of the C610 contract is in the region of £400m.
 Alstom Transport / TSO / Costain Ltd Joint Venture
 Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd
 BAM Nuttal Ltd / Ferrovial Agroman SA / Kier Construction Ltd Joint Venture
 Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd / Volker Rail Joint Venture
 Rhomberg Bahntechnik GmbH / Alpine Bau GmbH / FCC Construccion SA Joint Venture
Construction of Crossrail’s
tunnels will get underway
next month when the first
tunnel boring machine is
launched from Royal Oak.
By
late
2014,
the
construction of over 21km
of
twin-bore
tunnel,
stretching
across
the
capital via central London
and Docklands, will have
been completed.
As
construction
concludes,
work will get underway to
fit-out the tunnels with the
necessary
track
and
overhead power equipment
to enable Crossrail trains to
operate from 2018.
CANARY WHARF CROSSRAIL STATION WORKS
COMPLETED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
26 March 2012
January 2012
91
Canary Wharf Group plc has completed construction of Canary Wharf Crossrail station’s platform
level five months ahead of schedule, making it ready to receive the two giant eastern tunnel boring
machines in 2013. Construction of the Crossrail project began at North Dock in Canary Wharf less
than three years ago. Since then the construction team has driven over 1,000 piles and pumped
nearly 100 million litres of dock.
About 300,000 tonnes of material has been excavated from beneath the dock bed and almost
375,000 tonnes of concrete poured. Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, the construction arm of
Canary Wharf Group, has created a station box that is more than 250m long and 30m wide,
approximately the same size as One Canada Square laid on its side, Britain’s tallest operational
building. Twenty-eight metres below the surface of the dock, twin 7.6m diameter rings are now in
place at both ends of the station ready to receive the eastern tunnel boring machines.
MAJOR MOORGATE DEVELOPMENT
APPLICATION APPROVED
27 March 2012
Plans submitted by Crossrail and Aviva Investors for a commercial and retail development above the
new Crossrail Liverpool Street Station western ticket hall shaft at 101 Moorgate have been given the
go ahead by the Corporation of London. The new scheme will comprise approximately 88,000 sq-ft
of new retail and commercial space in the City on Moorgate. The previous 1970s office building and
former HQ’s of Amro Bank and Norton Rose, 101 Moorgate, has already been demolished for
Crossrail to sink a shaft to provide access to Crossrail’s east and westbound tunnels.
The new development will integrate carefully with the new and existing railway and will be
constructed over part of the new Crossrail station and in part over the existing Metropolitan and
Circle Line tracks to Moorgate.
101 Moorgate is on the west side of Moorgate next to the proposed new western entrance to
Crossrail’s Liverpool Street station. The development will wrap over and around the associated
ventilation and emergency intervention shaft, the ‘Moorgate Shaft’, for the station.
CROSSRAIL PLANS TO TRANSFORM TOTTENHAM
COURT ROAD AND WEST END APPROVED
20 April 2012
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Underground News
Westminster City Council has given its approval for the regeneration of Tottenham Court Road and
the east end of Oxford Street, including the former Astoria site. The development plans, submitted in
conjunction with Derwent London, are for two above ground developments located over each ticket
hall of the integrated Tottenham Court Road station that will serve both Crossrail and London
Underground passengers.
The 500,000 sq ft of premium retail, office and residential accommodation will cover four blocks,
boosting the economy in the eastern end of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It will also
deliver a significant contribution towards the Crossrail funding package.
A new theatre to replace the former Astoria Theatre has also been approved. Derwent London has
entered into an agreement with Nimax who will operate the new 350 seat theatre.
London Underground and Crossrail have also gained approval for plans to renew and upgrade the
public spaces around the eastern ticket hall and St. Giles area. A new open pedestrian space linking
Soho Square and Charing Cross Road will create new views of the Square and of St. Patrick’s
Church.
January 2012
93
NEWSFLASHES
Items for the ‘Newsflashes’ (and Tailpieces) section of Underground News may be sent to the
Editor by post and also by E-Mail, to the following address: editorUN@lurs.org.uk
NF 46/12 – The Underground Olympic Legends Map is a unique interpretation of the Underground
map in which each underground line is dedicated to a Summer Olympic sporting discipline or
disciplines from basketball to track and field. The map not only celebrates multiple gold medal
winning athletes but also features other extraordinary athletes who may not have won an Olympic
gold medal but are recognised for their abilities or in some cases, famous defeats. The Underground
Olympic Legends Map was designed by Alex Trickett and David Brooks
NF 47/12 – The COMMISSIONER’S REPORT dated 15 March 2012 stated that a new Control
Centre opened at Beckton on Sunday 5 February, after four years of project planning and delivery.
Trial operations of DLR services were undertaken. Following the successful completion of trials over
the weekend 28-29 January, the centre came into operational use as the primary control centre for
DLR. The current control centre at Poplar is being used as a backup facility.
NF 48/12 – Work has begun on the Stockley Interchange in west London, a crucial part of the
Crossrail network that will allow Crossrail services to operate to and from Heathrow. When Crossrail
services begin, even more trains will travel along the Great Western main line so work is needed to
improve capacity. The current junction at Stockley allows trains to leave the main line and continue
to Heathrow Airport. Network Rail, on behalf of Crossrail Limited, will build a new single track viaduct
for all trains from Heathrow towards London. Work is due to complete in 2017. Existing train
services to Heathrow will continue to run throughout. Stockley Interchange will allow Crossrail trains
to join the branch to Heathrow without delaying – or being delayed by – fast trains to the west, thus
increasing capacity and reliability on the Great Western main line. Network Rail is responsible for
the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network,
covering 70km (43.5 miles) of track and 28 stations from Maidenhead in the west to Abbey Wood
and Shenfield in the east. The current junction at Stockley is used by Heathrow Connect in both
directions and Heathrow Express in the London direction. The viaduct will start on the western side
of the existing airport lines. It will then cross over all of the tracks in the railway corridor, turning
eastwards and will continue on the northern side of the railway tracks. The viaduct will then widen
and a junction for Crossrail and Heathrow Express services will be installed on the track. This
junction will allow Heathrow Express services to cross above the slow lines and descend to main line
track as at present. Crossrail services will remain on the northern side, descend on a second ramp
and run on a dedicated track, which will then connect with the existing up slow line via a new junction
constructed at a point just before Hayes & Harlington station. The timetable for the works is as
follows:




Late March 2012 – Installation of a retaining wall begins.
February 2014 – Western flyover completed.
December 2014 – Northern viaduct completed.
September 2017 – Project completion.
NF 49/12 – 2012/13 LU Budget Milestones: The budget for 2012/13 was revealed at the March TfL
board meeting, providing details of milestones for the coming year. The last A Stock has to operate
in service by March 2013 to meet Department for Transport funding requirements. However, with the
recent accelerated delivery of new trains there appears to be an aim of eliminating A Stock by the
Olympic Games. Rail access to the new Neasden lifting maintenance facility will be available in
December 2012, but the ability to lift stock will not be available until March 2013 when phase 2 of the
depot resignalling will also be commissioned.
The first S7 delivery is not expected until October 2012, although an S Stock preview service on the
H&C is planned for July 2012. A timetabled H&C service is not expected until December 2012 when
Paddington infrastructure is to be completed, although Stepney Green to Bromley-by-Bow is not
scheduled until March 2013. Permanent berthing for an S7 test train will not be available at
Upminster depot until October 2012, and Ealing Common depot waits until January 2013. Provision
for additional stabling of District Line S7 trains must await the 2013/14 financial year.
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Underground News
The SSR power upgrade package 2 will be commissioned by October 2012, which interestingly will
support “Metropolitan Line (x53 S8), Circle Line (x48 S7C) and District Line (x23 S7D) trains in
service”. Presumably S7C and S7D denotes the rolling stock to be replaced, rather than any
difference in the new trains.
The Victoria Line upgrade should be fully delivered by July 2012, with a 33 train per hour timetable
being introduced in March 2013. The Northern Line upgrade installation will be completed on the
Barnet branch in July 2012, with progressive completion over the line to January 2013. System
testing north of West Finchley starts in August 2012 and north of Highgate from February 2013. All
106 trains will be ready for ATO service by December 2012. Life extension work on the 28 battery
locomotives will reach loco 3 in November 2012.
Amongst station works Bond Street 1 and 2 replacement escalators will enter service by June 2012,
Highbury & Islington football event works will be completed by July 2012, when Green Park platform
cooling will also be commissioned. Tramlink will see six new trams in service by July 2012. Trial
operations on the new South London Line of Overground will commence in November 2012, with
passenger services from the following month.
NF 50/12 – Platform ‘humps’ have been installed on both Piccadilly Line platforms at Earl’s Court,
rather oddly where the escalators are, rather than where the lifts are (which is where the step-free
is!).
NF 51/12 – New S7 stopping
markers have been put up at
Bayswater (Right), about one C
Stock car’s length beyond the
platforms. They are of a different
design to the other S8, S7, SS
boards around (Above).
All photos: Colin Smith
They have a ribbed front edge which catches the trains headlights, very useful when they are placed
in a dark tunnel! The view (Below) at the east end of East Ham shows the ‘ribbed’ edge.
January 2012
95
NF 52/12 – New station lighting is being installed at Sloane Square, replacing the lighting tubes
installed in the early-1950s. It was quite advanced by mid-April 2012, although hadn’t been switched
on. There are rumours abound that the green and white ‘trellis’ tile scheme is to be replaced in the
near future.
96
Underground News
NF 53/12 – The photo (Above) was taken at North Wembley on Sunday 15 April 2012. There were
no London Overground services on the Euston – Watford Junction route on this day, but the
Bakerloo line was running a ‘normal’ service. The inability for the indicators to cope with the revised
service is apparent!
Photo: Paul Leonard
NF 54/12 – Arriving at Bank DLR on 18 April 2012 at about 07.50 your reporter noted that there was
a Woolwich train in which left after about three minutes. This was followed into the platform by a
Lewisham train. This left at 07.59 and crawled along (or sat at various places) to somewhere
approaching Limehouse (where the train captain said at 08.37 that the points problems had been
fixed). After this we moved off more normally and reached Canary Wharf at 08.46. Depending on
who you listened to, there were either minor or major delays on all routes – but in reality turned out to
be quite major.
NF 55/12 – Reference NF 41/12, the eastbound platform at Bank also now (by mid-April 2012) has
disability warning stones inside of the coping stones.
NF 56/12 – The temporary bridge across the south of Neasden Yard for contractors’ access was
taken out of use during the last week of April 2012 and the short span was removed on Friday 27
April 2012.
NF 57/12 – Work is progressing on the installation of tactile strips at Earl’s Court and High Street
Kensington, with work at the latter almost completed as this issue closed for press.
NF 58/12 – The platform extensions at Hammersmith & City Line stations between Goldhawk Road
and Paddington were due to be commissioned between mid-April and the end of May 2012. Further
details when available.
January 2012
97
PUBLICITY MATERIAL
AIRPORT ACCESS
“Heathrow Express” – the latest issue, valid until 24/06/12, refers to “Terminals 1 & 3” as did the
October 2011 issue (the latest pocket “Tube map” ,dated January 2012, at time of writing, still has
“Terminals 1, 2, 3”), Terminal 2 is currently being redeveloped, 100x125mm.
ART ON THE UNDERGROUND
“Hard Metal Body” – a new work by Alice Channer created for Notting Hill Gate station as part of Art
on the Underground’s Central Line series. Along each stretch of wall on either side of the escalators
leading to the Central Line platforms, a succession of rough ellipses, varying in size, seems to float
above the handrails. Hard Metal Body is a playful continuation of Channer’s interest in pinpointing a
new human subjectivity defined by the industrial and post-industrial materials and techniques that
constitute our late-capitalist era!! Leaflet is ⅓ A4 (x8).
“White City” – Anna Barham has created a new work for White City Underground station in response
to the themes of communication and exchange. The work is in two parts: a series of posters in the
passageways at the station and a series of related video works to be viewed on line. Many of the
posters feature seemingly identical pixelated squares known as QR (Quick Response) codes, a data
storage device, with information that can be accessed with appropriate reader software and a smart
phone. Although the solid colour of which the codes are usually made up has been altered by
additional images, it is possible to discern a range of scenes taken from journeys along the Central
Line, including the interiors of trains and stations. To leave a comment: art.tfl.gov.uk. Leaflet is ⅓ A4
(x6x2), i.e. A2 unfolded.
CONTINUING YOUR JOURNEY
Leaflets with 2011 dates have been reported for King’s Cross St. Pancras (TFL21469.12.11) and
Whitechapel (TFL21417.12.11). Both are A5 (x2).
CROSSRAIL
“Crossrail Pocket Guide” – a new, but undated issue, and a new cover design, with details of central
London stations and step-free access plans, Z-card format and reference 30945/30.
“Transforming Bond Street station” – the “Winter 2012” issue includes tunnel boring machines,
Hanover Square and Davies Street ticket halls and Oxford Street utilities works, A4 (x2).
“Tunnelling” – a large cut-away picture of a tunnel boring machine (TBM), miscellaneous statistics
and a calendar for the tunnelling drives, glossy, basic but informative, also brief details of the UK’s
first tunnelling training facility and the use of tunnelling spoil at Wallasea Island nature reserve, A4
(x3).
DLR – SERVICE DISRUPTIONS
“Planned works on DLR: Sunday 25 March 2012” – services suspended Canning Town – London
City Airport, and Stratford International – Canning Town (until 10.30), A5.
“Planned works on DLR: Sunday 1 April 2012” – services suspended Canning Town – London City
Airport, A5.
“Planned works on DLR: Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 April 2012” – services suspended Bank/Tower
Gateway – Island Gardens/Canning Town/Stratford, A5 (x2).
DLR
“Art along the DLR” – public art close to DLR stations, East London galleries and exhibitions, and
related local spring events, A7 (x4).
EVENTS
“Play to London” – the Mayor of London presents A Summer like no other, gigs, London’s biggest
ever street music competition for 11-25 year olds, enter now at molpresents.com/gigs, no other
details given, (TfL), ⅓ A4.
MAJOR PROJECTS
98
Underground News
“Welcome to your new King’s Cross” – not specifically Underground but London’s primary transport
hub, a guide to the new western concourse, contains central London Underground diagram, Network
Rail, 55x85mm (x8x3).
“Your new King’s Cross” – an East Coast TOC version of the above.
“Welcome to King’s Cross 2012” – a First Capital Connect version of the above.
OLYMPIC GAMES
The Olympic and Paralympic Route Networks (ORN/PRN) are a network of roads across London
connecting venues, accommodation and transport hubs across London. They will be open to all
general traffic though with some restricted turns, suspension of some bus stops or lanes, and
changes to loading and parking. About a third of the ORN/PRN will be designated Games Lanes
which, when operational, will only be available for accredited vehicles. TfL has produced a series of
leaflets for each borough concerned, with street map of routes and location of LU and NR stations.
So far copies for Camden, Tower Hamlets and Westminster have been reported. Leaflets are A5
(x3).
January 2012
99
ROLLING STOCK CHANGES AND MOVEMENTS
PREVIOUS ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS & APRIL 2012
1967/72 TUBE STOCK:
Overhauled at Stonebridge Park depot –
3448-4548-3548
02.04.12
3457-4557-3557
29.04.12
From DCRE Shoeburyness to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, by road for scrap –
3219 3319 4219 4319 These four cars departed Shoeburyness on 19.04.12 and 20.04.12
3221 3321 4221 4321 These four cars departed Shoeburyness on 26.04.12 and 27.04.12
At present, the exact movement dates aren’t known but if they come to light, they will be published
later.
1973 TUBE STOCK:
Overhauled at Cockfosters depot –
182-582-382 01.03.12
896-696-897 28.03.12
Released for service Piccadilly Line, ex-derailment Northfields depot 03.02.12 –
421-621-221 08.03.12
1992 TUBE STOCK:
‘REFRESH’ – UPDATE:
Train
69
70
71
72
73
74
91155
91015
91045
91165
91057
91167
27.03.12
30.03.12
03.04.12
05.04.12
13.04.12
17.04.12
Units and Completion Dates
91159 27.03.12
93044 27.03.12
91299 30.03.12
93072 30.03.12
91203 03.04.12
93114 03.04.12
91193 05.04.12
93162 05.04.12
91255 13.04.12
93060 13.04.12
91325 17.04.12
93134 17.04.12
93108
93160
93134
93166
93084
93118
27.03.12
30.03.12
03.04.12
05.04.12
13.04.12
17.04.12
It should also be noted that the all-over-advert “Digital” train (91055 – 92055 + 93206 – 92206 +
93256 – 92256 + 92063 – 91063) reverted to standard over the weekend of 28/29 April 2012, when
the advertising vinyls were removed. However, it was noted back in service with the ‘pink’ seating
moquette still in use.
A STOCK:
Withdrawn from service Metropolitan Line –
5000-6000-6001-5001+5232-6232-6233-5233
06.04.12
5050-6050-6051-5051+5148-6148-6149-5149
13.04.12
5040-6040-6041-5041+5194-6194-6195-5195
16.04.12
5152-6152-6153-5153
16.04.12
5044-6044-6045-5045
20.04.12
5052-6052-6053-5053+5056-6056-6057-5057
22.04.12
5014-6014-6015-5015+5150-6150-6151-5151
26.04.12
5070-6070-6071-5071+5224-6224-6225-5225
30.04.12
From Neasden to Northwood for disposal –
5082-6082-6083-5083+5182-6182-6183-5183
02.04.12
5000-6000-6001-5001+5232-6232-6233-5233
11.04.12
5050-6050-6051-5051+5148-6148-6149-5149
16.04.12
5040-6040-6041-5041+5194-6194-6195-5195
18.04.12
5044-6044-6045-5045+5152-6152-6153-5153
23.04.12
5052-6052-6053-5053+5056-6056-6057-5057
25.04.12
5014-6014-6015-5015+5150-6150-6151-5151
30.04.12
From Northwood to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, by road for scrap –
5000 6000
11.04.12
5040 6040
20.04.12
5001 5232 6001 6232 12.04.11
5045 6045
24.04.12
100
Underground News
5233 6233
13.04.12
5153 6153
25.04.12
5148 6148
17.04.12
5053 6053
26.04.12
5050 6050
18.04.12
5057 6057
27.04.12
5194 6194
19.04.12
From Northwood to Booths, Rotherham, by road for scrap –
5082 6082
02.04.12
5051 6051
17.04.12
5052 6052
5083 6083
03.04.12
5195 6195
18.04.12
5056 6056
5182 6182
04.04.12
5041 6041
19.04.12
5014 6014
5183 6183
10.04.12
5044 6044
23.04.12
5149 6149
16.04.12
5152 6152
24.04.12
25.04.12
26.04.12
30.04.12
A STOCK SUMMARY: 30 April 2012
METROPOLITAN LINE
‘A’
‘D’
A/D
5012
5161
5060
5112
5016
5169
5062
5114
5022
5181
5088
5116
5024
5189
5090
5118
5034
5203
5092
5120
5046
5219
5094
5122
5080
5231
5096
5134
5098
5100
5102
5104
5106
5108
TOTAL: 8x‘A’, 7x‘D’, 19xA/D = 34 UNITS = 17 TRAINS
5-CAR SANDITE
A/D
5110
5234
50 YEARS OF A STOCK SUMMA20RY – END APRIL 2012:
The following units may be added to the list in the April 2012 issue –
50 years ‘delivered’ –
5100 and 5102 (11.04.62), 5104 and 5106 (19.04.62).
50 years ‘in service’ –
5088 and 5090 (04.04.62), 5092 and 5094 (05.04.12), 5096 and 5098
(20.04.12), 5100 and 5102 (27.04.12).
S STOCK:
From Bombardier, Derby, to Old Dalby Test Centre –
21098-22098-23098-24098-24097-23097-22097-21097
21042-22042-25042-24042-24041-23041-22041-21041
21102-22102-23102-24201-24101-23101-22101-21101
21104-22104-23104-24104-24201-23103-22103-21103
21106-22106-23106-24106-24105-23105-22105-21105
From Old Dalby, delivered to Neasden –
21084-22084-23084-24084-24083-23083-22083-21083
21094-22094-23094-24094-24093-23093-22093-21093
21092-22092-23092-24092-24091-23091-22091-21091
21098-22098-23098-24098-24097-23097-22097-21097
21086-22086-23086-24086-24085-23085-22085-21085
21042-22042-25042-24042-24041-23041-22041-21041
Entered service, Metropolitan Line –
21090-22090-23090-24090-24089-23089-22089-21089
21068-22068-23068-24068-24067-23067-22067-21067
21084-22084-23084-24084-24083-23083-22083-21083
21094-22094-23094-24094-24093-23093-22093-21093
21092-22092-23092-24092-24091-23091-22091-21091
21098-22098-23098-24098-24097-23097-22097-21097
21086-22086-23086-24086-24085-23085-22085-21085
16.03.12
10.04.12
13.04.12
21.04.12
28.04.12
Train 48 (Correction)
Train 20
Train 49
Train 50
Train 51
03.04.12
05.04.12
12.04.12
17.04.12
19.04.12
26.04.12
Train 41
Train 46
Train 45
Train 48
Train 42
Train 20
01.04.12
05.04.12
11.04.12
12.04.12
18.04.12
22.04.12
24.04.12
Train 44
Train 33
Train 41
Train 46
Train 45
Train 48
Train 42
STATUS 28 APRIL 2012
Total
Trains delivered and not in service:
17 ‡
22 ‡
29 ‡
20
4
January 2012
101
Trains commissioned for service:
1
8
15
27
35
42
2
9
16
28
36
44
3
10
19
30
37
45
Trains at Old Dalby:
49
50
51
Trains at Bombardier:
18
56
23
57 *
43
58 †
4
11
21
31
38
46
5
12
24
32
39
47
6
13
25
33
40
48
7
14
26
34
41
41
3
52
53
54
55
10
* Pre-production train. PP1 now Train 57.
† Pre-production train. PP2 now Train 58.
‡ Production trains, temporarily formed as 7-car for S7 testing.
MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES:
Scrapped at Ruislip by Econ Construction of Sidcup –
L62
10.04.12 (withdrawn 23.04.93)
HERITAGE STOCK:
From Acton Works to LT Museum “The Depot” Acton by road –
08063
10.04.12
________________________________________________________________________________
NON-PASSENGER STOCK STATUS
Unit/Car(s)
Withdrawn
Details
1959/62 Tube Stock:
1406-2406
9125
1681
1532 9533
1570
9691
2440-9441-1441
9577
1682-2682
9459
1407
1690
1691
19.08.94
05.11.98
17.02.95
18.08.93
17.02.95
17.01.95
18.01.95
09.07.93
08.06.99
16.11.82
19.08.94
17.01.95
)
) Central Line east end Sandite
)
Acton Works for Emergency Response Unit training
)
) Central Line west end Sandite
)
Acton Works
)
) Central Line east end Sandite
)
Acton Works
1967/72 Tube Stock:
3003-4003-4103-3103
3005-4005-4105-3105
3049-4049-4149-3149
3058-4058-4158-3158
3076-4076-4176-3176
3078-4078-4178-3178
3082-4082-4182-3182
3084-4084-4184-3184
3085-4085-4185-3185
3086-4086
4141-3141
3007
3107
3022
3122
3067-4067-4167-3167
07.06.11
15.06.11
15.06.11
21.06.11
21.06.11
17.06.11
23.03.11
21.05.11
28.06.11
22.03.11
06.07.11
15.02.11
23.02.11
12.04.11
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Eastleigh for storage
Acton Works (Tunnel Cleaning Train)
Acton Works (Tunnel Cleaning Train)
London Road
102
3075-4075-4175-3175
3079
3179
4079-4179
3060-4060-4160-3160
3061-4061-4161-3161
3202-4202-4302-3302
3213-4213-4313-3313
3215-4215-4315-3315
3229-4229-4329-3329
3411-4511-3511
1973 Tube Stock:
566
366
1983 Tube Stock:
3637
3639-4639-3739
3640-4640-3740
3645-4645-3745
Unit/Car(s)
Underground News
17.06.11
30.06.11
30.06.11
30.06.11
30.06.11
02.02.99
02.11.98
27.10.98
02.10.98
02.02.99
Acton Works
Asset Inspection Train
Lillie Bridge
Northumberland Park
Northumberland Park
Stored Acton Works
Asset Inspection Train
London Road
Holborn/Aldwych for filming/training
Hainault depot stored
07.07.05
07.07.05
Damaged car – Northfields depot
Spare car – Northfields depot
26.04.98
20.03.98
20.03.98
18.01.98
Withdrawn
Acton Works for Emergency Response Unit training
South Harrow for disposal
South Harrow for disposal
South Harrow for disposal
Details
A Stock:
5234-6234-6235-5235
6132
5110-6110-6111-5111
6036
03.04.11
23.06.11
23.06.11
19.07.77
Metropolitan Line Sandite Train 1
Rail Adhesion Car
Metropolitan Line Sandite Train 2
Rail Adhesion Car
C Stock:
5595-6595
21.08.09
Long-term-stopped – Acton Works
January 2012
103
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
02.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Commuters on the DLR were today caught in major delays after
the radio system broke down. The DLR has driverless trains but does have “captains” who stay in
touch with central control on the radio network. DLR trains began running again shortly after 08.00
but delays continued throughout the morning peak.
02.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – High above the Thames, London’s first cable car has its maiden
flight. Three gondolas were suspended in mid-air today after moving off just before 10.00 – the first
test of the city’s newest river crossing. The £60M cable car system could transport athletes at the
Olympics if it is completed in time and will eventually carry up to 10 people per trip. A spokesman for
Emirates said, “This is a significant milestone in the development of the Emirates Air Line and brings
us closer to be able to fly passengers over the river. One fully operational, passengers will travel
across the river at heights of 90 metres”.
02.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letters – from Anon – “At rush hour, the Central Line is at
capacity, and Stratford, a supposedly “international” station, feels the same. This is before the arrival
of additional passengers coming to see the Olympics. Damage limitation is surely the only strategy
now before the summer”. From Peter – “Stratford station flooded yesterday. Staff say it happens
each time it rains. I met Boris there and told him that action is needed before the Olympics – he
found that very amusing”.
02.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – A man, whose video of a woman racially insulting Underground
passengers helped convict her, did it because he wanted to save his daughters from similar abuse.
The woman faces prison after admitting racially aggravated harassment. She was returning from a
party when a black woman accidentally bumped into here in a packed Central Line carriage in
January. The video was played in court and it showed her screaming racial abuse. He raised the
alarm but the woman had left the train. After the video was put on YouTube, the woman handed
herself into police. She had previously been convicted of a similar rant on the DLR in 2008 for which
she was fined. Currently she is banned from the Underground and electronically tagged until final
sentencing at the end of May.
09.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Thousands of commuters suffered a second successive day of
major Victoria Line disruption today, again because of signal failure. Severe delays hit the length of
the line after problems at Finsbury Park, following yesterday’s suspension between Seven Sisters
and Walthamstow Central. DLR services were also suspended today between Crossharbour and
Lewisham due to a broken down train at Greenwich, while a broken down train between Gospel Oak
and Barking delayed Overground services.
09.05.12 METRO – Texts – from Rob – “When will London make its Underground announcements
and signs multilingual pre-Olympics?” – from Ian – “I think we should have Olympic events for
Londoners, such as a dash for a Tube seat with extra points for good use of elbows”.
10.05.12 EVENNG STANDARD – Stuntman Chase Armitage is racing as the crow flies through the
streets of south London to see if he could beat the train in a 1.5 mile “man v Tube” challenge.
Instead of wedging himself on a stuffy Underground train, he was dashing on foot from Borough
Market to Waterloo and on to the Royal Festival Hall. Making the identical journey but on the train
was marketing executive Russ Bispham, travelling from Borough to Waterloo on the Northern and
Jubilee lines, changing at London Bridge. It came after TfL bosses warned that during the Olympics
it could be quicker to walk than take the train. But commuters thinking of copying Mr. Armitage’s
example should beware. Instead of walking he is using his freerunning skills to vault railings, flip
over cars and jump over fences to get to his destination as quick as possible, as the predicted
Underground journey is just 10 minutes. This stunt was to promote the release of the film
“Freerunner”.
10.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Since his re-election, Mayor Boris Johnson has said he wants to
change the face of transport by investing in the Underground and gaining more control of the
suburban rail network. He has also warned Underground union bosses he is ready for “a fight” over
104
Underground News
driverless trains, and he would lobby “vociferously” for a 50% minimum turnout for strikes. He is
confident that commuters will be able to use their Oyster cards on the whole railway network in the
future, and said he is not necessarily committed to “whacking up” fares next years.
10.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – An exhibition showing how transport maps have shaped our
understanding of the capital opens on 18 May. “Mind the Map” at the LT Museum draws on the
venue’s collection and explores the influence of Harry Beck’s iconic Underground map on
cartography and art. It includes work by artists Simon Patterson, Susan Stockwell, Jeremy Wood
and Claire Brewster. The show, which runs until 28 October, will be accompanied by a series of
public events and a book.
10.05.12 METRO - More than 2,000 TfL office staff have volunteered as Travel Ambassadors to
help provide journey information during this summer’s Olympics. The ambassadors will work
alongside full-time operational staff at London’s Underground, rail and bus stations, and other
customer-facing areas such as Travel Information Centres.
10.05.12 METRO – Historically, the local area we now know as Marylebone, was named Tyburn
(Tiburne in the Domesday Book). It became infamous for the Tyburn Tree gallows, where many of
London’s most notorious criminals were hanged. Little wonder local residents petitioned for the
name to be changed in honour of the much more wholesome St. Mary-by-the Bourn parish church in
the late 15th century. Maryburne became Marylebone in the 18th century (the “le” meaning by or
near). During the station’s planning it was referred to as either Marylebone or Lisson Grove, but it
opened as Great Central in 1907, and was renamed Marylebone in 1917.
13.05.12 THE NEW YORK TIMES – In this often capricious city of Cairo, the Metro is something of
a miracle. Efficient and orderly, it is frequently referred to as the one thing that always works. This is
not new, but it has become even more appreciated in the year after the toppling of President
Mubarak, as the police vanished, people marched and Egyptians struggled to find their bearings.
But the trains are still dependable. One commuter said, “If there was a crisis in the Metro the people
would have another revolution”. During one recent bus strike, the subway trains were full of people
trying to escape the chaos above for just E£1 (about US16 cents). Some of the trains are old, dating
back to 1987 with wooden window shades on the outside. 3 million people in this city of 18 million
ride on the subways every day. It is the fastest, cheapest and safest means of transport in the
country. The country has had frequent labour strikes following the revolution, and even the vaunted
subway was not immune; workers have been holding regular sit-ins, complaining that the Metro has
failed to honour previous pledges for wage increases and bonuses. For now, the workers, who do
not include the train drivers(!) have not tried to halt the service, with many saying they worry about
the impact on the country(!).
14.05.12 METRO – Former soldier, Ben Hancock, who served in the Army for 11 years is hoping to
raise £1M in a day during this year’s Poppy appeal. In 2006 he and 5 others stood outside
Underground stations across London. After leading 1,000 current and former soldiers to a £450,000
total last November, he is planning to hit the £1M mark with 2,000 volunteers this year – although
admitted 2014 was his official target.
14.05 and 17.05.12 METRO – London is blessed with some of the world’s greatest transport
architecture. The following are a selection of MetroTravel’s favourite examples of a legacy that
encompasses the Victorian railways revolution, the creation of the Underground network and the jet
age: London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, Stockwell Bus Garage, Baker Street Underground Station,
Paddington NR Station, Blackfriars NR Station (2012), St. Pancras NR Station, Arnos Grove
Underground Station, Canary Wharf Underground Station, King’s Cross NR Station and Tower
Bridge.
15.05.12
EVENING STANDARD – Mayor Boris Johnson hailed figures showing that the
Underground is more reliable than ever – as thousands of commuters suffered long rush-hour
delays. TfL revealed that the numbers of hours lost by passengers in delays was at its lowest since
measurement began in 1999. Later this year the Mayor will announce how he plans to fulfil his
manifesto pledge of reducing delays by more than 30% over the next 3 years. There were severe
delays on the District Line due to a track fault at Earl’s Court. RMT leader Bob Crow said, “It is all
very well for TfL to boast of record services, but passengers are still suffering delays every day due
to breakdown caused by maintenance and staffing cuts”.
January 2012
105
16.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Mayor’s Deputy Mayor for Transport said that upgrades to
Underground lines and major schemes like Crossrail will help to fulfil the Mayor’s pledge to create
200,000 jobs. Crossrail will be largely completed and the vast bulk of the upgrades on the Jubilee
and Waterloo & City lines as well as all the new trains on the subsurface lines will completed by the
end of Boris Johnson’s term.
16.05.12 METRO – Soaring above the Thames, the first load testing for London’s newest transport
link, the Emirates Air Line, took place yesterday. It will carry up to 5,000 people per hour across the
river between Greenwich Peninsular and the Royal Victoria Docks.
17.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – LU is to be prosecuted after a driverless train careered out of
control for four miles on the Northern Line – speeding through 6 stations and narrowly missing
smashing into a passenger train. A flawed coupling broke while the 90-tonne train, used for
engineering work, was being towed to Archway. It rolled backwards downhill. It “chased” a
passenger train with the driver of that train ordered to pick up speed and not stop at stations to avoid
a crash. Two quick thinking signallers diverted two other passenger trains. LU and Tube Lines will
be prosecuted under Health & Safety regulations.
17.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Tracey Emin has created a cover for pocket Underground maps
to celebrate the Olympics. Her design features a chirping bird sitting on a “branch” of the Northern
Line. Emin’s map is the 16th in a series by various notable artists. She said, “When people look at
the map cover I want them to smile”. Her design will appear on 18 million maps – the largest print
run of the series.
18.05.12 THE TIMES – (See above item) – Unfortunately for bemused foreign visitors to the capital
this summer, of the five stations that Emin has chosen to include in her design, one of them –
Shoreditch High Street, where she lives – isn’t on an Underground line.
18.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Alcohol is banned on the Underground but did not stop TfL chief
Peter Hendy being named “bear drinker of the year” at an awards dinner. His suggestion that
commuters should go to a pub after work to avoid travel chaos during the Olympics was cited as a
“glorious example of common sense” by the chairman of Parliament’s all-party beer group at its
annual awards for the brewing industry. Andrew Griffiths said, “With one sentence of clarity Peter
Hendy not only said something that would ease pressure on the Underground system but would also
help struggling publicans across London”.
21.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Plans to install “wave and pay” technology using a credit or debit
card on London’s transport network have been significantly delayed. The scheme – described as
“contactless travel” – was supposed to make commuter travel easier as fares would be automatically
deducted from passenger’s accounts. But it is now running a year late and will not come into use on
the Underground until the end of next year. TfL’s Shashi Verma said, “We are breaking new ground.
It is not like a programme we have done 25 times before. This is new technology starting from
scratch, and it will be even harder fitting on the Underground than the buses. There is huge amount
of development to be done. Not just by us but by the banking industry. TfL is focused on making the
London Games go smoothly and Wave and Pay was not the sort of thing you want to be mucking
about with just before the Olympics”.
21.05.12 METRO – Tweet from Chris from Liverpool – “Having visited New York and experienced
Subway staff, Tube staff are to be treasured”.
24.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Mayor Boris Johnson was forced to apologise to hundreds of
Underground passengers trapped underground in stifling heat, and offered them £40 compensation
each. He said, “This was a very serious mechanical failure and it was very unusual”. The
unprecedented compensation offer for distress and disruption to all 773 passengers on the stranded
Jubilee Line train totals £30,920.
24.05.12 METRO – Referring to both the area and more specifically a street in north-west London,
Maida Vale takes its name from Maida, a town in southern Italy where the British defeated the
French during the Napoleonic Wars in 1806. The street was first mentioned in 1868 and is part of
the Edgware Road. Before the Bakerloo Line Underground station was opened in 1915, Elgin
Avenue had been the proposed name, but Maida Vale was chosen instead.
25.05.12 METRO – Hundreds of passengers stranded on a special Diamond Jubilee Underground
train will be given £40 each in compensation. In what transport union leaders called “a week of hell”,
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Underground News
more than 770 people had to be walked through tunnels because of problems on the Jubilee Line.
Three people had medical treatment after the train – one of two decorated with bunting to mark the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – broke down near St. John’s Wood. LU staff tried to move the train,
using another train to push it from behind. This was not successful and the decision was made to
walk the passengers off the train.
28.05.12 THE TIMES – Medically trained BTP officers will be deployed across London Underground
network from today in any attempt to cut delays when passengers are taken ill on the Underground.
29.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Londoner’s Diary – Six Labour MPs have tabled an Early Day
Motion asking LU to change the name of the Jubilee Line to the Elizabeth Jubilee Line to mark the
Diamond Jubilee year. It could be costly. Not only would this present us with a bill for millions via LU
having to print new maps and signs but, with all due respect to Her Majesty, Elizabeth Jubilee
sounds suspiciously like an adult film actress.
29.05.12 METRO – Proposals for the Bank station capacity upgrade project include the creation of
wider platforms, better access to lines and step free access to a new ticket hall. The planned
scheme is scheduled to be completed by 2021. The Bank and Monument station complex is located
in the heart of the City and is the 4th busiest interchange station on the Underground network,
handling around 96,000 passengers during morning peak.
30.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – The drunken Underground passenger filmed hurling racist abuse
to fellow travellers was jailed for 21 weeks. Her rant on the Central Line was viewed by more than
200,000 times on YouTube. The 42-year old secretary admitted causing racially aggravated
harassment, alarm or distress and was banned from travelling on the Underground or DLR while
drunk for five years.
30.05.12 METRO – Underground staff are to be balloted for strikes in rows over jobs, pay and
conditions. Scores of control centre and maintenance staff will be urged to back industrial action, the
RMT union warned. Plans to replace old signal cabins and service control centres with a control
base at Hammersmith have led to a ‘range of union concerns’. “These disputes are about protecting
our members in the face of aggressive and bullying management tactics that leave us no choice but
to ballot for action”, RMT’s Bob Crow said. LU said it was disappointed by the move, as talks were
“on-going and, up to this point, constructive”.
30.05.12 CITYAM – LU has dipped into its coffers to avert strike action on the network during the
Olympic Games. After a month of wrangling, the RMT union said it has agreed a deal with LU that
offers staff up to £850 and drivers as much as £1,000 in extra payments for working during the
Games. On top of the bonus, staff will not be required to work outside their normal working hours
and conditions. RMT continues to lobby LU to hold a full-scale mock emergency evacuation to test
plans ahead of the Games, and remains critical of the use of volunteers to help at stations.
January 2012
107
THE 67s AND THE VICTORIA LINE
8 – THE END
by Piers Connor
WHAT NEXT?
The 1967 Tube Stock refurbishment programme was finally completed in May 1995, when the last
train returned from the Royal Rosyth Shipyard. This comprised units 3016 and 3086, both of which
had been slightly modified compared with the rest of the fleet. 3086 had four seats removed from
each car to allow more standing space around doorways while both units had the inner ends of the
vehicles painted black. Otherwise they were similar to the rest.
The refurbishment was supposed to be the last the trains would get before they were replaced. By
the late 1990s, the future management of the Underground was being considered, particularly in
respect of how the rapidly decaying system could be brought up to date and, at the same time, how
capacity could be improved to cope with the continually increasing passenger numbers. At that time,
it had become a political conundrum.
The main line railways had been privatised (from 1994) and the process had been so badly thought
out in the planning and so traumatic in the execution that everyone was determined that similar
mistakes should not be made with London Underground. No one had really thought through how LU
would be done and no one was rushing into it but there was a feeling that the main line network
privatisation hadn’t worked and that something different had to be formulated.
By this time, the Victoria Line was a package waiting for a complete upgrade in itself. The line was
struggling with excessive passenger numbers, the stock was refurbished but was 30 years old in
1998 and it would not, it was thought, last longer than 10 more years, and the signalling and power
supplies were the same age.
Upgrading the whole lot and trying to increase line capacity at the same time was the goal but it
wasn’t going to be cheap and the government was unwilling to take on the debt to do it. Privatisation
of some sort was regarded by most observers as the only answer. Suffice to say here that the result
was the Public Private Partnership (PPP), which actually turned out to be even less successful than
the main line privatisation scheme. The Victoria Line upgrade fell into the Metronet’s PPP net but
survived that company’s collapse in July 2007.
MORE MODS
In the meantime, the 1967 Stock was going through another series of modifications. These included
the provision of a digitised public address system and the final commissioning of the fan-driven
saloon ventilation system. The fan housings had been provided during the refurbishment
programme but the money ran out and the fans were not fitted. They were added now because
traffic levels continued to rise and the temperature levels inside cars were becoming a cause for
concern.
A modification to the driving system was put in as a result of a safety analysis that didn’t like the idea
of a train being driven manually without a deadman facility. In the original ATC setup, two manual
driving modes were available, “Coded Manual” (CM) and “Slow Manual” (SM). SM allowed the train
to be driven if the ATC systems failed. As the train wasn’t under the protection of the signalling
system and the driver was effectively driving “on sight”, the train speed was limited to 10m/hr. In this
mode, the driver had to hold down the “Vigilance Button”, a deadman by any other name.
CM was a step up. It allowed the driver to drive manually under the protection of the coded
signalling safety system – what we now call automatic train protection (ATP). This was so that the
train could be moved if the ATO failed but the ATP was still OK. This failure mode was actually very
rare but the original thinking for this setup was that, because the train was protected by ATP, use of
the Vigilance Button was not considered necessary since the train wouldn’t run into anything and
would stop safely. However, thinking in the late 1990s had drifted into the twilight zone of risk
aversion and it was decided to add the vigilance button into the CM operation. Now the driver had to
hold down the button all the time the train was in coded manual.
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Underground News
Another modification was added at this time. The M-Door Interlock, as it was known, was added
after the third incident of a driver leaving the cab through the M-door without following the rule of
knocking the Selector Key out of ‘Auto’. The result was that the train moved off without the driver
and in two of the cases, the driver was very lucky to have survived unscathed 16. For this mod, there
was never a direct link with traction – if the M-door was opened with ‘auto’ selected then a pressure
switch brake was applied which caused the ADB to drop out because the ADB, hadn’t requested it.
That disabled motoring and caused the train to come to a gentle stand if it was moving, or to stay still
if it wasn't, but the ‘motor latch’ within the ADB would have been lost preventing future movement. To
recover, the driver would have to close the door, move the Selector Key out of 'Auto' and then back
again if at a station, or drive in Coded Manual to the next station if between stations.
Figure 1: 1967 Tube Stock motor car 3131 after refurbishment and the later fitting of inter-car barriers
seen at Ealing common depot in 2002 when waiting for testing. Photo by the late Dave Maloney.
During the modifications programme, all the units equipped with the original English Electric (EE)
motor alternators had them replaced by Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) alternators removed
from scrapped 1962 Tube Stock. The EE machines were always less reliable than the AEI machines
and the 1962 Stock scrapping programme provided a neat opportunity to get rid of them.
This programme started with a trial train (3017 + 3102) going to Acton Works in September 1996. It
stayed there almost four months. The rest of the fleet followed from early in December and the
turnround was soon reduced to two weeks. The job was completed in November 1997.
Within three years, another modification programme had been started. This one involved the fitting
of the Passenger Emergency Alarm Brake (PEAB). The work started in January 2000 at
Northumberland Park Depot and continued until August. Each train took about a week to do. The
system was added in an attempt to improve responses to passengers getting trapped in doors. The
PEAB involved triggering a brake application on the train if a passenger alarm was operated but it
allowed the driver to release the brake if the train was likely to be stopped between stations. The
development process to reach this stage was long and tortuous and I related the tale in “The
Underground Electric Train, Part 21 OPO Developments” (in Underground News No.543, March
2007). Suffice to say here that, for the ’67 Stock, being ATO fitted, it involved a complex
modification. If an alarm was operated, it was possible to induce a full service brake but getting the
train to release it on command of the driver and still respond to the ATO commands as well, was
16
On one occasion, when the train stopped at the Seven Sisters home signal, the driver got out of the cab without
switching out ATO and walked up to the signal to use the telephone. While he was there, the signal cleared and the
train accelerated towards Seven Sisters platform and towards him. He just managed to leap out of the way onto the
acoustic shelf to survive unhurt.
January 2012
109
quite complex. The solution was to use inputs to the automatic system to fool the train into thinking
the brakes hadn’t been applied but only when the driver operated the release switch. The driver was
provided with a foot switch on the left hand side of the cab and a button, illuminated in the dark, on
the right hand side.
Barely had this mod been finished when another series of engineering mods were started. These
included the introduction of digitised voice announcements, programmed by the driver form the cab
and the replacement of the original Carrier Wave communication system by a radio system. Trains
were sent to Acton Works17. It was around this time too that inter-car barrier began to appear on the
’67 Stock. These were first fitted on the Piccadilly Line’s 1973 Tube Stock in 1998 and gradually
spread over the rest of the organisation. There were occasional incidents of death or injury to
passengers who had fallen between cars (usually as a result of drunkenness) and it was decided that
the barriers were a justifiable expense as mitigation. They were fitted to ’67 cars from 2000.
The cab ends were also fitted with a handrail and hinged footstep (Figure 2) to allow the drivers to
exit the cab across the front of the train rather than struggling through the saloon (J) door, which was
normally blocked by passengers.
Figure 2: The front end of a
refurbished and modified
1967 Tube Stock motor car.
This train has had train
radio added (the original
just under the left-hand side
of the destination blind, and
the later replacement to the
right of the right-hand
headlight) and has been
provided with a handrail and
footstep (which is in the
down position, so not clearly
visible) on the offside cab
front to allow the driver to
exit the cab through the
front door when crew
changes are taking place at
Seven
Sisters.
The
absence of side cab doors
meant the driver could only
exit through the front (M) or
saloon (J) doors.
Photo by Brian Hardy
The engineering mods cycle of 2000-01 started in July 2000, when the first train went to Acton. It
was there for six weeks. Later trains were processed in two weeks and the whole fleet was
completed by the middle of October 2001.
AIR CONDITIONING IN CABS
Something I haven’t mentioned yet is cab air conditioning. Air quality inside trains is a hot topic
[groan – Ed.] and the lack of air conditioning on the Underground has long been a source of criticism.
LU have struggled with the issue over many years, find a solution almost impossible, largely due to
the lack of space on trains and stations, coupled with the absence of facilities in tunnels to disperse
the heat. In a strange twist of fate, drivers on the Underground get better treatment than
passengers, as far as cooling is concerned. Driven by Noise at Work Regulations (1989), cabs of
tube stocks had air conditioning fitted during the refurbishment programmes of the early 1990s and
17
Train overhaul was gradually withdrawn from Acton Works from 1985 and the site was partially rebuilt in 1999 and is
now referred to as the Train Modifications Unit or TMU.
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Underground News
the Victoria Line fleet was no exception. It was found that drivers working in tube tunnels with the
cab windows open were being exposed to noise levels above those regarded as medically advisable
if hearing was not to be damaged. The Victoria Line was the worst, even with the window opening
restricted to a couple of inches, having the highest tube line speeds and being entirely in tunnel.
Things were regarded as so bad that Victoria Line drivers were issued with ear defenders until the air
conditioning was fitted and they could work comfortably with the windows closed.
AN APPRECIATION
By 2002, the end of the 1967 Stock was sealed. In that year, the Public Private Partnership (PPP)
contracts were finally financially closed to fund the Underground’s future upgrades and Metronet
became the company responsible for the Victoria Line’s maintenance and replacement programme.
One of Metronet’s owning companies was Adtranz, the Daimler-Chrysler owned organization that
was formed of various international railway suppliers like AEG, Westinghouse (the US-based
company, not the British one), Ericson (the signalling division of the Swedish communications
company) and the large Swedish-Swiss ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) combine. Amongst the group
was the ABB Derby factory in Litchurch Lane, formerly known as British Rail Engineering Ltd.
(BREL). This factory had built the 1992 Tube Stock for the Central Line and it was intended that it
would be used to supply the new rolling stock proposed for the newly set-up PPP contracts. The
Victoria Line replacement stock was first to go on the drawing board – well, on the computer screen,
as it was by then.
The original programme of 2002 envisaged the first new train going into service in December 2006,
following the completion of the new Distance To Go – Radio signalling system. This was quickly
revised to July 2007 and then slid back to December 2007. In the tradition of many railway projects,
it eventually happened on 21 July 2009. Testing and shakedown was slow and the ’67 Stock
continued to provide the bulk of the service until withdrawals started in March 2010. Two units had
already been requisitioned for DTG-R signal testing – 3077 in September 2005 and 3012 in October
2006. The bulk withdrawal rate was roughly five units a month until the last train left in July 2011.
In any appreciation of the 1967 Tube Stock, there are two main factors that come immediately to
mind – the stylish design of the front end and the technical accomplishment of ATC. The design was
the result of a co-operation between the Design Research Unit, led by Professor Sir Misha Black,
and the Underground Drawing office at Acton Works. Black’s influence on the front end shape
amongst many of the ’67 Stock’s features is perhaps his best contribution to Underground train
design. Not much that he or the DRU produced after that was better. The nadir of their output for
LU was, perhaps, the 1992 Tube Stock for the Central Line.
As for the original ATC system, this was based on technology originally developed in the US in the
1950s for a system of cab signalling but it was expanded and fine-tuned for its application on the
Underground to the extent that it was further developed and exported around the world to places like
Hong Kong and Madrid. It eventually returned to London almost 30 years later in a more refined
version when it was installed on the Central Line.
There is perhaps a third factor to appreciate about the ’67 Stock. This is the fact that the stock was
worked hard up and down the 20 kilometers of the Victoria Line for over 40 years. Apart from the 4car units used for the gentle stroll through the countryside between Woodford and Hainault on the
Central Line, the Victoria Line was the only line the stock worked on. During most of these 40 years,
the line was carrying more people than it was designed for and the stock was worked very hard. It is
a tribute to the original designers and manufacturers that it lasted as long as it did with relatively few
problems. No one who rode on a packed downhill rush between Green Park and Victoria could fail
to be impressed that the stock lasted as long as it did.
A number of units of ’67 Tube Stock survive. A complete list was provided in last month’s
Underground News, so I don’t need to repeat it here but it is worth recording that 10 units are stored
at Eastleigh pending a decision on their future and a train remains at Northumberland Park, having
been kept back for shunting new stock. Some cars and units are also at Acton and two cars are at
Lillie Bridge. The original car 3016 went to the Pump House Museum in 1998 for preservation but
was subsequently scrapped and was later replaced by 3186. Car 3052 has been saved by the
London Transport Museum for preservation.
January 2012
111
UNDERGROUND DIARY
MAY 2012
Tuesday 1 May is summarised as follows:
 Oval station closed 06.05 to 17.05 (reopened exit only) and 17.20 (fully open) – escalator defects.
 Northern Line suspended Edgware – Camden Town 07.40 to 08.05 – signal failure at Golders
Green (which began at 07.15).
 Eastbound Piccadilly and northbound Victoria Line trains non-stopped Finsbury Park 09.40 to
10.30 – flooding.
 Old Street station closed 12.00 to 12.30 – fire equipment defect.
 Bakerloo Line suspended north of Queen’s Park 20.05 to midnight – Network Rail signal failure at
Stonebridge Park.
 Victoria Line suspended south of Victoria 21.15 to 21.40 – points failure at Brixton.
On Wednesday 2 May the Bakerloo Line suffered with ‘severe delays’ from 09.25 to 12.30 because
of another Network Rail signal failure at Stonebridge Park. The LU service north of Queen’s Park
was reduced to 3tph with those trains working through the area under failure conditions, with seven
trains being cancelled at midday. A report of smoke in the tunnel suspended the Victoria Line south
of Victoria from 13.25 to 14.45. The movement of trains at Victoria was limited because of the
detraining and reversing procedures – the 24tph service was more than could be accommodated
with blocking back on the southbound line approaching Victoria. The day ended with East Putney
station closing from 22.20 until the end of traffic because of a local power failure. Then just after
midnight there was a SPAD by a westbound train at East Putney which, coupled with problems with
the incident train, suspended the Wimbledon branch until the end of traffic.
East Putney station remained closed at the start of traffic on Thursday 3 May because of a
recurrence of the local power failure, opening for business at 05.50. Later in the day, insufficient
lighting closed the eastbound platform from 19.30 until 20.30. Another local power failure closed
Heathrow T123 station from 05.45 until 06.50. A passenger ill on a London Overground train at
Gunnersbury suspended the District Line’s Richmond branch from 09.00 to 09.25. A defective
westbound Jubilee Line train at Westminster from 10.55 caused a 25-minute delay ‘through the road’
while it was moved at reduced speed to West Hampstead siding. With all 36 Victoria Line trains ‘on
the road’ for the evening peak, a signal failure Euston on both tracks at 17.45 caused extensive
blocking back on the approaches to the failure area until it was cleared at 18.40. A person reported
trackside at Westbourne Park suspended the Hammersmith branch from 20.40 to 21.10.
Angel station failed to open until 06.55 on Friday 4 May because of escalator defects. A cracked rail
on the westbound Piccadilly Line at King’s Cross and a 5mph speed restriction imposed resulted in a
number of cancellations throughout the day, reaching a maximum of 10 at one point.
The Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line was suspended from 13.30 to 14.00 on Saturday 5 May
because of a person ill on an eastbound train at South Ealing. Weekend engineering work
prevented trains from being diverted over the eastbound local line to Acton Town. East Ham station
closed from 22.35 to 23.20 because of a passenger skirmish on the platforms, requiring police
attendance.
The only incident of note on Sunday 6 May was a signal failure at South Kensington from 21.30,
bringing the District and Circle lines to a stand for an hour.
There was nothing to note for Bank Holiday Monday 7 May.
Tuesday 8 May was thus:
 Victoria Line suspended north of Seven Sisters 07.20 to 07.55 – signal track circuit failure at
Walthamstow Central. A repeat failure at 18.50 caused another suspension until 19.35.
 City branch of the Northern Line suspended 10.10 to 11.15 – report of person on the track at
London Bridge.
 Central Line suspended Epping – Woodford 10.40 to 11.10 – defective train at Buckhurst Hill.
 The Bakerloo Line went into a ‘split’ service from 18.45 to 19.45 and again from 21.45 until the
end of traffic because of a Network Rail points failure at Queen’s Park.
The Victoria Line had a delayed start on Wednesday 9 May when an engineer’s train was unable to
return to the Piccadilly Line at Finsbury Park. Instead it was sent to stable in Victoria sidings,
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Underground News
enabling the service to start at 05.35. The combination of a signal failure on the northbound at
Chorleywood and a defective Chiltern Railways train in the same area, suspended services north of
Rickmansworth from 21.25 to 22.10.
Thursday 10 May began with a signal failure on the southbound Metropolitan Line at Swiss Cottage
disused station from 06.15. Trains struggled through the area under failure conditions and 10 trains
were cancelled for the morning peak. This culminated with a suspension south of Wembley Park
from 08.45 to 09.20 while repairs were effected. A smouldering cable under the platform at Hainault
suspended the inner rail between Leytonstone and Woodford via Hainault from 09.40 to 10.10.
Following an intermittent signal failure north of Baker Street from 15.45 of the ‘minor delays’ variety,
service recovery was then hampered with a signal failure on the eastbound at Liverpool Street from
17.40. Services were suspended through the area from 18.15, although the Metropolitan Line had
been terminating at Moorgate since the failure began. The Circle and Hammersmith lines resumed
at 19.20 but the Metropolitan Line remained suspended to the City until 21.10 and even then running
only as far as Moorgate for the rest of the evening. A multiple signal failure on the westbound at
Putney Bridge suspended the District Line west of Parsons Green from 18.45 to 19.20. Theydon
Bois closed at 21.45 because of a local power failure, remaining closed until the end of traffic. The
day ended with a loss of signalling control at Wimbledon, suspending the service west of Putney
Bridge from 23.25, effectively until the close of traffic, with the last train operating under failure
conditions. One stalled westbound train approaching Wimbledon was authorised to return to
Wimbledon Park.
The only items of note on Friday 11 May took place at Gunnersbury on the District Line. At 16.15 a
SPAD by a westbound train caused a 30-minute delay but the service was suspended to and from
Richmond from 18.00 to 18.40 while the track was checked for alleged rail adhesion problems.
Points failing at Gunnersbury Junction then suspended the service to Richmond once again, from
20.50 to 21.45.
Insufficient staffing levels kept Temple station closed until 06.15 on Saturday 12 May while a local
power failure prevented Gunnersbury station from opening until 07.25. A signal failure between
Barking and Upney on the eastbound caused a 20-minute delay for the District Line from 14.00. The
day ended with a person found on the track just west of North Acton Junction on the Ealing
Broadway branch by the A40 road bridge. The Ealing service was suspended from 21.45 until 23.30.
Sunday 13 May was thus:
 Central Line suspended Leytonstone – Bethnal Green from start of traffic until 07.55 – signal
failure at Stratford (the line was suspended Bethnal Green – Marble Arch anyway, for weekend
engineering work).
 Seven Sisters station closed from start of traffic – local power failure. Part of the station opened at
09.05, the remainder at 12.20, only to close again at 13.20. A partial reopen took place at 17.20.
 SSR services suspended through Liverpool Street 12.15 to 13.40 and 14.15 to 14.45 – signal
failure. Circle and H&C services continued under failure conditions with the Metropolitan Line
terminating at Moorgate for the rest of the day.
 Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines suspended west of Rayners Lane 15.45 to 16.20 – operational
problems in Ruislip siding.
 Westminster station closed 17.20 to 17.45 – fire alarm operated.
 Piccadilly Line suspended east of Oakwood from midnight, effectively until the close of traffic –
signal failure at Cockfosters. One train stalled on the approach to Cockfosters was authorised to
return to Oakwood, arriving at 00.55.
A northbound train stalled on departure from Brixton at 16.50 on Monday 14 May, suspending the
service south of Victoria until the offending train had reached Victoria sidings at 17.30. Two signals
failing on the northbound Northern Line at Charing Cross at 22.55 initially caused blocking back but
services were subsequently suspended until 23.45.
Tuesday 15 May was not one of the Underground’s best. On the District Line a cracked rail on
points east of Earl’s Court resulted in delays throughout the day, mostly in the ‘severe’ category, as a
result of a 5mph speed restriction, a reduced service to and from Edgware Road, Ealing and
Richmond, and a shuttle service between Barking and Upminster to aid service recovery. A similar
problem, which went un-noticed information-wise (apart from the passengers caught up in it!) was
another 5mph speed restriction on the southbound approach to Harrow-on-the-Hill, also resulting in
January 2012
113
cancellations, blocking back and very slow progress through the area in the morning peak. At 15.45
the speed restriction was changed to apply to the trains from Amersham and Watford into platform 6
only, easing the situation somewhat. Other problems included:
 Piccadilly Line suspended west of Hounslow Central 12.10 to 12.55 – smoke from under a
westbound train at Hatton Cross. After an all-clear from the fire brigade, the train was sent
back to Northfields depot.
 Euston and Warren Street stations closed 12.55 to 14.05 – suspicious road vehicle between the
stations.
 District and Piccadilly lines suspended through Stamford Brook 13.40 to 14.25 – police
investigating a suspicious item.
 Defective eastbound Jubilee Line train at Bermondsey at 21.00. It eventually moved off in slow
manual to the middle platform at North Greenwich, arriving at 21.55, from when through
services resumed. In the meantime, services were diverted to Charing Cross (empty from and
to Green Park, of course!) and reversed at London Bridge – the crossover at Waterloo still
being out of use.
 An intermittent signal failure on the eastbound approach to Ealing Common from 20.25 resulted
in the Piccadilly Line’s Uxbridge trains being diverted to Northfields from 21.30 until 22.45 with
only a 20-minute Rayners Lane service in consequence.
 A power surge at 23.08 affected lifts and escalators at several stations. Tottenham Hale and
Walthamstow Central closed briefly, with Euston closing until 23.50. The other affected
stations remained open.
Problems with platform edge doors on the westbound at Canary Wharf caused an initial 20-minute
delay from 08.10 on Wednesday 16 May, the defect continuing intermittently until mid-morning. The
Richmond branch of the District Line was suspended from 09.10 for an hour because of Network Rail
points problems at Gunnersbury.
Passenger alarms operated on an eastbound S Stock train leaving Moorgate caused a 20-minute
delay to Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City Line services from 08.30 on Thursday 17
May. A traction earth fault at Wembley Park brought the Jubilee Line to a stand from 17.55 to 19.10,
with services being reversed at Willesden Green and West Hampstead. Train crewing issues
resulted in a ‘special service’ of 30 trains during the evening off-peak. The day ended with an
eastbound A Stock train being unable to depart from Eastcote at 22.35, suspending the Metropolitan
and Piccadilly lines west of Rayners Lane until 23.10. The offending train had to be propelled from
the rear cab.
Friday 18 May was a ‘many and varied’ day, as follows:
 Westbound District Line platform at Victoria closed from start until 07.15 – flooding.
 20-minute delay eastbound at Paddington (Circle and Hammersmith) from 07.50 – passenger ill
on a train. The Metropolitan Line also had a 20-minute delay from the same time with a SPAD
on the northbound at Neasden.
 Southbound Northern Line via Charing Cross suspended 10.00 to 10.30 – SPAD by a
southbound train approaching Mornington Crescent.
 A signal failure on the westbound at Liverpool Street resulted in ‘severe delays’ for the Central
Line from 10.20 and eight cancelled trains by midday.
 A defect on points nearest to platform 2 at Wembley Park discovered at 11.50 resulted in all
northbound trains running via the fast line and omitting stops at Preston Road and Northwick
Park. From 12.40, however, alternate southbound trains from Uxbridge were reversed south
to north in Neasden depot to run northbound via the local line, giving the two stations an
approximate 15-minute service, which continued for the rest of the day.
 Hyde Park Corner closed 16.05 to 16.35 – escalator defects.
 Victoria Line suspended south of Warren Street from 17.15 – defective northbound train at
Green Park. Services resumed at 17.50 after the offending train had reached King’s Cross
siding.
The Ealing Broadway and Rayners Lane services were unable to start up until 06.00 on Saturday 19
May because of incomplete overnight signalling work at Hanger Lane Junction. A C Stock train in
Barking bay platform was unable to move off westbound at 11.05 and in consequence the
Hammersmith & City Line was suspended east of Plaistow until 12.15. The combination of
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insufficient Train Operators, late running and crewing issues at Edgware Road, resulted in
congestion in the Edgware Road area from mid-evening, to the extent that the District Line’s
Edgware Road service terminated at High Street Kensington from 21.30 for an hour to give some
breathing space between trains and the ‘mess’ to be sorted out. The operation of a fire alarm closed
London Bridge LU station from 21.10 to 21.45. Throughout the day, the District Line had a number
of trains cancelled because of Train Operator non-availability.
Signalling problems at Wimbledon resulted in a reduced District Line service to the terminus during
the early morning of Sunday 20 May. The Bakerloo Line was suspended south of Paddington from
14.20 to 15.00 because of a person under a northbound train at Charing Cross. A passenger
deciding to go trackside at Bethnal Green at 20.45 suspended the Central Line west of Leytonstone
(already suspended Bethnal Green to Marble Arch for weekend engineering) until 21.15. In the
meanwhile at 21.00 police chasing a suspect at Redbridge then suspended the line between
Leytonstone and Hainault until 22.15. Rayners Lane station closed from 21.15 to 21.55 because of a
local power failure. Piccadilly Line trains scheduled to reverse at Rayners Lane continued to do so
but detrained passengers at South Harrow.
On Monday 21 May a loss of signalling control between Warren Street and Victoria from 14.15
initially had no impact on the service, with normal operation continuing in a ‘blind’ (as far as the
control room was concerned) area. However, following two minor delays, it was decided to perform a
‘reboot’ for which services were suspended south of Warren Street from 15.40 to 16.10. Two signals
failing on the eastbound at Farringdon from 14.35 caused delays for the Circle and Hammersmith &
City lines, with the Metropolitan Line suspended between Baker Street and the City. There were two
short suspensions while repairs were undertaken, with clear signals from 16.35, the Metropolitan
Line resuming to Aldgate from 17.05.
Tuesday 22 May was one of those ‘not so good’ days for the Underground, best summarised (and
edited!) as follows:
 Jubilee Line in ‘severe delay’ mode for the morning peak with 10 trains cancelled following
overnight rail grinding work, which caused poor rail adhesion in the Green Park area. Green
Park northbound non-stopped 06.25 to 08.30.
 Multiple signal failure southbound at Hampstead from start of traffic with trains having to pass
the affected signals (with authority, of course!) under failure conditions until fixed at 07.05.
 What turned out to be a loose wire caused a signal failure on the southbound Victoria Line at
Victoria from 06.15 which continued until clear at 11.45.
 Intermittent signal failure at Hanger Lane Junction from 09.10 affecting both District and
Piccadilly lines, with Uxbridge trains of the latter being turned short at Ruislip and Rayners
Lane until clear at 10.15. The Piccadilly Line’s Uxbridge service was curtailed again for an
hour from 15.15 with a multiple signal failure on the westbound at Sudbury Hill.
 District Line suspended east of Whitechapel 12.30 to 13.05 – signal failure westbound at Bow
Road which continued until 14.40.
 The Hammersmith & City Line was suspended east of Plaistow from 11.35 – signal failure in
Barking bay platform. It was then suspended east of Moorgate until 14.40 because of the
Bow Road failure (above), when it resumed to Plaistow, and from 16.25 through to Barking.
The H&C was suspended again east of Plaistow from 18.00 to 22.15 because of further
problems at Barking.
 District Line’s Richmond branch suspended 14.40 to 15.25 in consequence of a Network Rail
signal failure at nearby South Acton.
 Piccadilly Line non-stopped Gloucester Road 14.20 to 15.40 – lift defects.
 District Line’s Wimbledon branch suspended 19.00 to 20.00 – signal failure at West Brompton.
 Highgate station closed 19.35 to 21.15 – escalator defects.
 Signal failure Camden Town southbound (Barnet branch) from midnight, delaying the last
southbound trains for 35 minutes.
 Waterloo & City Line suspended 20.35 until end of traffic (21.50) – signal failure at Bank. One
train was stalled approaching Bank and was authorised to return to Waterloo, arriving at
20.55.
January 2012
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Wednesday 23 May could be described as ‘even worse’ with a major train failure on the Jubilee Line
during the evening rush hour. But before that, however, a repeat signal failure at West Brompton
suspended the Wimbledon branch of the District Line again, from 07.40 to 08.25. The Richmond
branch was then suspended from 09.05 to 12.35 because of points failing at Gunnersbury Junction
while from 15.40 to 16.45 District and Piccadilly Line services were suspended through Ealing
Common because of a multiple signal failure on the westbound.
Returning to the Jubilee Line, at 17.20 a northbound train stalled approaching St. John’s Wood with
‘traction package’ problems. Because of the continuing non-availability of the crossover at Waterloo,
services were suspended between London Bridge and Finchley Road. Two trains were stalled, the
incident train and a northbound train behind (which was soon authorised forward to assist the stalled
train). In the meanwhile, Metropolitan Line trains were organised to stop additionally at Willesden
Green. A plan to use the train behind to push the defective train had to be cancelled after the
couplers were found to be misaligned, so ‘plan B’ was to take all passengers back to Baker Street on
the assisting train. By now, this train was also effectively ‘dead’ so the only option was to detrain
both trains and walk their passengers forward to St. John’s Wood. The east end of the line was
suspended between Canary Wharf and London Bridge from 19.05 to 20.35 because of points failing
at the latter. This trapped a westbound train approaching London Bridge which was authorised
forward for detrainment through the leading car onto the platform, which was completed at 20.00.
Back to St. John’s Wood, with the majority of passengers detrained by 20.50, there remained a few
who were unable to walk at track level. Therefore a track trolley from the Emergency Response Unit
was used to take them forward to St. John’s Wood, all being clear by 21.20. By 23.15 the assisting
train was able to push the defective train to Neasden depot, where it arrived at 00.45, thereby
disrupting what remained of the service between Finchley Road and Stanmore for the rest of the day.
The service remained suspended between London Bridge and Finchley Road until the end of traffic
and in general 12 trains operated at the north end of the line and 11 at the east end.
It goes without saying that the Evening Standard (like it or like it not) the following day had a bit of a
field day. In it LUs Operations Director Nigel Holness said “... this is clearly not the level of service
our customers have a right to expect ....”. That must surely be the understatement of the year! And
“TfL Chief Peter Hendy .... admitted there was bound to be more disruption during the Olympics”.
There’s confidence for you ….. (but probably more like the reality).
Above: The offending train, sitting in disgrace on one of the ‘Klondyke’ roads outside Neasden
depot the following day, taken from a passing train. Neither of the all-over-advert “Jubilee” trains
initially had car numbers on the sides, only on the motor car solebars, and even some of those were
missing.
Photo: Paul Bradley
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Underground News
Much of Thursday 24 May belonged to the District and Hammersmith & City lines, with various
problems through the day. These began west of Barking just after 06.00 with a signal failure on the
westbound until 07.05. The Hammersmith & City Line reversed east to west at Plaistow until Barking
bay platform was returned to use at 11.45. A signal failure between Temple and Embankment on
the westbound from the same time then added to the problems. The latter problem proved difficult to
fix and from 07.30 Piccadilly Line trains made additional stops (where they could) between Turnham
Green and Hammersmith, with a limited Ealing – High Street shuttle implemented from 08.15. The
number of cancelled trains at one time reached 20. Once the fault had been found, services were
suspended between Whitechapel and South Kensington from 11.10 to 11.35 while engineers dealt.
With District Line services a little sparse, the Piccadilly Line operated a one-train shuttle service
between Acton Town and Ealing Broadway from 12.00 to 14.00 – train 354 was ‘borrowed’ from the
Northfields – Arnos Grove service. The Wimbledon branch then became disrupted because of a
signal failure on the eastbound at Wimbledon Park from 16.55, resulting in a reduced service west of
Parsons Green until 20.45. In amongst all this, Chalk Farm station closed from 10.00 to 11.35
because of lift defects. Although a relatively ‘shallow’ station, the use of emergency spiral stairs was
not possible because of coincidental flooding.
On Friday 25 May the Northern Line started up late at 06.10 through Camden Town because of a
small fire in a fan shaft. There was a power surge on the National Grid system just before 17.00
which affected a number of stations and their lifts and escalators and also the Waterloo & City Line,
which lost its signalling control and suspended the service until 17.40. Whether this was the cause
of the loss of signalling control at Willesden Junction at 17.05 is unclear, but it suspended the
Bakerloo Line north of Queen’s Park for 30 minutes. A traction earth on the Jubilee Line from 18.15
was eventually traced to be caused by discarded ‘shoes’ touching a positive rail. However, before
the problem was identified (very late in the evening) it was necessary to limit one train in each
direction in the section Baker Street – Finchley Road, impacting heavily on the service, with over
50% of it being cancelled mid-evening. A hoarding which fell onto the track near Kensal Green just
after 19.00 was run over by a southbound Bakerloo Line train, suspending the service north of
Queen’s Park initially but later just between Willesden Junction and Queen’s Park. The passengers
on the incident train were ‘rescued’ by an empty northbound Bakerloo Line train, which was
completed by 20.30. There was no service between Willesden Junction and Queen’s Park for the
rest of the day, with the incident train returning to Stonebridge Park via Kilburn High Road soon after
midnight. The foregoing is just a taster of what else went on during the day, although admittedly with
less serious delays than already encountered.
On Saturday 26 May a defect on the platform surface at Barkingside meant that outer rail
(westbound) trains non-stopped from 13.45 to 14.55, while Holland Park station had to close from
14.45 to 16.55 because of a burst water main outside. SSR services were suspended through
Euston Square from 17.35 to 18.10 because of a defective westbound Metropolitan Line S Stock
train.
Sunday 27 May was thus:
 District Line suspended west of Earl’s Court 07.20 to 08.00 – signal failure at West Kensington.
 Piccadilly Line trains non-stopped Gloucester Road from 10.50 – lift defects. A handful of
passengers in a stalled lift were rescued via a ladder and out through the lift’s roof. Station
reopened at 16.40.
 Kentish Town station closed 13.35 to 14.40 – passenger fall on an escalator.
 Jubilee Line suspended West Hampstead – London Bridge 15.10 to 16.05 – signal failure at
Finchley Road.
 Hounslow West station closed 18.00 to 18.30 – unattended item in close-by retail outlet.
Monday 28 May kicked off with four separate District Line signal failures from the start of traffic – at
Southfields, West Ham, Temple westbound and Westminster eastbound, the latter pair being related
to the signalling associated with the floodgates at Embankment. Suffice to say that the District Line
was variously suspended with each problem. The Southfields failure was clear by 06.00 but
problems at West Ham continued until clear signals at 08.20. The Hammersmith & City Line, which
had been suspended east of Moorgate since its beginning, finally began to Barking at 09.10. The
failure at Embankment wasn’t clear until 09.30, with service recovery taking some time to achieve.
There were 20 District Line and 13 H&C trains cancelled for the morning peak, while a reporter
January 2012
117
counted 13 extra D Stock trains in Ealing Common depot late morning. A person under a
northbound Bakerloo Line train at Oxford Circus suspended services south of Paddington from 13.30
until 14.35 with Oxford Circus station remaining closed until 14.50. This incident resulted in just
seven trains in service as it drew to a close. A passenger taken ill on the northbound platform at
Dollis Hill at 15.30 resulted in northbound trains non-stopping until 16.20, when the station closed
completely. The station reopened at 17.55 but closed again between 18.20 and 18.40. .
Tuesday 29 May was as follows:
 Piccadilly Line Rayners Lane/Uxbridge service suspended from 06.45 – defective eastbound
train at Sudbury Hill. Once the offending train reached Acton Town sidings at 07.35, services
resumed.
 Bakerloo Line suspended Piccadilly Circus – Paddington 07.45 to 08.10 – defective northbound
train at Edgware Road.
 Hammersmith & City Line suspended east of Moorgate 09.25 to 12.10 – signal failure
eastbound at Bow Road. The District Line continued to run under failure conditions.
 Metropolitan Line suspended Baker Street – Aldgate 09.40 to 10.30 – signal failure at Aldgate.
The Hammersmith & City Line was already suspended because of the problems (above) at
Bow Road and therefore Moorgate wasn’t available for reversing Metropolitan Line trains.
 Piccadilly Line suspended east of Oakwood 11.40 to 12.05 – signal failure at Cockfosters.
 Leicester Square station closed 12.40 to 15.00 – local power failure.
Wednesday 30 May began with a signal failure at Piccadilly Circus, suspending the Bakerloo Line
south of Paddington until 06.15. A track defect on the southbound Metropolitan Line just south of
Wembley Park resulted in a 5mph speed restriction imposed with eight trains cancelled for the
evening peak. The Richmond branch of the District Line was suspended from 14.50 to 15.35
because of a defective London Overground train at Gunnersbury. An eastbound Jubilee Line train
stalled approaching Canary Wharf at 15.15, suspending the service from Green Park and throughout
the ‘extension’. The offending train was moved to the middle platform at North Greenwich with
services resuming an hour later, but it cost the evening peak 13 cancelled trains.
The District Line occupied much of Thursday 31 May, beginning with points failing at Ealing
Common and Earl’s Court and a multiple signal failure at Mansion House. Services began through
Ealing Common 45 minutes late, at Earl’s Court towards Gloucester Road at 05.55, and eastbound
through Mansion House at 06.55. Effectively, the collection of these three eastbound failures meant
little or no eastbound service through to Upminster – the inner rail Circle Line began at 08.00. A
multiple Network Rail signal failure at Richmond suspended the Richmond branch from 14.50 with
two trains stalled west of Kew Gardens in consequence. The second was authorised to return to
Kew Gardens (arrive 16.00) but the leading stalled train didn’t reach Richmond until 16.35. Services
resumed at 17.15 but normality was short lived because of a defective train at Parsons Green,
creating a 20-minute delay to the Wimbledon branch.
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Underground News
UNDERGROUND ITEMS FROM THE TELEVISION
AN OCCASIONAL SERIES
by Paul Creswell
THE TUBE
Monday 20 February 2012 and weekly until Monday 26 March 2012. BBC2 from 21.00 to 22.00.
The review for the first two programmes (on Mondays 20 and 27 February 2012) appeared in the
previous issue of Underground News on pages 309-313.
MONDAY 5 MARCH 2012 (3 OF 6)
This programme covered the operational management of the system, suicides, and special events.
Since some readers may not be keen to read about suicides, this section is dealt with first. If you
wish to skip it, please start again at the intermittent horizontal line, six paragraphs hence.
Northern Line driver Peter Kappa is, as well as being a driver, a ‘trauma counsellor’ for his
colleagues. We followed an incident on the Northern Line, where a woman fell in front of a train and
was trapped for a time. (If subsequent views shown were actually relevant, it would have been at
Bank). A female Customer Services Assistant was first to reach the victim and attempted to keep
her alive and comfort her. She was trapped by her lower torso and her head was over the platform
edge, but she was able to speak. Peter spoke to her (the Customer Services Assistant) and also to
the driver involved. He mentioned that some drivers do not wish to be counselled, but there is then
the risk that their feelings might surface elsewhere -they may ‘take it out’ on their families, or suffer
many nightmares re-living the incident. It can ruin lives. One driver on the Central Line took the view
that “if they want to jump, let them jump!”, but, if it does happen, you will feel like a murderer. Peter
Kappa told us that he had never actually had a successful ‘jump’ when he was driving, but two
people had attempted it. The woman died of her injuries about a week later.
Towards the end of the programme, there was a fatality at Euston, which ‘shut down’ the Victoria
Line. Rather strangely, in the platform views shown, the ‘bullseyes’ were ‘ghosted’, presumably so
that the station could not be identified by the programme's viewers. Now your reviewer puzzles as to
why this was done – there are only sixteen stations on the Victoria Line anyway and the ‘top level’
pictures clearly showed the main line station at Euston! It was also most clearly a very short station
name, ruling out many of the other fifteen candidates!
The Emergency Response Unit (E.R.U.) were in attendance and two members of the unit, Tony
Hatch and Paul McCarthy, provided us with some background. Paul told us that he had approached
his first ‘one under’ with some fear and an adrenalin rush, but now it was just the adrenalin as he no
longer feared attending such incidents..
The man involved at Euston was dead (presumably on impact with the train and/or the drop into the
‘suicide pit’). The E.R.U. and Fire Brigade needed the power put on so as to move the train clear of
the body, but it was already off to allow passengers stranded on other trains, between stations, to be
escorted to various platforms. Eventually, traction current was restored and the train was then
moved clear of the body. The E.R.U. produced gloves and a body bag and, with the assistance of
some Fire Brigade staff, the body was removed from the track. Paul McCarthy told us that it was
difficult to actually place your hands on a body, but you are no good to the team if you cannot do it.
He also said that he had known a family friend who had committed suicide this way and he could
visualise, much better than many people, the scene that his colleagues had to deal with at the time.
You cannot really discuss your day’s work with your family over the dinner table, particularly if a
suicide was involved.
The driver involved, Tony Barratt, described the event as an ‘occupational hazard’. He had seen the
man jump and he seemed to ‘float’ across the front of the train and then drop down. He had
detrained his passengers and was a little uncertain of what he should do beyond that. Most of the
passengers (on the platform) seemed oblivious to what had happened. He had known drivers with
25 years service not to have had a ‘one under’, but others with much less service had known two or
three.
January 2012
119
Closed circuit television of the man involved was shown, as he seemed to ‘prepare’ for what he was
about to do. (The actual 'jump' not being shown, naturally). Not only did the E.R.U. have to remove
the body, but they had to clear the track of any residue, later giving the tools involved a good rinsing
back at their base, some two hours after the incident. The body was eventually removed by the
Coroner. Another (unidentified) member of the E.R.U. told us that you never get used to suicides,
however many times you attend such incidents. He was sure there would be many more in the
future!
The programme commenced, not unnaturally, with the start of the working day. We joined driver
Dylan Glenister (one of some 3,200 drivers) as he prepared his Piccadilly Line train for service at (we
were told) ‘Acton’ depot! Your reviewer thinks it looked almost certainly (and logically as well) like
Northfields depot. He enjoys his job, helping with ‘the life flow of London’. He also felt that the
Piccadilly Line was the best line! He particularly enjoyed emerging from the tunnel at Arnos Grove in
the evening and seeing the brilliant sunsets that could sometimes be enjoyed at the east end of the
line.
There are some four thousand incidents each year of someone being injured. Two thousand five
hundred involve falls on stairs or escalators, five hundred are on platforms and some forty of the total
are classified as ‘serious’. The Network Operations Centre (N.O.C.) are at the heart of all responses
to emergencies and incidents across the system’s 274 stations and 526 trains. Andy Hogg, an
N.O.C. duty manager related that the centre can go from ‘abject boredom to organised chaos’ in a
moment.
For many incidents (generally of a more serious nature), the Emergency Response Unit are in
attendance, travelling in a road vehicle equipped with all manner of emergency equipment, hopefully
to be able to meet any situation they encounter on the track or at a station. We saw the Unit’s squad
checking the equipment at the start of their shift, much in the manner that television viewers will have
seen practiced by ambulance and fire engine crews, before starting duty.
Viewers accompanied British Transport Police officer Kim Dyte (name not shown, so spelling
assumed) and her colleague Mic. Scott, as they went about their various duties. They are two of
seven hundred officers who are responsible for the main line railways as well as the Underground.
Kim explained that she is always on the alert, as she never knows what people will do to her. At
Oxford Circus, she explained that the station suffered from a lot of theft and also from pick-pocketing.
She was seen stopping a quite tall man who had been using a child’s ticket. A light had flashed on
the barrier to indicate that a child ticket had been used.
At the B.T.P. London control room, we were shown how each officer was ‘tracked’ by global
positioning satellites, so that their location was always shown on a map. This meant that they could
be given routing guidance, in, for instance, a case of track trespass, which might mean they needed
to be guided to the nearest access point, rather than a specific station.
We moved on to ‘special' events’, which, in this case, was the Notting Hill Carnival in west London.
At the Network Operations Centre, Andy Hogg told us about station closures, stations becoming ‘in’
only or ‘out’ only for periods and also about the ‘hot spare’ (i.e. with a driver) trains kept ready at
various locations to deal with sudden crowd surges. Driver John Pounder (Hammersmith and City
Line) told us that the Carnival crowds are a lot larger than those in peak hours. Victoria Martin, a
driver on the same line, told us that, whilst she makes announcements, many people do not listen as
they are concentrating on their iPads, iPhones and other such ‘electronic gizmos’.
At King’s Cross/St. Pancras, B.T. Police officers watched the crowds arriving from Inter-City trains
and carried out ‘stop and search’ (seeking weapons and drugs) in some cases. The individuals
searched (where they were interviewed for the film) seemed happy that it was needed, though
naturally objected to finding they themselves the subject of police attention! A ‘knife arch’ was
available also, but not much in use as ‘stop and search’ was a better tactic. A sniffer dog was also
present.
At Notting Hill Gate (Central Line), Andy George, Duty Reliability Manager, explained some of the
techniques used to handle the large crowds. Sometimes, if a large number of people were leaving
the platform, the next train would approach. Not wanting this train to add to the crowds trying to get
off the platform, he would instruct the driver to enter the platform at slow speed, thus giving extra
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Underground News
time for the platform to empty and also making the platform much safer for the exiting crowds. At
18.00, the station ceased being ‘exit only’ and, once Andy had agreed matters with the police officers
at street level, passengers were now also permitted to enter. Intending passengers had to dispose
of any alcohol before entering the station. With some extra trains, the Central Line platforms were
now trying to cope with some 21 trains per hour. Police activity became a bit more ‘hard line’ with the
homeward bound crowds, so as to try to deter disturbances of any sort.
Extra staff were deployed to assist in handling such a popular event. This even included Howard
Collins, the Chief Operating Officer of the Underground, who, apparently, carries out this duty every
year. One imagines that his normal duties do not include being hugged by passing female revellers?
It might have been worse, but we were not shown any men hugging him! He told us, incidentally,
that he was raised in Trinidad.
There were forty-two arrests during the carnival and no ‘serious’ incidents, though whether that was
just Underground related incidents or included the carnival streets as well was not made clear.
Animals also cause problems on the system. We followed the Emergency Response Unit as they
dealt with a fox on the tunnel section of the Metropolitan Line. Frank Murphy (of the E.R.U.)
arranged with the Line Controller to board a southbound train at Finchley Road (train 441 for the
record) and to then proceed normally to Lords disused station, where its speed was reduced. Just
after the ‘hump’ over the Regent’s Canal they located the body of a (dead) fox that had assumedly
been hit by a train. They recovered it from the track (taking the driver’s train key for their protection
whilst doing so) and ‘bagged’ it. The driver asked what they would do with it and he was told that it
would be stored (with other deceased mammals) in a fridge until a proper disposal was arranged
later. From the way the driver put the question, your reviewer imagined he expected the answer
“cook it for the gang’s lunch”, (or similar). Foxes, badgers and even small deer have been
encountered on such incident attendances. During the train’s stop the driver advised his passengers
of a slight delay, but not the reason! The shot of train 441 at (clearly) Finchley Road was followed by
a very short shot of Baker Street – why? This idea (irrelevant shots interspersing relevant ones) was
a continuous feature of each of the six programmes.
Ann O’Grady (Bakerloo Line driver) told us she had once dealt with a live swan, with its neck over the
rail. She had ‘shooed’ it to one side, only to notice that it was also limping, with, presumably, an
injured foot.
MONDAY 12 MARCH 2012 (4 OF 6)
This programme covered the handling of passengers during service disruptions, enlargement of
stations and introduction of new rolling stock.
A start was made at Victoria, where Carl Downer, Kerry Phillips and Natalie Rhule (Customer Service
Assistants) and Lee Carter (Station Control Assistant) informed us of some of the difficulties of
running the underground’s busiest station. The peak lasts until about 09.30, when the end of that
period sees the start of the ‘tourist’ period. More people seem to want to use the underground than it
can carry. ‘Fights’ are sometimes seen between passengers as they push to be first in the crowd to
get through a barrier – they seem to think that they are more important than anyone else. In ten
years, passengers have increased by about a third and the station was not designed for the traffic
now passing through. In this respect, Victoria has become a major problem.
We witnessed ‘crowd control’ in operation, in order to avoid the platforms becoming totally
overcrowded. Passengers were held at the inward barriers, though some were clearly seen ignoring
staffs requests to wait a while. An interviewed passenger said that it was frustrating never knowing if
you will get anywhere when you arrive at a station.
At the Network Operations Centre, Andy Hogg (Duty Manager) told us that the system was under
great pressure and that it carried more passengers each day than the whole of the national rail
network.
Proving that overcrowding was not a new problem, archive film showed us the (then) new rolling
stock for the Victoria Line which (with the line itself just recently opened) was intended to put paid to
overcrowding along its route. Cobourg Street control room was also glimpsed.
David Waboso (Capital Programmes Director) mentioned that the Underground was spending some
ten billion pounds on the various up-grades, modernising tracks, stations and trains. He spoke to the
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camera in a first class compartment (probably on his way to Old Dalby) and pointed out that you
cannot shut down (completely) to carry out the civil engineering work. At Old Dalby test track, he
tried out driving a new S Stock and had a look at the current problem with ‘door edge detectors’,
which was having massive effects on the Victoria Line (see later). He mentioned the problems that
‘steel wheel on steel rail’ could have when dealing with leaves, wet, ice and snow. Hopefully,
sanders now being fitted would overcome at least some of these factors.
The scene moved to Tottenham Court Road and the massive re-building taking place there. We
were told the station opened in 1900, when it saw about 20,000 passengers each day. Now it sees
more like 150,000, and is being rebuilt to about six times the previous size. As a result, the Northern
Line platforms were being closed for seven months, leaving just the Central Line to serve the station.
Part of an interview with ITV’s London evening news was shown, as was a clear view of car 51724
on the Northern Line.
The working areas were visited and various aspects were explained by Ben Thomson and Luke
Hume (Site Managers), David McLaughlin (Pit Boss) and Sam Azubuike (Banksman). (Your
reviewer wonders if he will ever work at Bank station?!). The latter explained how he was the ‘eyes’
of the surface crane driver when the equipment was lowered down the shaft and when rubble was
brought up to the surface. One of the objectives of the re-build was to improve the (currently quite
difficult) interchange between the two lines. Because the works were taking place in London clay,
each new/widened tunnel was excavated a short distance with the surfaces then sprayed with
‘shotcrete’ before proceeding further. This was to avoid the possible collapse of the clay into the
hole excavated. Work to reshape the platform walls (to give about two feet extra space on the
platform, by ‘straightening’ the curved platform wall) took place behind a barrier, with trains still
running on the other side. The platform excavations could only be carried out by hand and the onehundred year old concrete had become really hard with the passage of time. We saw the miniature
railway which runs along the platforms to carry equipment and spoil. (Your reviewer guesses that it
was about eighteen inch gauge). David said he had been forty-four years ‘down holes’ and would
probably die in one!
Moving to the ‘public’ side of the station, Barry Griffiths (Customer Service Assistant) told us that, in
his sixteen years on the system, this was the biggest disruption he had witnessed. In helping
passengers to find alternative routes away from the closed Northern Line, he said that the system
map was a real boon. Even if tourists spoke no English, he could use it to show them how to get to
their destination by another route.
Events moved to the Victoria Line, where we were shown the effects of a fairly major incident. The
line had been closed for a bank holiday weekend and re-opened on the following Tuesday, following
work on the signalling. The new signalling gave problems on the Tuesday, which, it would seem,
persisted for much of that day, the line finally being suspended between Highbury & Islington and
Seven Sisters as the evening peak commenced, even after a ‘false start’ a little earlier on. A
suspension (in this case part only) was what the ‘bosses’ feared most, said George Mclnulty, Head of
Infrastructure. However, the only way to ‘fix’ the problem was to close the affected section of line. At
the Network Operations Centre it was added that, even when the problem is finally fixed, it takes
quite a while to build the trains service back up to normal, with the possibility that it would still not be
right by the end of service. One of the problems with railways is that so little is seen by the
passengers, mainly just the trains and stations. They are largely unaware of the power/track/control
systems/ signalling and radio aspects of operations.
David Waboso called for a ‘post mortem’ of the massive disruption caused by the above failure.
Extracts from letters from delayed passengers were shown on a slide on the wall during this meeting.
The feeling was conveyed that not enough was known about the new equipment prior to it's
installation on the track.
Returning to Victoria, we saw passengers being given assistance to board and alight from the
escalators. Graeme Shaw, Head of Station upgrade, told us there were only two escalators available
to and from the Victoria Line, as others were out of use for replacement. Passengers were seen
standing two to each step. It was costing three million pounds to carry out the replacements, which
would extend their life by twenty to forty years, depending on the usage they received. We saw a
step being fitted, a task that has to be done one at a time. The work was carried out to tolerances of
just a millimetre and was ‘technically challenging’.
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A train was experiencing door problems (the edge detectors again, see above and below), which
meant the driver had to walk the length of the train (and, of course, back again) to investigate and
rectify events.
At Northumberland Park depot, a new carriage arrived, on a road trailer from Derby. The rails to
connect the trailer to the depot trackwork were put in position. Martin Dalby (surname as the test
track!), Fleet Introduction Manager, said the new trains were faster and would thus allow more
passengers to be carried as more trains could run. One of the old driving motor cars (3060) was
seen shunting this new arrival (14088) on to road 39 in the depot, to join its already arrived
‘colleagues’ to begin forming a complete new train. The interviewer asked him about the fate of the
old trains and was told they would be fitted with tripcocks and sent to Acton to be scrapped. Bearing
in mind previous comments made (above) about passengers’ understanding of anything beyond
stations and trains, your reviewer wonders what they made of ‘tripcocks’!
We joined Piccadilly Line driver Dylan Glenister, who made a service announcement to his
passengers, followed by a request to his ‘Mum’ for the dinner menu that evening! Though this went
unexplained, it was assumedly made (deliberately) to let the passengers think he had left the
microphone on whilst ringing his ‘Mum’ on his mobile phone! He loved the job and wanted to
‘preserve’ the cab of a train when they reached the end of their lives. He ‘saw’ it in his lounge and
(surprisingly!) his wife apparently agreed to the idea. One wonders whether this was his wife’s way
of humouring him – what would transpire if he actually managed to eventually buy one!
The final run of the ‘old’ (1967) Stock on the Victoria Line was covered, as all the new trains had now
been delivered. A ‘ceremonial’ send off was given for the last of the ‘veterans’ and to train operator
Boz Gunduz (shown on the credits as a driver!) fell this privilege. We saw the headboard showing
‘March 1969 to July 2011’ fixed to train 247 (assuming that running number was correct when the
depot picture was taken). Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer was at Victoria to see the train
arrive (and, probably, travel on it, though that was not confirmed). He advised viewers that these
were the first trains to run without a driver, in automatic operation. He chatted to a member of staff
who had travelled on the first train to Brixton (1971) and now intended to travel on the last (of that
stock) to make the same trip. The camera crew interviewed the group of enthusiasts (all of about
sixteen years of age) who also made this ‘last’ journey. The interviews appeared to take place in the
Vauxhall and Stockwell areas. One of the group had a hand-made poster (i.e. he had used a
computer to produce a ‘montage’) which appeared to show a 1967 Stock on a tour at, your reviewer
thought, either Uxbridge or Cockfosters?
Back at Tottenham Court Road, Barry Griffiths (Customer Service Assistant) notified a station
cleaner about some ‘wee’ that needed clearing. This reminded him to relate the story of the ‘secret
crapper’ on the Northern Line platforms! This happened, over quite a period of time, and it was
thought that he/she did not actually perform on the platform, but brought the matter with him/her in
their pocket! He also mentioned about having to get people to rush along for their last trains.
Ann O'Grady (Bakerloo Line driver) liked the trains on her line, where they were old and there were
no computers to worry about, as on other lines, so you had to ‘use your brain’. Asked by the
interviewer what she would do when the Bakerloo's trains were modernised, she said that she would
probably retire.
We then re-joined Boz Gunduz (see above), who told us that the new trains made his life much
easier as they were so much nicer to drive. They were much easier on the elbows and shoulders
than the older stock. He had wanted to be an astronaut in his younger days, but had ended up
underground instead of in the stratosphere!
At Seven Sisters Control Room18, it was explained that there were more trains than platforms on the
Victoria Line, so, in an incident situation, you could not get each of the thirty-one19 trains to a
platform. We watched as a train (at Seven Sisters) was delayed whilst the driver had to walk the
length of the train to investigate a fault with the sensitive door edges (and then, of course, walk back
again). Quite naturally, the whole service very soon became delayed as a consequence.
18
19
Station control room, or Line Control room in Northumberland Park depot? This wasn’t made clear in the programme.
The actual platforms on the Victoria Line comprise 16x2 plus one extra at Seven Sisters (i.e. the bay platform), making
a total of 33 platform faces. Trains in service at the time of filming was 37, now 36. The information by your reviewer
was as broadcast!
January 2012
123
At Oxford Circus, Control Room Assistant Olu Osinuga explained how the station sometimes has to
be closed when the platforms become overcrowded. This leads to passengers complaining and, in
some cases, swearing. Some stick their foot in the closing door. Most do not want to take
alternative routes and just wait for the station to re-open, come ‘rain or snow’! Ticket clerk Stan Neill,
with thirty-one years on the job, enjoys meeting the various people involved.
David Waboso arranged a ‘conference call’ with the train manufacturers (presumably this was
Bombardier, but the name was not mentioned). Regarding the sensitive door edges, he emphasised
that he was looking at basic engineering and asked what was the designed-in reliability, etc.? He
questioned whether LUL should continue to accept trains from the manufacturer until reliability was
shown to have improved quite markedly.
Back at Northumberland Park depot, engineer Tara Parandeh explained that efforts were being
made to test possible modifications to the sensitive door edges, so that they would respond to items
being pulled from outside the train, but not to items being pulled from inside the train. It was thought
that modifications might take some six months and cost around three million pounds.
Returning to Tottenham Court Road, it was 04.00 on the day that the Northern Line platforms were
being handed back to public use. Hoardings explained the ‘up-date’ so far. Barry Griffiths
(mentioned earlier) took a look around the ‘new’ areas and rather expected passengers to be
‘underwhelmed’, as the scale of change was not what they might have expected after many months
of platform closures. Passengers interviewed seemed to agree with him, but (as he pointed out) they
have yet to see the whole scheme – this was just the beginning.
David Waboso and Howard Collins visited Tottenham Court Road and took a good look around. It
will take four years to finish the whole up-date, which is designed to cope with two-hundred thousand
people a day. David Waboso explained that, four or five years ago, it was expected that a total of
some four million passengers a day (for the whole system) was anticipated to be reached by about
2018. However, this figure was then reached by 2011. So the up-graded station may not even be
big enough in the fairly near future. Howard Collins remarked that, when you fix one point, as here,
the problems then simply move along to another ‘pinch point’!
Your reviewer was most interested in thoughts expressed that signalling equipment was not checked
enough before being installed. He left the Signal Department of London Underground a quarter
century ago (in August 1987), at a time when similar things were happening, in that we were taking in
‘outside’ manufactured ‘black boxes’ where little seemed to be either known or understood about
what made them ‘tick’ or, more importantly ‘not tick’ under certain circumstances. It is now twentyfive years later and little seems to have changed!
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EDITED PRESS RELEASES
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
NEW BIG BEN ARTWORK FOR
GLOUCESTER ROAD UNDERGROUND STATION
6 June 2012
From 12 June 2012 passengers will be treated to an epic artwork which has been created for the 18
arches that span the length of the disused platform at Gloucester Road Underground station. This
latest installation is by international artist Sarah Morris and was commissioned by Art on the
Underground. As trains enter the station passengers will see a spectrum of evolving colour as they
travel past the many arches. This progression recalls the countdown to a spectacle or event, and
also parallels the way in which a train pulls in and out of the station. Recognised for her brightly
coloured and complex paintings and installations Sarah Morris’s work for Gloucester Road derives
from a painting of Big Ben that she created as one of the twelve posters for the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
CROSSRAIL
CROSSRAIL SUBMITS OVER-SITE DEVELOPMENT
APPLICATION FOR FARRINGDON STATION
19 June 2012
Crossrail and development partner Cardinal Lysander have submitted a joint planning application to
the London Borough of Islington and the City of London Corporation for an over-site development
above the western entrance of Farringdon Crossrail station. The 207,000 sq ft development, located
at the corner of Cowcross Street and Farringdon Road, will comprise six storeys of high-quality office
space, with retail units at street level. The building has been carefully designed to integrate with
Crossrail’s operating station and will also improve local views of St. Paul’s Cathedral. By 2018
Farringdon will be one of Britain’s busiest rail stations, linking Crossrail, Thameslink and London
Underground services. The proposed developments will accelerate the area’s regeneration, helping
Farringdon re-emerge as a destination in its own right.
Farringdon Crossrail station will comprise two platform tunnels, each the length of two football
pitches, linking two new ticket halls. The western ticket hall will be shared with Thameslink services,
and will have an entrance on Cowcross Street, directly opposite Farringdon Underground station.
The eastern ticket hall will have entrances at the Long Lane end of the station, on Lindsey Street and
Hayne Street. It will also link directly with the existing London Underground platforms at Barbican
station.
FIRST TBM COMPONENTS ARRIVE
FOR CROSSRAIL’S EASTERN TUNNELS
20 June 2012
Assembly of Crossrail’s next 1,000 tonne tunnel boring machine (TBM), Elizabeth, has today
commenced at Limmo Peninsula in east London. During the next four months, components for the
150 metre long machine will be transported to the Limmo worksite from Tilbury Docks and
reassembled before being lowered in sections into two huge shafts. Once fully assembled below
ground, Elizabeth will begin constructing the first of Crossrail’s two eastern running tunnels between
Docklands and central London.
Workers have reached the temporary bottom of the two huge launch shafts and have commenced
work on sprayed concrete lined tunnels to connect the two shafts. The larger of the two shafts is 30
metres in diameter and will be 44 metres deep when completed. Limmo Peninsula, located adjacent
to Canning Town station, is a key Crossrail worksite from where Elizabeth and Victoria will be
launched. The machines will construct Crossrail’s longest tunnel section running 8.3 km (5.16 miles)
to Farringdon station via Canary Wharf, Whitechapel and Liverpool Street.
Victoria is due to commence tunnelling this winter and completed her factory testing last week. This
means that four of the eight Crossrail TBMs have now been manufactured.
CROSSRAIL AWARDS MAJOR TOTTENHAM COURT
ROAD STATION CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT
22 June 2012
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125
Crossrail today announced its intention to award the main construction contract for the Western
Ticket Hall at Tottenham Court Road to Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd. In line with European
procurement rules the contract is subject to a ten-day standstill period.
Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station will be directly connected to the neighbouring Underground
station allowing passengers to interchange between Crossrail and London Underground services.
Following completion of the works, a major over-site development will be constructed above the
Crossrail station.
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Underground News
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
28.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – LU are to start paying financial compensation to passengers who
suffer major disruption after hundreds of people were trapped in a tunnel for up to three hours. How
much travellers will be entitled to is still to be determined, but the sum would be on top of refunded
ticket money. It could apply to passengers stranded on trains for a long time or who have to walk
along tracks to safety. It follows the decision to pay £40 to each of the 800 passengers caught up in
last Wednesday’s Jubilee Line chaos Passengers were stranded in sweltering heat for up to three
hours before being walked to safety.
30.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from Glenn Lawes – “Why, oh why can’t there be more
trains from Watford? Also I think we should invade somewhere to take our minds of the awful
Jubilee Line”.
30.05.12 EVENING STANDARD – Canning Town used to be the sort of place outsiders described
as “close knit” – a gritty, working class district famous for brawny dockers and boxing clubs. For
years it languished outside the property market. Developers feared to tread, deterred by sprawling
council estates and the bleak landscape. But the council-backed regeneration is transforming the
scene and the area is being touted as a new hotspot. Sandwiched between Canary Wharf and
Stratford, the location cannot be ignored. Transport-wise it is one of the most under-used hubs in
London. On the Jubilee Line, it also has a DLR station and a whacking great bus station.
01.06.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – A Watford councillor has pointed to the parking mayhem
around Cassiobury Park caused by the recent warm spell, as being another reason to keep Watford
Met. station open after the completion of the Croxley Rail Link.
01.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground passengers will be able to access the internet from
their laptops, tablets and mobiles while waiting for trains this summer. Virgin Media is providing the
technology. The original plan to let passengers access the internet as trains travel between stations
was ruled out because of the cost of upgrading the lines.
07.06.12 METRO – The Underground will fail to cope when millions of extra passengers descend on
London for the Olympics in seven weeks, insiders have told the Metro. The creaking 150-year-old
network will buckle under the extra workload and turn the capital into a “laughing stock”. One senior
LU employee said: “It is simply not ready and there is nothing we can do about it. It will not be able
to cope with the extra numbers. The attitude at LU seems to be: ‘Let’s just wait to see what happens
– there’s little more we can do now’”. London has spent £9.3 billion preparing for the event but the
Underground and rail network was found to be wanting during the past weekend’s Diamond Jubilee
celebrations. Cuts to the number of safety inspections on tracks, trains and escalators ahead of the
Games is already taking its toll, unions say. TfL is urging commuters to leave work later or find other
ways of getting to work to ease the pressure. A TfL spokesman said: “We are confident not
complacent”.
07.06.12 THE TIMES – For anyone trying to get home from the River Pageant, it was as though
training had begun for the biggest queuing event of the summer – the Olympic Games. And indeed
it had. Transport planners used Sunday’s event as a dry-run for the Olympics. Entrances were
closed to key mainline stations and the police were called in to corral spectators into one-way
systems. The Twittersphere buzzed with complaints from passengers kept in the rain outside
mainline stations or barred from Underground stations that had become exit only. “Looks like this
has not been good dress rehearsal for Olympics,” tweeted Christian Wolmar. The watchdog
Passenger Focus agreed: ”As dry runs go, it was not great for the railway”.
07.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – TEXT from Sue – “I was a passenger on the Tube train trapped
between Stratford and Mile End yesterday afternoon. Despite reports to the contrary, throughout the
70-minute ordeal the train driver kept passengers regularly informed, whenever he had information to
impart. The evacuation was efficiently and safely handled, and passengers remained calm and well
behaved throughout”.
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07.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Could there be a new owner of Battersea Power Station?
Malaysian company SP Setia has entered an “exclusive agreement” with receivers Ernst & Young, to
buy the site for £400M. Existing planning permission requires full restoration of the listed building,
estimated to cost an additional £600M. Restoring the facade and chimneys only, would cost far less,
but would need new planning consent. Wandsworth council may also want an explanation of the
Malaysians’ commitment “to the construction of a new Underground station”. The existing
permission requires any developer to contribute £200M to a new Underground Northern Line spur to
Battersea, not just a new station.
07.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Blundering workmen flooded the Underground with 2M litres of
water as they tried to fix a leaking pipe – causing chaos for hundreds of thousands of commuters.
Thames Water started one of the Underground’s biggest safety scares by sending torrents
cascading onto the Central line. Hundreds of passengers were stranded for two hours, then had to
escape along the tracks. A senior LU source said: “We are usually to blame when things go wrong
but this time we can say “it wasn’t our fault, guv”. It was 100% down to Thames Water. The crisis
happened between Stratford and Bow (Mile End?) stations as workmen were lifting a 24inch main to
try to plug a leak. A Thames Water spokeswoman said: “The pipe was encased in concrete and as
the crew were working, it broke”. The utility company now faces a multi-million-pound compensation
bill after cars in streets and a housing estate near the Olympic park were flooded. TfL will also
expect compensation. LU’s Howard Collins said the crisis was a “nightmare scenario” for the
Olympics, with just 50 days until the opening ceremony.
08.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Mayor Boris Johnson has summoned Thames Water bosses to
City Hall to deliver a dressing down after blundering workmen flooded the Underground. The Mayor
was said to be “absolutely seething” after contractors broke a 24inch main as they tried to fix a leak.
TfL said that it was “exploring all the options” on compensation for the clean up and the impact on
passengers. “Costs of the whole operation will be substantial,” said a TfL source. “We are talking
millions of pounds and it is not something that we will be able, or willing, to let go”.
08.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter from R. Artois – I stayed late at work on Wednesday
having heard about the delays caused by the Central Line water leak – and still there was chaos
when I got to Stratford – dozens of people shouting and screaming as they tried to get on the
replacement bus service. There was very little help from the Underground staff and, bizarrely every
bus seemed to stop at the same stand, rather than spreading out across the many alternative stops
available in the bus station. If anything goes wrong with the Underground, London is not going to
cope during the Olympics.
08.06.12 METRO – Passengers can now get on-line for free and stay in touch with the world above
King’s Cross, Warren Street, Oxford Circus, Green Park, Victoria and Euston Underground stations.
Up to 80 stations across the capital will be connected by the end of July and 120 stations by the end
of the year. LU’s Gareth Powell said: “Wi-fi at Underground stations will help us improve the
journeys of the millions of people that use the network every day at no cost to fare or tax payers”.
11.06.12
EVENING STANDARD – A row broke out today over claims that a French
telecommunications company was in talks with TfL bosses about getting mobile phone coverage on
the entire Underground network. Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent was reported to have said
passengers could soon be able to use mobile phones and the internet. But TfL sources said there
had been “no contact” with the firm. Free wi-fi at some LU stations was made available this month
with Virgin Media running the pay-as-you-go service until after the Olympics. But Mr. Verwaayen
said his company could go further offering wi-fi and full phone service in the tunnels as well as
stations.
11.06.12 METRO – There were high levels of ridership across the capital’s transport network during
2011/12. 1.17B passenger journeys on the Underground, 2.3B journeys on the bus network, 102M
journeys on the Overground, 86M journeys on the DLR, and 28.5M on Tramlink.
13.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Thames cable car looks set to be open to the paying public
in time for the Olympic Games. Engineers have been in a race against time to finish the ambitious
£45M project before the opening ceremony on 27 July. Emirates is funding the scheme, called the
Emirates Air Line, which will link Greenwich (for the O2) with the Excel exhibition centre at the Royal
Docks. There will be 34 cable cars carrying 2,500 passengers an hour. The gondolas, about 160
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Underground News
feet above the river, will run every 30 seconds and the journey will take 5 minutes. The new TfL
Underground Map features the cable car for the first time.
13.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – A Sunday train service last used just after WW2 is to provide a
major transport link during the Olympics and Paralympics. The Waterloo & City – known as The
Drain – is to open on Sundays throughout the Games. Usually the busy commuter route does not
open on Sundays because, according to TfL, there is no demand. Sunday services last operated
during 1943-47. It will provide a major boost for the 80,000 extra passengers a day expected to use
Waterloo NR station. It will provide direct access to the DLR and the Central Line at the Bank.
13.06.12 METRO – Tweets – by Paul Coggins – “I tried the wi-fi connection while stuck on the Tube
this morning at Victoria Station. It’s amazing. It just needs to work in the tunnels now”. By Tom
Webb – “The England’s goalkeeper’s kit looks like it has been thriftily made from the seat coverings
on the District Line”.
14.06.12 METRO – Letter from Dr Brian Yim Lim – TfL does not provide refunds for instances
beyond their control or for disruptions advertised in advance. Therefore commuters should ask
whether TfL has the precedent to suspend the Customers Charter during the Olympics, given this
burden on the network is beyond its control and it has warned us in advance.
15.06.12 METRO – Cannon Street will be open each weekend throughout the summer. Weekend
closures of the station had enabled the station upgrade, including two new entrances in Dowgate Hill,
two new passenger lifts between NR and LU stations and improved staircases.
15.06.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Transport bosses were presented with an array of impassioned
arguments as to why Watford Met. station should remain open to the public. At a packed public
meeting, residents, commuters and politicians got their chance to say why the station should not be
shut to passengers as part of the Croxley Rail Link. House prices, the safety of school children, bias
against the people of Cassiobury and the fact it is there to be used, were all cited as reasons for LU
should maintain the service. The man who has the final say on its fate is Mayor Boris Johnson, who
will only hear from the Watford residents in the form of a report by 2 September and he will make his
decision later this year. Under current plans, Watford Met., which has been in service since 1925,
will be kept but only for train storage, after the Metropolitan Line is diverted from Croxley, via two new
stations and Watford High Street, to Watford Junction. Work is expected to start in 2014 for
completion in 2016. An LU representative said the station was the 25th least used on the network.
19.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – The Underground will be forced to close if the Friday 22 June
London bus strike created dangerous overcrowding levels on the already packed service, a union
chief said. They will order staff to stop work – citing workplace health and safety regulations – if they
believe too many passengers are creating conditions for themselves and other users. RMT leader
Bob Crow said the union “has deep concerns about the safety implications of trying to cram
hundreds of thousands of extra journeys into the system creaking at the seams, and our safety reps
will be monitoring the situation closely. Any threat to staff and passenger safety, and well of course
take appropriate action”.
19.06.12 METRO – The Emirates Air Line, a 1.1km river crossing, will open on 28 June. Dubaibased Emirates signed a £36M ten-year deal to sponsor the service. Initially it will operate 07.0021.00 Monday to Friday, 08.00-21.00 on Saturday, and 09.00-21.00 on Sunday. There will extended
opening hours when there are events at the O 2 Arena and Excel exhibition venues. Each-way Fares
are to be: Adult (cash) £4.30, Adult(Oyster) £3.20, Child (cash) £2.20, Child(Oyster) £1.60.
21.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – Five days of Underground strikes are set to cause massive
disruption across a huge section of the network. The Piccadilly Line will be the worst affected, with
further disruption across all the sub-surface lines. RMT leaders ordered four days of strikes among
more than 100 staff who service the Piccadilly Line control centre. The strike is planned from 19.00
on 1 July to 19.00 on 4 July, followed by eight days of working to rule 8-15 July.
21.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – by columnist Andrew Martin – Olympic visitors to London who
use the Underground are in for a treat. They will experience the crepuscular, Dickensian moodiness
of the original Metropolitan, or the Edwardian jewel boxes that are the Leslie Green stations in the
West End, each with its own ornate tiling scheme. They can contrast the Sixties functionalism of the
Victoria Line with the yuppified braggadocio of the Jubilee Line Extension. No system is more
diverse, or (if you ask me) more beautiful. And none is more paranoid either. The cause of the
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129
paranoia is our national character, which has the ingenuity to create the world’s first underground
railway network, but not the political will to fund it. So a thing that ought to be a source of pride is
begrudged, and Tube managers have gone defensive in response. It is not enough to provide a
good service, they must be seen to provide a good service, hence that regular and tragic
announcement: “There is a good service operating on all Underground lines”. But as the
announcements keep coming, a frown might set in: “To reduce queuing in Tube stations, there is a
minimum Oyster top-up of five pounds”. They might just get their heads round that, when – if they’re
on the Northern Line – they’ll hear “This train terminates at Morden via Bank”. Now the
ungrammatical nature of that announcement (there is no such place as “Morden via Bank”) might be
lost on them, but they’ll probably wonder what it means anyway. As well as lacking the political will to
fund the network, we lacked the will to plan it, so the Northern Line is a mess held together with the
sticking plaster of announcements. The system has always overdone it in this respect. We might
date the neurosis back to the Twenties, when gramophone records used peevishly to instruct
escalator users, “If you must stand, stand on the right”. The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
require the announcement of the next station coming up and any significant delays, and I am fine
with that because I might one day be visually impaired myself. But a whole tower of babble has been
built on top, and when I use my local station, I have to block my ears as the following begins to
reverberate at deafening volume: “Please try to keep Highgate station tidy”. The announcements are
so loud that those relating to the southbound service can be heard on the northbound platform. I’m
not alone in my indignation. A consultancy called Noise Direct recently presented London
Underground with an anti-award for being number one among: “Those Contributing Little or Nothing
to Prevent Noise Nuisance”. In 1992, when the Central Line became the first to have automated intrain announcements, the voice was nicknamed “Sonia” because she “gets-sonia-nerves”. Sonia
was a joke back then, but now she’s taken over and is doing nothing at all for the blood pressure of
Londoners.
22.06.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from Stuart Alderman – I would not criticise Mike Wright’s
report on the public hearing on the future of Watford Met. Station (see 15.06.12 above), but he did
omit the absurdities which must have sent officials back to the capital thinking the country bumpkins
could be found closer to London than they had thought. One speaker grasping a wad of notes, told
us about the Channel Tunnel and direct services from Euston to St. Albans. One woman reminded
us that Watford Met. station was the 25th worse used (out of around 300), but Croxley station was
even worse. When Mayor Boris Johnson reads that, he may wonder why they opened the Moor
Park to Watford branch at all. TfL has been scrapping underground trains for ages in Rotherham.
I’m sure they could find a couple to refurbish for the Watford Met. to Croxley shuttle.
26.06.12 METRO – London Tramlink passengers will now benefit from a 50% increase in services,
thanks to a new route from Therapia Lane to Elmers End via Croydon town centre. The new service
will run four times an hour during peak hours, bringing the number of trams operating between
Therapia Lane and central Croydon up from 8 to 12. Tramlink has been bolstered by the 6 new
trams introduced earlier this year. These trams are air conditioned and 100% low floor – which is
more accessible for passengers.
26.06.12 METRO – Thanks to new air-cooling technology, work is underway on a project to cool two
stations, Green Park and Oxford Circus, ahead of the 2012 Games. At Green Park, water will be
extracted from nearby boreholes and pumped to 8 platform air units, mounted above the tracks.
Cooled air can then be discharged over the platforms and drawn into platforms by moving trains. At
Oxford Circus, the cooling will be created by rooftop chillers where the cooled air can then be
released on to the platforms in the same way. Air cooling units are already used in the ticket hall, but
the project will mean more comfortable temperatures will also benefit the Victoria, Bakerloo and
Central Line platforms.
27.06.12 METRO – London will be the first city to have hosted the Olympic Games three times.
Changes in travel arrangement are noteworthy as follows: 1908 – Horse-drawn buses and trams
were still in service, but were increasingly replaced by electric trolleys, motor buses and trains. That
year was the first time independent operators from London’s rail network agreed to jointly promote
their services as “the Underground” in a bid to boost passenger numbers. 1948 – The London
Transport Executive was formed that year. Much of its early work involved repairing and replacing
stock and stations damaged during the war, so transport for the Games was very much “make do
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Underground News
and mend”. 2012 – Take your pick from rail, Underground, bus, Overground, DLR, Barclays Cycle
Hire, walking and the Emirates Air Line cable car. All Underground lines will run services until 02.0002.30 throughout the Games. All spectators will be able to travel by public transport or park-and-ride
services.
27.06.12 RAIL – LU is looking to test what it describes as an “Alternative Track Bed System
(ATBS)”. The trial will take place over a 40-metre section of track in a tunnel with two running rails,
two conductor rails, drainage, trackside and signalling equipment. They are looking for a contractor
to carry out the trial, to enable it to decide whether ATBS is worth pursuing.
29.06.12 EVENING STANDARD – LU bosses will close a long section of the Jubilee Line on
Sunday 1 July to ensure it is as “reliable as possible” for the Olympics. The line, which has had a
£721M upgrade, will be closed all day between London Bridge and Finchley Road. LU’s Operation
Director Nigel Holness said the closure is “not related to the completed Jubilee Line upgrade, but it is
to ensure that the line’s infrastructure is as reliable as possible during the Olympic and Paralympic
Games”. This line is the principal route for the Olympics linking central London with Stratford
stadium and equestrian events at Greenwich. However, three days of strikes by control room staff
on the Piccadilly and all the sub-surface lines, due to start on the Sunday evening have been called
off, after the RMT union and LU reached a deal over conditions and pay. The union has ordered TfL
travel information and call centre staff out on a 24 hour strike from 21.30 on the Sunday.
January 2012
131
POINTS OF INTEREST
FROM UXBRIDGE TO THE GAS WORKS
Whilst researching through the 1934 Traffic Circulars for something totally unrelated, quite by
accident your writer came across one of the “Supplements”, which became known as “Yellow Perils”,
presumably because most (although not all) were printed on a yellow-ish paper. This was
“Supplement to Traffic Circular (Railways) No.36, 1934” and was titled “Rebuilding of Northolt Road
Bridge, South Harrow”, which applied “from the cessation of traffic on Saturday night 15 September
until commencement of traffic on Monday 17 September”. In short, as far as the service was
concerned, it applied just on Sunday 16 September 1934. Not only was the reconstruction of the
bridge involved, but also the construction of the ‘new’ South Harrow station a short distance west of
the original.
We are told that No.15 crossover west of South Harrow was not available and that “the through
service of trains between the Piccadilly Line and Uxbridge will be cancelled throughout the day on
Sunday 16 September ….. All Piccadilly Line trains booked to run through to Rayners Lane 20 or
Uxbridge will terminate at South Harrow and will be renumbered and re-formed …”, of which more in
a moment.
A special service of buses was to be run between South Harrow and Rayners Lane for carrying
passengers holding railway tickets available between those stations, with through tickets being
issued as usual. It is made clear that the usual service of buses on route 206 will be maintained but
railway tickets will not be available on that route.
Of great interest is that two four-car Metropolitan Line trains provided a 20-minute shuttle service
between Uxbridge and Rayners Lane, presumably supplementing the normal Metropolitan Sunday
service, and part compensating for the lack of Piccadilly Line trains. These two Metropolitan Line
trains, after detraining at Rayners Lane, were to run empty to and from Harrow Gas Works signal box
to reverse, crossing over from the Up (eastbound) line to the Down (westbound) line via No.8
crossover thereat. A reminder was issued to drivers that the crossover road at Harrow Gas Works
was not electrified and emergency leads were to be provided on each of the two shuttle trains “for
use in case of emergency”. (At that time, there was no centre reversing siding west of Rayners Lane
for the shuttle trains to reverse, and even if there had been, it would have involved three reversals
from east to west). There is no reference as to the type of stock that was to be used on the shuttle,
so presumably the choice was left in the hands of Neasden depot, where the shuttle trains
originated. They could have been formed of compartment electric ‘Bogie’ Stock, electric MV or MW
Stock, or ‘Saloon’ Stock, or a combination of MW and Saloon Stock.
20
It is interesting to note that in this one document, it refers to both Rayners Lane and Rayner’s Lane!
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Underground News
Above: Very soon after the new signal cabin at Rayners Lane was opened in October 1935, a fourcar train of VT Stock approaches the station formed of an MW Stock motor car and ‘Saloon’
trailers/control trailer. It is possible that one of the two Gas Works shuttles could have been formed
this way, but as no details were given in the Traffic Circular Supplement, we will never know! Note
that access to the siding on both platforms comprise miniature colour light signals – disc shunt
signals followed much later in December 1953.
For this work Rayners Lane signal box was to be opened continuously throughout both Saturday and
Sunday nights, and Harrow Gas Works signal box was to be open between 08.15 and 23.55 on
Sunday.
Returning to the Piccadilly Line’s Uxbridge trains reversing at South Harrow, these trains were reformed at South Harrow, so that the westbound arrival renumbered to the eastbound train, as if that
had come from Uxbridge. By doing this, trains proceeding eastbound from South Harrow had the
correct number according to the timetable in operation, which saved the need for a special timetable
notice for the whole line with different set numbers throughout the day.
Just to complete these notes:
26.11.34 Rayners Lane signal box (in the ‘V’ of the junction east of the station) damaged by
runaway ballast train early morning.
20.10.35 New signal cabin opened at Rayners Lane (west end of eastbound platform) with push-pull
route setting levers. New reversing siding provided west of station.
17.11.35 Harrow Gas Works sidings controlled from Rayners Lane cabin with push button route
setting levers. Ground Frame at Harrow Gas Works sidings closed and abolished.
THE LOUGHTON – EPPING SHUTTLE
Recent queries on this service has prompted the following, which readers may find useful.
The Loughton – Epping shuttle service came into being when the Central Line was extended to
Epping on 25 September 1949. During off-peak periods, a limited through service to and from
central London was provided beyond Debden to Epping and to ‘double up’ the service to Epping, a
same frequency shuttle service with one 2-car train was provided. This first timetable (WTT No.6)
saw the scheduled intervals as follows:
Through
January 2012
133
Service
Shuttle
MF midday
48 mins
48 mins
MF evening
40 mins
40 mins
SO 10.00 – 11.30
48 mins
48 mins
SO afternoon
40 mins
40 mins
SO after 17.30
37½ mins
37½ mins
Sun before 13.30
48 mins
48 mins
Sun after 13.30
40 mins
40 mins
The shuttle train was given the set number 90 and started up from Hainault depot shortly after 09.00
on weekdays21 but earlier on Sundays.
In WTT No.7 (Sundays only from 5 February 1950) the 48-minute interval services were extended to
operate until 19.30, after which the 40-minute intervals took over.
Following the withdrawal of the midday freight working to Ongar, WTT No.8 (5 June 1950) saw the
midday Monday to Friday services improved to 36-minute intervals. On Saturday evenings after
17.30, the services were revised to operate every 40 minutes instead of at the ‘clumsy’ 37½ minute
pattern. The Loughton – Epping shuttle on Saturdays was also increased from a two-car set to four
cars.
WTT No.9 (19 February 1951) saw uncoupling introduced at off-peak times and in consequence of
revised intervals throughout the line based on a 10-minute cycle, the through and shuttle service
became every 40 minutes Monday to Friday midday, every 36 minutes Monday to Friday evening,
Saturday morning, afternoon and evening,
WTT No.11 (3 November 1952) saw the shuttle service withdrawn Monday to Friday midday and
evenings in favour of a 24-minute through service and withdrawn Saturday afternoon and evenings in
favour of an 18-minute through service. This was because the platforms at Loughton would be fully
occupied at uncoupling and coupling times with little room to fit in a reversing shuttle train. The
shuttle train was increased to three cars Sundays, but reduced to three cars Saturday mornings.
The shuttle train on its remaining workings (Saturday morning and all-day Sunday) was reduced from
3- to 2-cars on Sundays from WTT No.14 (4 October 1954), only to be increased to 3 cars from 18
May 1957 during the currency of WTT No.17 (29 October 1956).
The remaining Loughton – Epping shuttle workings were withdrawn when the Ongar branch was
electrified, when the shuttles then operated between Epping and Ongar (WTT No.18 – 18 November
1957).
21
At this time there was also a Saturday ‘peak’ (morning and midday), and thus the term ‘weekdays’ referred to Mondays
to Saturdays, unlike today when it generally refers to Mondays to Fridays.
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Underground News
Above: The Loughton – Epping shuttle is seen at Epping in the early days, formed of two 1926
MCCW DMs. At this time the cream around the saloon car windows was still very much in evidence,
but not for much longer.
Photo: John H. Meredith
January 2012
135
MAJOR RAIL PROJECTS UPDATE
by John Hawkins
The TfL Rail and Underground Panel received a paper with the above name at its meeting on 5 July.
NORTHERN LINE EXTENSION
The extension to Battersea (see Underground News February 2011, page 84) seems to be back on
track, with the administrators finding a new developer to continue the same Battersea approved
scheme. TfL have continued progressing the NLE in the meantime with the aim of finalising
consultation and funding by year-end. A Transport and Works Order could be submitted by April
2013, with construction starting in Spring 2016 for completion by 2020.
CROSSRAIL 2
In reviewing route safeguarding for the Chelsea Hackney Line, over a hundred options were
considered leading to a revised route known as Crossrail 2 – Underground News February 2012,
page 67. The more expensive regional scheme is the preferred option, but consideration is being
given to providing the shorter metro scheme as an initial phase with later regional connections. The
Mayor requested a report by year-end to enable safeguarding to be revised in 2013/14. Powers
would not be sought before 2019, with permission expected by 2021 to allow construction to start in
2023 and the line to open by 2033. Construction of the Euston station box would be earlier as part of
HS2 works (see below).
HIGH SPEED 2
The Government plans HS2 to reach from London to Birmingham by 2026, and beyond to Leeds and
Manchester by 2033. The Mayor is concerned that plans for Euston should include provision for
Crossrail 2 and other interchanges. Similarly, Old Oak Common should promote development and
interchange including a new station for the West/North London Lines, whilst not prejudicing operation
of Crossrail services and its depot. The link between HS2 and HS1 at Camden should not impact on
North London Line capacity, and environmental impacts need to be minimised for west London
residents.
The HS2 timescale is tight, with the initial design to be finalised by November for environmental
assessment by March 2013, and Hybrid Bill submission in October 2013. Passenger interchange at
Euston is expected to more than double once HS2 is completed, even though this estimate assumes
almost a third of passengers use the Old Oak Common interchange. It is planned that Paddington
Crossrail reversers will be extended to Old Oak Common, with provision for extension further
westward in the longer term.
TRAMLINK
At the same meeting a paper about Tramlink performance and planning was tabled. The current
system opened in May 2000 as a PFI but failed to reach its traffic projections, leading to its takeover
by TfL in 2008. Frequencies were increased to four trams an hour, having previously been at times
as low as two an hour. Passenger loadings have increased by more than a half over the years whilst
kilometres operated have only grown by an eighth. The recent timetable required 22 of the original
24 Bombardier K4000 type trams, but six Stadler Variobahn trams were ordered in 2011 to boost
services. The first two were already under construction for Bergen, Norway but were diverted to
Croydon and all are now commissioned for a new line 4 between Therapia Lane and Elmers End
from 25 June 2012.
A single-track section between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction is being doubled this summer, and
plans for a second tram platform at Wimbledon on the site of a four-car stub platform are being
developed as part of a wider station redevelopment including a second footbridge. With a further
four trams, this will enable a five-minute interval service to be operated on the most crowded section
of route.
In the medium term, extensions to Crystal Palace and Sutton are being developed for consideration
in the next TfL Business Plan. The Crystal Palace scheme was developed until 2006 when it was
abandoned through lack of funding, but it could be fully implemented by 2016 including doubletracking to Beckenham Junction and improved services through the town centre. A further potential
extension beyond Beckenham to Bromley is less developed than a route to Sutton via Morden.
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Underground News
DEEP TUBE PROGRAMME
The Finance & Policy Committee discussed the DTP at their 11 July 2012 meeting, considering
funding for a feasibility stage to run until December 2012. The TfL Business Planning process
should have been concluded by then, allowing further work to be done once upgrade timing and
funding has been determined. The procurement and delivery phases of DTP should start in mid2013, and the line upgrades are currently expected to commence in 2018. The case for the
Piccadilly Line is particularly strong, but a conventional train solution is still being compared to the
EVO option. The PPP promised the Piccadilly 92 trains and the Bakerloo 42 trains, but numbers
may be revised.
The DTP evolved when the collapse of Metronet left LU to develop the Bakerloo upgrade. It was
soon decided to link this with the subsequent Central Line upgrade to share development costs, but
the absorption of Tube Lines meant that it was also joined by the Piccadilly upgrade. It has now
been decided that the Central Line upgrade will be left from the initial programme, although further
orders may follow later. The Waterloo & City was a late addition to the DTP, perhaps because with
Central Line trains replaced the W&C would otherwise retain non-standard trains. However with the
Central Line out of the initial order the W&C remains included, perhaps because its trains are
needed for spares.
January 2012
137
PUBLICITY MATERIAL
ART ON THE UNDERGROUND
“Big Ben [2012] Sarah Morris” – new artwork for Gloucester Road station which is a site-specific
response to the architecture of the station and the city of London, spanning eighteen arches along
the length of the disused platform, ⅓ A4 (x6).
“Canary Wharf Screen” – a second series of films to be shown at Canary Wharf Screen within
Canary Wharf Underground station from 31 May to 26 August 2012, the 16 films of the experimental
animation genre are each described together with a biographical note on their creator, ⅓ A4, 24pp.
“Artists on the Underground” – since 2004, Art on the Underground has commissioned a series of
new works by established contemporary artists especially for the cover of the pocket Tube map. A
new film about the series can be seen at the LT Museum’s exhibition Mind the Map: Inspiring Art,
Design and Cartography, 18 May to 28 October 2012. This substantial leaflet has full-size
reproductions of all sixteen cover designs together with notes on the artists, ⅓ A4(x4x4).
CROSSRAIL
“Liverpool Street on Track: Summer 2012” – Crossrail’s first two sprayed concrete tunnels have been
built under Finsbury Circus, also includes Broadgate and Moorgate ticket halls, and archaeology
exhibition, A4 (x2).
“Crossrail Tunnelling Starts” – a major project report from New Civil Engineer dated 06/2012, a
comprehensive illustrated summary of work to date and planned (currently available from the
Crossrail information centres), A4, 56pp.
CYCLING
“Local Cycling Guide” – the previous series dated 2010/11 is being replaced, issue by issue, by a
new series dated 2012/13. There are 15 guides covering the whole of Greater London, revised
versions have so far been noted for areas 1 (central London), 4, 6, 7, 9, 14 and Olympic Park (not
marked as number 15), the last is dated Summer 2012, each is ⅓ A4 (x8x3).
DLR
“Travel on the Docklands Light Railway will be affected during the Games” – details of station and
service alterations, A5, 16pp.
DLR – SERVICE DISRUPTIONS
“We’re getting ready for the Games” – between Friday 20 and Tuesday 24 April, services will change
while the timetables for the London 2012 Games are tested, some destinations, frequencies and
station access will change, A5.
“Planned works on DLR Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 June 2012” – services suspended Westferry –
Beckton, A5.
“Planned works on DLR Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 June 2012” – services suspended Stratford –
Poplar, A5.
EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY
“Timetable & Information 2012” – passenger services have been resumed on this ex-London
Underground heritage line between Ongar and Coopersale (near Epping), further information on
www.eorailway.co.uk or 01277 365200, ⅓ A4 (x3x2).
EVENTS
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert – journey advice” – a local map with estimated walking times
between Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and The Mall / St. James’s Park and all local Underground
stations, the other side has a table indicating estimated journey times between these Underground
stations and all London’s mainline termini, ⅓ A4 (x3).
FARES & TICKETING
“The right way to use your Oyster card at Wimbledon Station” – when you start any London
Underground, DLR, London Overground or National Rail journey, up to £7.80 is taken off your Oyster
Card’s credit, then when touching out at the end the system calculates the right fare for that journey
and adjusts the amount taken off your credit. If you don’t touch in and out correctly, it just takes the
maximum of £7.80. This leaflet offers detailed advice for the following circumstances:
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Underground News
 Arriving by tram, leaving by NR train or Underground
 Arriving by NR train or Underground, leaving by tram
 Arriving by NR train, leaving by Underground, or vice-versa
 Arriving at the station and using tram only.
The leaflet, issued by South West Trains, is ⅓ A4 (x3).
LONDON OVERGROUND
“Grant Road entrance closed from 6 June to early July 2012” – details of substantial work being
carried out at Clapham Junction for the new LO service from Surrey Quays later this year, including
new lifts and ticket gates, ⅓ A4 (x2).
LT MUSEUM
“Mind the Map” – a major exhibition open until 28 October 2012 which challenges the idea that maps
are just about getting from A to B, and reveals a century of creative and influential map design for
London Underground, there is a schedule of associated events and a book, London Underground
Maps – Art Design and Cartography by former chief curator Claire Dobbin, which was reviewed in the
July 2012 issue of Underground News, a very classy leaflet on card, ⅓ A4 (x3).
“MAJOR PROJECTS
“Update – Proposed extension of the Northern Line to Nine Elms and Battersea” – despite the
collapse of the former developer of Battersea Power Station, other major projects are already under
way in the area, the scheme is supported by the Mayor of London, was backed by the Government in
the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, and by Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth councils together
with key landowners, with map and details of proposed work sites, ⅓ A4, 8pp.
“Your stop-by-stop guide to getting free WiFi on the Underground” – Virgin Media is planning to
provide WiFi access at 80 Underground stations this summer, the leaflet has detailed instructions for
getting connected, illustrates the logo to be displayed at enabled stations, but does not list them, ⅓
A4 (x3).
MAPS
“Colour large print Tube map: June 2012” – this issue contains all the changes described in last
month’s journal for the June 2012 pocket map, except for the now usual yellow and blue cover with
the visual disability device. Not previously noted, for both maps, there is now only one accessibility
symbol for the three lines at Green Park. The large print map clearly shows that the Emirates Air
Line is not just drawn in outline but as three parallel single lines, the map bears reference June 2012,
A5 (x7x3).
“London for free: pocket sized guide” – not from TfL but The Times, and distributed with their
newspaper for Saturday 7 July, one side has a map of central London showing major streets,
landmark buildings, waterways & lakes, and parkland, London Underground, London Overground
and Docklands Light Railway lines and stations are shown in the usual colours (though the western
end of the DLR is a bit odd), National Rail lines and stations are not, the map is tagged with
references to happenings and rendezvous of interested, including Olympic events as listed on the
other side, a lot of information and a nicely drawn map, 105x200mm (x6x2).
“London’s Rail & Tube services” – this new issue is shown on the back cover as valid until 8
December 2012, on the London area map Blackfriars is now shown without restriction and the
Emirates Air Line is included, on the reverse the outer area South East map bears reference
12.8.2012 (LSE), both maps show names of stations adjacent to Olympic venues in white on deep
pink, the leaflet has reference LRTL0612, ⅓ A4 (x7x2).
NETWORK RAIL
“More space, more choice” – a new first floor balcony is being built at Waterloo, providing more
space for passengers and 18 new places to eat, drink and shop, and revised access to Waterloo
East, A5.
OLYMPIC GAMES
It is understood that a specific “Olympic & Paralympic Games” leaflet has been prepared (with a print
run of 10 million) but is not publically available at the time of writing. It will be reported in due course.
January 2012
139
“Accessible transport in London during the Games” – very brief details of the help available to
passengers by Underground, National Rail, DLR, London Overground, Roads, Buses and River
services, ⅓ A4, 8pp.
“Travel in - - - - - will be affected during the Games” – issued for the affected boroughs, Olympic &
Paralympic route networks (ORF/PRN), Games Lanes, local venues, Road events and Olympic
Torch Relay, together with a local map, the cover shows a wheelchair-based handball game at a
busy road junction! A5 (x3). Recorded to date: issues for Brent, Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham,
Tower Hamlets and Westminster.
An updated series with the same title as above has a cover illustration of two successful athletes
standing on a car! Because of additional information, format varies from A5 (x3) to A5 (8, 12 or
16pp). Recorded to date: issues for Brent, Ealing, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow,
Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond upon Thames, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest
“Travel in your area will be affected during the Games” – is the title on an A4 folder, with varying
contents including the item (later version) described above appropriate to the area, diary of events,
more detailed road maps and travel information, these pack were distributed at local roadshows.
THAMES CABLE CAR
“Fly across the Thames” – a new section for a new transport mode, Emirates Air Line began
operation on 28 June 2012, taking passengers 1.1km from Emirates Greenwich Peninsula (near
North Greenwich station) to Emirates Royal Docks (near Royal Victoria station), both adjacent to
Olympic venues, the leaflet bears the new logo incorporating the TfL roundel, ⅓ A4 (x4).
WALKING
“Why not walk it?” – over recent years several series of leaflets have appeared under the TfL/LUL
banner in various formats advising passengers how to continue their journey from mainline or
Underground stations, in the event of industrial action or just for the sake of walking. This latest
series opens, on one side, to a large street map with notable buildings shown in a 3-D form and
radiating circles indicating walking time from the centralised mainline station; the other side has a the
relevant bus spider map, Rail & Tube services in central London map, and information promoting
cycling and walking. Seen so far are the versions for Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston and
Victoria, the covers have TfL roundel and Network Rail logo, ⅓ A4 (x7x3).
“Continuing your Journey in the Elephant & Castle area” – is a variant of the above series with a
different but similar cover design, the large street map is as for those above, the other side has the
local spider bus map, material promoting cycling and walking and other facilities in the Southwark
area, but no Rail & Tube Services map, the cover has a TfL roundel and a Southwark council logo, ⅓
A4 (x7x3).
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Underground News
ROLLING STOCK CHANGES AND MOVEMENTS
PREVIOUS ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS & JULY 2012
1959/62 TUBE STOCK:
From Acton Works to Knights Rail Eastleigh by road for scrap (ex-ERU training) –
1532
31.07.12
Overhauled at Stonebridge Park depot –
3443-4543-3543
06.06.12
3446-4546-3546
24.07.12
Asset Inspection Train from Northfields to Ruislip –
3213-4213-3179-3079-4313-3313 18.07.12
1973 TUBE STOCK:
Released for service, ex-derailment –
367-567-167
08.07.12
1992 TUBE STOCK:
OLYMPIC DOOR ADS:
The following two-car units have been given “Olympic” door advertisements (see photograph inside
front cover, lower, this issue) and will retain them until after the Games period.
91001 91003 91069 91167 91277 91325
) 03.06.12
93216 93416 93186 93062 and car 92260
)
91023 91173 91189 91231 91285
) 17.06.12
93082 93162 93456
)
2009 TUBE STOCK:
Re-entered service, Victoria Line, ex-mods and rebuild at Derby –
11040-12040-13040-14040-14039-13039-12039-11039 12.07.12
A STOCK:
Changes to Unit Formations:
From:
5234-6234-6235-5235
To: 5234-6234-6036-6235-5235
19.07.12
From:
5110-6110-6036-6111-5111
To: 5110-6110-6111-5111
19.07.12
Withdrawn from service Metropolitan Line –
5116-6116-6117-5117+5230-6230-6231-5231 06.07.12
5060-6060-6061-5061
10.07.12
Withdrawn from service Metropolitan Line and transferred from Neasden to Acton Works –
5112-6112-6113-5113
04.07.12
Note that cars 5116, 6117 and 5117 were originally 5036, 6037 and 5037 respectively.
From Neasden to Northwood for disposal –
5116-6116-6117-5117+5230-6230-6231-5231 09.07.12
5060-6060-6061-5061
11.07.12
From Northwood to Knights Rail, Eastleigh, by road for scrap –
5117 6117
10.07.12
5231 6231
11.07.12
5060 6060
12.07.12
From Northwood to Booths, Rotherham, by road for scrap –
5116 6116
09.07.12
5230 6230
10.07.12
5061 6061
11.07.12
A STOCK SUMMARY: 31 JULY 2012
METROPOLITAN LINE
‘A’
‘D’
A/D
5022
5189
5062
5034
TOTAL: 2x‘A’, 1x‘D’, 5xA/D = 8 UNITS = 4 TRAINS
5090
5-CAR SANDITE
5094
5102
5118
A/D
5110
5234
January 2012
141
Without any notice and without any ceremony, it appears that the last normal passenger working of A
Stock may have taken place on Friday morning 27 July 2012, working train 461 that stabled at
Neasden at 08.58. London Underground therefore seemed to achieve its desire to run no A Stock
during the Olympics, but only just, as the opening ceremony was later the same evening! Certainly
as this issue closed for press, none had ventured out in service since. The previous day 5118+5189
worked train 443 for much of the day but the A Stock’s swansong must have been the evening peak
on Wednesday 25 July, with three trains (472, 474 and 477) in service, albeit with all of them being
early evening stablers.
At this stage the last four trains were formed 5022+5090/91, 5034+5062/63, 5118+5189 and
5090+5094.
Whether any trains will run in normal service again, during the Olympics, between the Olympics,
during the Paralympics or after remains to be seen – it is all down to there being sufficient S Stock,
and with 57 out of 58 commissioned (and most of them available) it seems there is.
C STOCK:
Collision Hammersmith depot 06.07.12 –
5532-6532
5575-6575
At this stage it is thought unlikely that these units will be repaired. More when known.
S STOCK:
Changes to Unit Formations –
From: 21304-22304-25304-24304-24305-23035-22305-21305
To:
21304-22304-25304-24304-24305-22305-21305
From: 21036-22036-25036-24036-24035-22035-21035
To:
21036-22036-25036-24036-24035-23035-22035-21035
)
) Jul-12
)
) Jun-12
To S7, ex-temp S7+1
To S8. Ex-S8-1
From Bombardier, Derby, to Old Dalby Test Centre –
21310-22310-25310-24310-24309-22309-21309
06.07.12 Train 63
21312-22312-25312-24312-24311-22311-21311
24.07.12 Train 64
21314-22314-25314-24314-24313-22313-21313
27.07.12 Train 65 ????
From Old Dalby, delivered to Neasden –
21304-22304-25304-24304-24303-23035-22303-21303 03.07.12 Train 60 Temp S7+1
21038-22038-25038-24038-24037-23037-22037-21037 05.07.12 Train 18
21100-22100-23100-24100-24099-23099-22099-21099 12.07.12 Train 58
Entered service, Metropolitan Line –
21046-22046-25046-24046-24045-23045-22045-21045 03.07.12 Train 22 Ex S8-1
21060-22060-23060-24060-24059-23059-22059-21059 13.07.12 Train 29 Ex S8-1
21038-22038-25038-24038-24037-23037-22037-21037 13.07.12 Train 18
21036-22036-25036-24036-24035-23035-22035-21035 17.07.12 Train 17 Ex S8-1
21100-22100-23100-24100-24099-23099-22099-21099 19.07.12 Train 58
S8 STATUS 31 JULY 2012
This now leaves Train 57 (002-001) outstanding delivery (currently anticipated for September 2012)
and entry into service. There are thus 57 trains (out of 58) of S8 Stock delivered and commissioned
for service.
Neasden to Hammersmith –
21308-22308-25308-24308-24307-22307-21307
25.07.12 Train 62
21304-22304-25304-24304-24303-22303-21303
31.07.12 Train 60
Entered service, Hammersmith & City Line –
21306-22306-25306-24306-24305-22305-21305
06.07.12 Train 61
21302-22302-25302-24302-24301-22301-21301
13.07.12 Train 59
21308-22308-25308-24308-24307-22307-21307
27.07.12 Train 62
MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES:
From Acton Works to Ruislip depot by road ex-mods –
From Ruislip depot to Acton Works by road for mods –
L31
L30
04.07.12
04.07.12
142
Underground News
THE UNDERGROUND AND THE OLYMPICS – 2012
INTRODUCTION
For timetabling purposes, the network was divided into Category ‘A’ lines (those that directly served
the Olympic Park) and Category ‘B’ lines (those that did not). The Central, Jubilee, District,
Hammersmith & City (and Circle) were Category ‘A’. The rest fell into Category ‘B’.
For the 17 days of the Olympics and 12 days for the Paralympics, the entire network (except for
Heathrow T4 and Kensington Olympia stations, and the Hainault – Woodford service) operated
extended traffic hours. This was based around two ‘rules’:
 Last trains towards central London departing Stratford/West Ham at 01.30.
 No stabling of trains later than 02.30.
This effectively led to a complete revision of last trains across the network with lines generally
operating services about one hour later than normal, a little more on some lines, but with some last
trains unable to operate to the end of the line, because of the 02.30 ‘rule’.
There were also very few last train connections in the central area – the intention was that very last
trains from Stratford/West Ham provided a facility into central London rather than through it.
These last train times applied each day of the week, including Sundays. However, the only
exception was that on the Opening Ceremony night, services ran for a further hour later than the
Olympic last trains, e.g. 02.30 ex Stratford/West Ham with stabling no later than 03.30.
Left: As will be seen from the photographs in the centre
pages of this issue, there was a plethora of temporary
white-on-magenta signage at many stations for the
Olympics. Another of these is seen above the District
Railway station name sign on platform 9 at Ealing
Broadway, highlighting the way to (First Great Western)
trains for the Eton Dorney rowing and canoe events
(which were at Windsor – there is no station, of course,
at Eton Dorney, which is what the sign implies!).
Photo: Colin Smith
_____________________________________________
Start of Traffic was as normal with the exception of
Sundays, when lines started generally between 30 and
45 minutes earlier, with Cat ‘A’ lines having first
eastbound trains reaching Stratford/West Ham by 07.00
and passengers from Cat ‘B’ lines being able to change
onto Cat ‘A’ services and arrive at Stratford by 07.30.
As for Cat ‘B’ lines, that is about it in terms of service
changes (apart from the Metropolitan which had various
modifications for the Olympic football events at Wembley
Stadium). For Cat ‘A’ lines, changes were a little more
extensive.
The Central and Jubilee lines operated modified service
frequencies and patterns to match demand to/from the
Olympic Park (plus Excel and the Dome for the Jubilee).
This gave rise to a third peak late at night (approx. 22.00
– 23.30) with increased services operating on both lines,
albeit on a limited number of occasions.
On the District Line, the changes were limited to the
introduction of a revised off-peak service pattern which
eliminated Tower Hill reversing and extending those
trains alternately to Plaistow and Dagenham East.
Together with the 6tph H&C, this provided 24tph through
West Ham.
January 2012
143
One further change to the specification (decided much later on in the planning process) was that the
Waterloo & City Line would operate extended traffic hours over the period, with last trains on all days
matching the later finish of the rest of the network, and the provision of a Sunday service, starting at
Saturday times and including the later finish.
Planned changes to station access (adjusted as necessary at the time) may be summarised as
follows:
 Marble Arch – Exit only 10.00 – 22.00 daily from 27July to 12 August.
 Hyde Park Corner – Exit only 10.00 – 22.00 daily 27July to 12 August.
 Earl’s Court – One-way passenger traffic flow. Entry via Warwick Road and exit via Earl’s
Court Road daily 27 July – 12 August.
 Canary Wharf – One-way passenger traffic flow from 16.00 Monday to Fridays. Station entry
via the Plaza (west) entrance and exit via the east end.
For the purpose of these notes, only the details of the differences to normal service will be noted, to
conserve on space. That will include the extended service period at night and the earlier start on
Sundays. Where the main body of timetables are unchanged during the day with the timetables
currently in use, these too will not be covered.
TIMETABLES IN OPERATION
Line
Metropolitan
Metropolitan
Metropolitan
‘Volumes’
Vol. A
Vol. B
One TTN
Dates
Friday to Sunday 27-29 July, Saturdays/Sundays 4/5 & 11/12 August.
Monday to Friday 30 July to 10 August.
29 August to 9 September.
2/12
2/12
C’cle/H’smith
C’cle/H’smith
Vol. A
Vol. B
Friday/Saturday 27/28 July.
29 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
3/12
3/12
District
District
Vol. A
Vol. B
Friday/Saturday 27/28 July.
29 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
4/12
4/12
93/12
Jubilee
Jubilee
Jubilee
Vol A
Vol B
One TTN
Friday to Sunday 27-29 July, Saturdays/Sundays 4/5 & 11/12 August.
30 July to 10 August.
29 August to 9 September.
5/12
5/12
Northern
Northern
Vol A
Vol B
Friday/Saturday 27/28 July.
29 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
6/12
6/12
7/12
Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Bakerloo
Vol A
Vol B
One TTN
Friday/Saturday 27/28 July.
29 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
27 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
8/12
8/12
92/12
Central
Central
Central
Vol A
Vol B
One TTN
Friday to Sunday 27-29 July, Saturdays/Sundays 4/5 & 11/12 August.
Monday to Friday 30 July to 10 August.
29 August to 9 September.
9/12
Victoria
One TTN
27 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
W’loo & City
One TTN
27 July to 12 August, 29 August to 9 September.
TTN
1/12
1/12
101/12
80/12
LAST TRAINS AND SUNDAY FIRST TRAINS
Whilst it would be fair to say that services were extended to operate “by about an hour” (two hours on
the night of the opening ceremony), there were some notable exceptions by the constraints of having
trains stabled by 02.30 and 03.30 respectively. These noted below will mostly include services
‘through the road’ and will omit late night short journeys for stabling purposes, e.g. Epping –
Loughton, Stanmore – Wembley Park, etc. First trains on Sundays were variable too, with some
services being at similar times, others up to half an hour earlier, and some around an hour earlier, as
will be seen.
BAKERLOO LINE
1 HOUR
LATER
01.13
01.19
01.48
01.21
2 HOURS
LATER
02.13
02.19
02.48
02.21
NORMAL
LAST
00.13
00.13
00.23
23.54
Elephant & Castle – Harrow & Wealdstone
Elephant & Castle – Stonebridge Park
Elephant & Castle – Queen’s Park
Harrow & Wealdstone – Elephant & Castle
144
Underground News
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.45
06.48
06.44
06.53
07.13
07.16
07.14
07.23
Queen’s Park – Harrow & Wealdstone
Elephant & Castle – Harrow & Wealdstone
Queen’s Park – Elephant & Castle
Harrow & Wealdstone – Elephant & Castle
CENTRAL LINE
1 HOUR
2 HOURS
LATER
LATER
00.50
01.53
00.58
01.58
02.09
01.09
00.56
01.56
01.06
02.06
00.53
01.53
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.22
06.30
06.36
06.10
06.07
06.02
06.57
–
06.42
06.55
07.03
06.41
NORMAL
LAST
23.45
–
23.48
23.56
00.10
23.53
Epping – West Ruislip
Epping – Ealing Broadway
Hainault – White City (normally Hainault – Ealing Broadway)
Ealing Broadway – Hainault
North Acton – Epping
West Ruislip – Hainault (normally West Ruislip – Epping)
Hainault – Ealing Broadway
Loughton – West Ruislip
Epping – West Ruislip
White City – Epping (normally White City – Hainault)
Ealing Broadway – Hainault
West Ruislip – Epping
CIRCLE & HAMMERSMITH LINES
1 HOUR
LATER
00.31
01.14
01.29
01.43 †
01.14
2 HOURS
LATER
01.31
02.14
02.29
02.43 †
02.14
NORMAL
LAST
23.31
00.11
00.29
00.42 †
–
Hammersmith – outer rail Circle – Edgware Road
Hammersmith – Barking
Hammersmith – Edgware Road
Edgware Road – King’s Cross
Barking – Hammersmith (normally 23.53 Barking – Edgware Road
and 00.16 Plaistow – Hammersmith)
Edgware Road – inner rail Circle – Hammersmith
Aldgate – Hammersmith (normally to Edgware Road)
24.00
01.00
02.00
00.40
01.40
02.40
† Formed by 00.31 / 01.31 / 23.31 Hammersmith – outer rail Circle – Edgware Road. See above.
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.56
Hammersmith – Barking
06.16
06.21
Hammersmith – outer rail Circle – Edgware Road
06.22
06.41
Barking – Hammersmith
06.31
07.07
Edgware Road – inner rail Circle – Hammersmith
07.07
DISTRICT LINE
1 HOUR
LATER
00.48
00.22
00.49
01.01
01.01
01.30
00.42
00.43
2 HOURS
LATER
01.48
01.22
01.49
02.01
02.01
02.30
01.42
01.42
NORMAL
LAST
–
23.41
–
23.36
24.00
00.20
–
23.41
Plaistow – Wimbledon (normally 00.17 Tower Hill – Wimbledon)
Upminster – Ealing Broadway
Upminster – Putney Bridge
Upminster – Richmond
Barking – Ealing Broadway
Edgware Road – Wimbledon
Wimbledon – Upminster (normally 00.51 Wimbledon – High Street)
Ealing Broadway – Upminster
January 2012
145
1 HOUR
2 HOURS
LATER
LATER
00.50
01.50
01.21
02.21
01.32
02.32
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
05.37
05.37
06.10
06.08
06.39
06.39
07.07
07.07
07.15
07.15
06.13
06.03
06.18
06.18
07.00
06.30
07.08
07.08
07.22
06.25
NORMAL
LAST
00.03
23.38
00.51
Richmond – Upminster
Wimbledon – Edgware Road
Wimbledon – High Street Kensington
Upminster – Aldgate East
Upminster – Richmond
Earl’s Court – Ealing Broadway
Earl’s Court – Wimbledon
Edgware Road – Wimbledon
Ealing Common – Upminster (normally Acton Town – Upminster)
Ealing Broadway – Upminster
Wimbledon – High Street Kensington
Wimbledon – Edgware Road
Richmond – Upminster
JUBILEE LINE
1 HOUR
LATER
01.22
01.30
01.14
2 HOURS
LATER
02.22
02.30
02.14
NORMAL
LAST
00.11
00.11
00.13
Stratford – Stanmore
Stratford – Wembley Park
Stanmore – Stratford
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.55
Stratford – Stanmore ‡
06.36 ‡
07.08
Neasden – Stratford
06.17
07.06
Wembley Park – Stratford
06.33
06.55
Stanmore – Stratford
06.30
‡ For the Sunday Olympic start-up, a number of trains ran empty from Stratford Market depot to take up
passenger working further along the line, first trains being:
06.34 Green Park – West Hampstead
06.38 Green Park – Stanmore
06.40 Waterloo – West Hampstead
06.42 London Bridge – Stanmore
METROPOLITAN LINE
(All trains, all stations)
1 HOUR
2 HOURS
LATER
LATER
00.37
01.37
00.52
01.52
01.07
02.07
01.12
02.12
01.39
02.39
01.59
02.59
00.02
01.02
00.23 †
01.28 *
00.38
01.37
00.58 ‡
02.08 §
00.53
01.00
00.55
02.00
NORMAL
LAST
00.02
23.47
00.02
00.12
00.11
00.48
00.02
23.55 †
23.47
00.38 #
23.25
00.35
Aldgate – Chesham
Aldgate – Amersham
Aldgate – Rickmansworth
Aldgate – Uxbridge (normally 00.43 Baker Street – Uxbridge)
Baker Street – Watford
Baker Street – Wembley Park
Uxbridge – Aldgate (normally Uxbridge – Baker Street)
Chesham – Wembley Park† and Chesham – Harrow*
Amersham – Baker Street
Watford – Harrow‡, Watford – Baker Street§ and Watford –
Wembley Park#
Chesham – Baker Street
Uxbridge – Wembley Park
146
Underground News
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.35
Uxbridge – Baker Street (normally Uxbridge – Aldgate)
06.05
06.45
Rickmansworth – Baker Street (normally Rickmansworth – Aldgate)
06.15
07.02
Watford – Baker Street
06.23
07.02
Amersham – Aldgate
06.32
07.55
Chesham – Aldgate
06.55
Northbound first trains were in the main unchanged.
NORTHERN LINE
1 HOUR
LATER
01.26
01.32
01.46
00.51
00.57
01.08
01.15
01.22
01.11
01.10
01.09
2 HOURS
LATER
02.26
02.32
02.46
01.51
01.57
02.08
02.15
02.22
02.11
02.10
02.09
NORMAL
LAST
00.32
–
00.32
00.01
–
23.48
–
–
23.59
23.57
–
Kennington – Edgware (CX)
Kennington – High Barnet (CX)
Kennington – Golders Green (CX)
Morden – High Barnet (City)
Morden – Mill Hill East (City) (Normally 01.02 ex-Finchley Central)
Morden – Edgware (City)
Morden – East Finchley (City) †
Morden – Hampstead (City) †
Edgware – Morden (CX)
High Barnet – Morden (City)
Mill Hill East – Morden (City) (Normally 00.53 Mill Hill East –
Finchley Central)
† These two locations are unusual for trains to terminate, highlighting the need for trains to be in depot by
02.30 and 03.30.
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.26
06.30
06.21
06.22
06.24
06.59
06.56
06.51
06.52
06.54
Morden – Edgware (City) (Normally via CX)
Morden – High Barnet (CX) (Normally via City)
Mill Hill East – Finchley Central
High Barnet – Morden (City) (Normally via CX)
Edgware – Morden (CX) (Normally via City)
PICCADILLY LINE
It should be noted that services to and from Heathrow T4 finished at normal times.
NORMAL
1 HOUR
2 HOURS
LAST
LATER
LATER
23.54
Arnos Grove – Heathrow T5 (normally 23.43 ex-Cockfosters)
00.34
01.34
23.55
Cockfosters – Heathrow T123
00.39
01.39
23.55
Cockfosters – Northfields
01.14
02.14
00.58
Acton Town – Uxbridge
01.56
02.56
00.52
Rayners Lane – Acton Town
00.52
01.52
23.42
Heathrow T5 – Cockfosters
00.49
01.49
23.42
Heathrow T5 – Arnos Grove
00.59
01.59
24.00
Heathrow T5 – Hammersmith
01.04
02.04
00.18
Heathrow T5 – Acton Town
01.15
02.15
SUNDAY START
No change to early-morning services to and from Heathrow at the west end of the line.
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.56
Acton Town – Rayners Lane
06.39
07.06
Cockfosters – Heathrow T4 (Normally 06.57 King’s Cross – Heathrow T4)
06.28
06.51
Cockfosters – Heathrow T5
06.43
05.46
Heathrow T4 – Cockfosters (Normally Heathrow T4 to King’s Cross) †
05.46
January 2012
OLYMPIC
FIRST
06.07
06.28
06.54
147
NORMAL
FIRST
06.07
06.49
07.04
Heathrow T5 – Cockfosters (Normally Heathrow T5 to King’s Cross) †
South Harrow – Acton Town
Rayners Lane – Acton Town
† First train ‘through the road’ normally 06.20 Heathrow T4 to Cockfosters.
VICTORIA LINE
1 HOUR
LATER
01.48
01.31
02.01
2 HOURS
LATER
02.48
02.31
03.01
NORMAL
LAST
00.27
00.09
00.53
Brixton – Walthamstow
Walthamstow – Brixton
Walthamstow – Seven Sisters
SUNDAY START
NORMAL
OLYMPIC
FIRST
FIRST
06.44
06.51
06.59
06.51
Walthamstow – Brixton
Brixton – Walthamstow
WATERLOO & CITY LINE
Quite simply, on all Olympic and Paralympic days, the Waterloo & City Line finished service at 01.00 exWaterloo and 01.07 ex-Bank (02.00 and 02.07 on the opening ceremony).
Sunday services began as on Saturdays, 08.00 Waterloo to Bank and 08.02 Bank to Waterloo.
EXTENDED HOURS TRAIN SERVICES
We will now have a look at the four lines which directly serve the Olympic area. Two of these are
complex, as there are several different schedules throughout the period.
CENTRAL LINE
With Stratford being the focal point on the Central Line for the Games it goes without saying that the
maximum service is provided through the area, sometimes at the expense of slightly reduced
services at the western end of the line.
West Ruislip
10
)
For the opening ceremony on Friday 27 July, a
Ealing Broadway
10
)
near normal service was provided during the day,
North Acton – Leytonstone
5
) 34 trains
with services after midnight being as follows (* no
Hainault
10
)
service Hainault – Woodford after normal closing
Epping
10
)
times on any day):
For the main part of the day on Saturday 28 July, services were as follows, with 62 trains in service,
reduced to 61 after the Hainault – Woodford service ends:
West Ruislip
10
Hainault
5-10
Ealing Broadway
10
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
North Acton – White City
2½-5
Loughton
5
White City – Leytonstone
2½
Epping
10
Newbury Park
5
Sundays 29 July, 2 and 9 September:
07.30 to 10.00
West Ruislip
10
Ealing Broadway
10
North Acton – White City
5
White City – Leytonstone
5
Newbury Park
10
Hainault
10
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
Loughton
10
Epping
10
Total trains:
37
10.00 to 16.00
8-12
8-12
4-8
4
8-12
8-12
* 20
4-8
8-12
After 16.00
10
5½-8½
2½-5½
2½-3
3-7
3½-10
* 20
5½-8½
8-12
42
55
148
Underground News
On Mondays to Fridays 30 July to 2 August, a near normal service was provided during the day,
with late-evening intervals as scheduled on 27 July with 36 trains in service.
Over the six days Mondays to Fridays 3-10 August, a near normal peak service was provided,
although in the morning, the 30tph westbound service was slightly reduced to 2-2½ minute intervals,
so that a slightly increased service could be provided on the eastbound, feeding traffic from central
London to Stratford. Between the peaks a reduced service operated on the western branches with
two separate service patterns – 21tph (55 trains) through the central area until 14.00 and then 24tph
(62 trains) from then until the start of the evening peak. After the evening off-peak, a third ‘peak’ was
scheduled from 22.00 with 74 trains in service. To enable 2-4 minute turn-rounds at White City in the
middle platform, stepping back of Train Operators was scheduled from 21.54 to 23.27. The differing
service intervals were as follows:
11.00 to 14.00
14.00 to 17.00
After 22.00
West Ruislip
10
10
10
Ealing Broadway
5-9
10
4-10
North Acton – White City
2½-5½
2½-5
2-4
White City – Leytonstone
2½-3
2½
2
Newbury Park
2½-7½
5
2-6
Hainault
4-8
5-10
2-10
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
* 20
* 20
Loughton
5½-8½
5
2-6
Epping
10
10
4-11
Total trains:
55
62
74
The 2-minute service interval through the central area applied 22.04 to 00.10 Liverpool Street
westbound and 22.22 to 00.06 Leytonstone eastbound. This is the first time that 2-minute intervals
on the Central Line have been scheduled in the eastbound direction for many years and certainly not
with the new (1990s!) signalling system.
Saturdays 4 and 11 August were as follows with 62 trains in service until 21.45 and 74 trains
thereafter:
07.00 to After
07.00 to
After
21.45
21.45
21.45
21.45
West Ruislip
10
10
Hainault
5-10
4-11
Ealing Broadway
10
4-10
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
* 20
North Acton – White City
2½-5
2-4
Loughton
5
2-6
White City – Leytonstone
2½
2
Epping
10
3½-10
Newbury Park
5
2-7
Services on Sundays 5 and 12 August were:
07.30 to 10.00
West Ruislip
10
Ealing Broadway
10
North Acton – White City
5
White City – Leytonstone
5
Newbury Park
10
Hainault
10
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
Loughton
10
Epping
10
37
Total trains:
10.00 to 16.00
8-12
8-12
4-6
4
8-12
8-12
* 20
8-12
8-12
42
16.00 to 22.00
10
5½-8½
2½-5½
2½-3
2½-7
3½-10
* 20
5½-8½
8-12
55
After 22.00
10
10
2½-5
2½
2½-6½
5½-8½
* 20
5½-8½
8-12
61
Turning now to the Paralympic Games, the services Monday to Friday 29 August to 7 September
are as noted below. With the morning peak period, the 30tph westbound service was slightly
reduced to 2-2½ minute intervals, so that a slightly increased service could be provided on the
eastbound, feeding traffic from central London to Stratford.
As with all the services on other days, the Hainault – Woodford section closed at normal weekday
times.
January 2012
West Ruislip
Ealing Broadway
North Acton – White City
White City – Leytonstone
Newbury Park
Hainault
Woodford via Hainault *
Loughton
Epping
Total trains:
Saturdays 1/8 September:
149
11.00 to 14.00
10
5-9
2½-5½
2½-3
2½-7½
4-8
* 20
5½-8½
10
14.00 to 17.00
10
10
2½-5
2½
5
5-10
* 20
5
10
After 19.00
10
5½-8½
2½-5½
2½-3
2½-5½
3½-10
* 20
5½-8
10
55
62
55
08.00 to After
08.00 to
After
21.00
21.00
21.00
21.00
West Ruislip
10
10
Hainault
5-10
3½-10
Ealing Broadway
10
5½-8½
Woodford via Hainault *
* 20
* 20
North Acton – White City
2½-5
2½-5½
Loughton
5
5½-8½
White City – Leytonstone
2½
2½-3
Epping
10
8-12
Newbury Park
5
3-7
62 trains in service until 21.00, then 56.
In all of these special timetables, because of the extended hours of operation of the Waterloo & City
Line, to convey train crews back to their home depot at Leytonstone, an empty eastbound train
worked ‘through the road’, stopping at Bank to pick up train staff, depart 02.04 (03.04 Friday night 27
July).
JUBILEE LINE
Friday 27 July
The midday off-peak service was enhanced to 24tph between Stratford and Willesden Green. With
4tph reversing at Willesden Green and 4tph reversing at Wembley Park, Stanmore was served by
16tph. A total of 49 trains were required for service.
The evening peak service (59 trains) was then extended to operate until 20.00, after which the 2½minute service (of 50 trains) resumed to and from Stratford until 01.00, after which the service was
every 2½-5 minutes until the close of traffic, with the last train departing Stratford for Wembley Park
at 02.30. In the opposite direction, the last train scheduled to arrive at Stratford was at 03.10.
Stepping back of Train Operators at Stratford took place from 07.10 to 02.30 continuously.
Saturday 28 July
An enhanced service was provided throughout the day with 24tph between Willesden Green and
North Greenwich. With a North Greenwich reverser every 20 minutes, Stratford was served by 21tph
until 00.30, after which intervals widened to 3½-5 minutes until the last departure at 01.30 with the
last arrival at 02.10. These last train times thereafter applied to each evening covered by the special
timetable notices. Trains in service varied between 49 and 51, according to the reversing of services
at Willesden Green and/or Wembley Park. There was no stepping back of Train Operators at
Stratford.
Sunday 29 July
With a service start-up of up to an hour earlier than on a normal Sunday, the main service Willesden
Green – North Greenwich was 24tph from 08.00 to 23.30, reducing slightly thereafter. The number
of reversers at North Greenwich varied from 3tph (08.26 to 09.26 and 11.46 to 18.46) to 6tph (09.26
to 11.46 and 18.46 to 23.26). At the north end of the line there were Wembley Park reversers every
10 minutes from 08.48 to 16.58 and then Willesden Green reversers every 10 minutes from 17.04 to
23.55 and 00.08. In consequence of the differing patters, the number of trains in service varied
between 48 and 51. Again, there was no stepping back of Train Operators at Stratford.
Mondays to Fridays 30 July to 2 August
The midday off-peak service was enhanced to 24tph between Stratford and Willesden Green. With
4tph reversing at Willesden Green and 4tph reversing at Wembley Park, Stanmore was served by
150
Underground News
16tph. A total of 49 trains were required for service. The evening peak service (59 trains) was then
extended to operate until 20.00, after which the 2½-minute service (of 49 trains) resumed to and
from Stratford until 24.00, after which the service was every 2½-5 minutes until the close of traffic,
with the last train departing Stratford for Wembley Park at 01.30.
Stepping back of Train Operators at Stratford took place from 07.10 to 01.30 continuously.
Mondays to Fridays 3-10 August
The service described above operated until 22.00, after which a third ‘peak’ was scheduled until
23.30. This required 58 trains in service and a 2-minute service was provided west from North
Greenwich between 22.03 and 23.35. The service from Stratford was 24tph which meant there was
a North Greenwich reverser every 10 minutes.
Saturdays 4/11 August
For the main part of the day until 23.30 Stratford had a 2½-minute 24tph service. However, with
additional services between North Greenwich and Willesden Green/Wembley Park, the service
provision between North Greenwich and Willesden Green varied during the day, as follows:
24tph – until 16.00
24tph – 18.30 to 22.00
28tph – 16.00 to 18.30
30tph – 22.00 to 23.30
Trains in service varied between 48 and 50, increased to 58 from 16.00 to 18.30 and 22.00 to 23.30.
Sundays 5/12 August
With an earlier than normal start, an enhanced service was provided with 49 or 50 trains in service.
The 2½-minute service in the central area was extended to Stratford between 15.40 and 19.00 after
21.40 and in consequence stepping back of Train Operators took place at Stratford from 15.52 to
19.18 and 21.52 to 01.08. At the north end of the line there were Wembley Park reversers every 10
minutes, apart from three at Willesden Green late at night.
Mondays to Fridays 29 August to 7 September
Saturdays 1/8 September
Sundays 2/9 September
Services for the Paralympic Games were far more simple, with normal services applying during the
day (with the early-morning Sunday starts, of course). On each day, services continued for about an
hour later, with the same special service applying in the evenings, as follows:
Monday to Fridays from 22.00 ) Stratford – Willesden Green
3 mins
20tph
Saturdays from 21.00
) Willesden Green – Stanmore
3-5 mins
15tph
Sundays from 19.00
)
Note – Willesden Green reversers every 12 mins (5tph).
CIRCLE AND HAMMERSMITH & CITY
The only ‘simple’ timetable was the Circle and Hammersmith, whose 10-minute pan-handle Circle
and 10-minute service to Barking remained the same throughout, with the extended operating hours.
DISTRICT LINE
Normal peak services applied on each Monday to Friday throughout the Olympic period. The nonpeak District Line service, however, is also relatively simple to describe because its principles applied
on each day. The only exception was on the opening night (27 July) where the closure time was two
hours later rather than one hour. On Sundays, some services started up earlier, q.v.
General Service Patterns
Ealing Broadway – Barking
10 mins
17
Richmond – Upminster
10 mins
20
Wimbledon – Plaistow
20 mins
) 17
Wimbledon – Dagenham East
20 mins
)
8
Wimbledon – Edgware Road
10 mins
Total trains (Mon-Fri):
Olympia – High Street Kensington
(Saturdays and Sundays only)
Total trains (Sat/Sun):
62
20 mins
2
64
January 2012
151
To summarise, the Monday to Friday midday off-peak, Saturday and Sunday daytime ‘busy’ and the
late evening- services were based on the normal off-peak service with the 10-minute Wimbledon –
Tower Hill service extended alternately to Plaistow and Dagenham East and the Ealing – Upminster
service curtailed at Barking. Along with the Hammersmith & City Line service, a combined 2½minute (24tph) service was provided through West Ham. It should be remembered that during the
transition stage between the different services, changes to the established patterns occurred.
Service Intervals
Ealing Broadway – Turnham Green
10
Richmond – Turnham Green
10
Turnham Green – Earl’s Court
5
Wimbledon – Earl’s Court
5
Earl’s Court – Edgware Road
10
Earl’s Court – Gloucester Road
2½-5
Gloucester Road – Tower Hill
2½
Including Circle Line
Tower Hill – Aldgate East
2½-5
Aldgate East – Plaistow
2½
Including Hammersmith & City Line
Plaistow – Barking
2½-5
Including Hammersmith & City Line
Barking – Dagenham East
2½-10
Dagenham East – Upminster
10
Olympia – High Street Kensington
20
Saturdays and Sundays only
Now that we have reviewed the services directly serving the Olympics, we now take a look at the
other lines. In short, the service extensions on these lines were an hour later (two hours later Friday
night 27 July) and, apart from the Waterloo & City Line, many services started up earlier on Sundays.
For the period of extended services, the patterns of operation applied each night on each line,
applicable from around midnight.
BAKERLOO LINE
Until 01.00
After 01.00
Until 00.30
After 00.30
Friday 27th
Friday 27th
Other days
Other days
Elephant & Castle – Queen’s Park
5
6
5
6
Queen’s Park – Harrow & Wealdstone
15
18
15
18
For the 5/15-minute service, 20 trains were required.
WATERLOO & CITY LINE
The Monday to Friday peak service was slightly reduced with four trains instead of five, and the
midday off-peak 6-minute service eliminated the need for stepping back at Waterloo.
Monday to Friday
Peaks
3¼-3½
4 trains
Midday
6
3 trains
Evening until 24.00 †
6
3 trains
After 24.00 ‡
10
2 trains
† Until 01.00 Friday 27 July.
‡ After 01.00 Friday 27 July.
Saturdays/Sundays 08.00 to 24.00
6
3 trains
After 24.00
10
2 trains
VICTORIA LINE
The extended services operated as follows, to 03.20 (Friday 27 July) and 02.20 (other nights): 17
trains were required for the extended service.
Brixton – Seven Sisters
5
Seven Sisters – Walthamstow
5-10
PICCADILLY LINE
Services to Heathrow Terminal 4 finished at the normal time
(just after midnight) while the Uxbridge branch service
terminated at Rayners Lane during the extended period,
apart from the solitary last train from Acton Town to
Uxbridge. 50 trains were required for the extended service.
Cockfosters – Arnos Grove
Arnos Grove – Acton Town
Acton Town – Northfields
Northfields – Heathrow T123
Rayners Lane
4-8
4
4-10
10
20
152
METROPOLITAN LINE
All services ‘all stations’.
Service Patterns:
Aldgate – Amersham
Aldgate – Chesham
Aldgate – Uxbridge
Baker Street – Watford
Underground News
30
30
15
15
6 trains
6 trains
10 trains
8 trains
Combined services:
Aldgate – Baker Street
Baker Street – Harrow
Harrow – Moor Park
5-10
5
5-10
30 trains
Further changes because of football traffic at Wembley, requiring an enhanced southbound service
for return traffic, applied as follows:
21.40 to 23.10 Sunday 29 July
21.40 to 00.10 Tuesday 31 July
18.55 to 21.55 Wednesday/Monday/Thursday 1/6/7 August.
16.25 to 19.25 Saturdays 4 & 11 August
21.40 to 00.10 Thursday 9 August
NORTHERN LINE
A total of 55 trains were required for the extended service, which applied from midnight. Services
were based on the 4½-minute pattern, and multiples thereof, as will be seen below, arranged in 27minute blocks. It is interesting to note that the Mill Hill East shuttle was abandoned during this period
in favour of a through service, alternately via Charing Cross and via the City.
VIA CHARING CROSS
VIA BANK
Kennington – Camden Town
4½
Kennington – Camden Town
4½
Camden Town – Golders Green
9
Camden Town – Golders Green
9
Golders Green – Edgware
9-18
Golders Green – Edgware
9-18
Camden Town – Finchley Central
9
Camden Town – Finchley Central
9
Finchley Central – Mill Hill East
27
Finchley Central – Mill Hill East
27
Finchley Central – High Barnet
27
Finchley Central – High Barnet
27
Combined service intervals:
Morden – Kennington
4½
Golders Green – Edgware
4½-9
Via City
4½
Camden Town – Finchley Central
4½
Via Charing Cross
4½
Finchley Central – Mill Hill East
13½
Camden Town – Golders Green
4½
Finchley Central – High Barnet
4½-13
The pattern of operation in each 27-minute ‘block’ was as follows:
VIA CHARING CROSS
VIA BANK
Kennington – Mill Hill East
Morden – Mill Hill East
Kennington – Edgware
Morden – Edgware
Kennington – High Barnet
Morden – High Barnet
Kennington – Edgware
Morden – Edgware
Kennington – Finchley Central
Morden – Finchley Central
Kennington – Golders Green
Morden – Golders Green
Having now summarised the services offered, we will later see how it all performed, late-July in this
issue and after in the following issues …..
DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY
THE OLYMPIC SCHEDULES
Despite the Olympic Games going on for 17 days (27 July to 12 August) and the Paralympic Games
for 12 days (29 August to 9 September), special train services for the Docklands Light Railway were
scheduled for 58 days, from 14 July to 9 September inclusive.
There were eleven different timetables to cover the 59-day period, each tailor-made for the Olympic
season. In all timetables all trains were scheduled to be formed of three vehicles. Almost all of the
services were based on a 10/5/2½ minute pattern, which is not quite as frequent as Monday to
January 2012
153
Friday peak services in the normal timetables. However, using the “less is more” principle, rather
than operate more frequent services with less room for recovery, and to avoid operating a mix of twoand three-vehicle trains, all three-vehicle trains with some room for recovery was undoubtedly
thought more desirable during this high-profile season.
In the current full-service Monday to Friday peak service, 48 trains are required for service, the same
as on one of the Olympic days, but with a mix of two- and three-vehicle trains, requiring 38x3 and
10x2, or 134 vehicles out of a fleet total of 149. The maximum vehicles required for the Olympic
service of all three-vehicle trains was 48 trains, or 144 vehicles, out of a fleet total of 149. No doubt
three vehicles were kept aside as a spare train, which would have left just two spare vehicles for
maintenance and repairs.
On special event days, all services started at 05.30, including Sundays, and finished at either 01.30
or 02.30 according to the nature of the day in question. The two-hour later finish was scheduled to
operate on nine occasions, unlike London Underground, which operated two hours later only on the
opening ceremony.
In addition to the special timetables, other special arrangements included:
 Pudding Mill Lane station closed at the end of traffic on Friday 13 July until Wednesday 12
September, to prevent overcrowding and being within the area of the Olympic ‘cordon’.
 From 28 July, Custom House and Prince Regent stations on the Beckton branch became
venue stations for ExCeL. Custom House operated as exit only and Prince Regent operated
as entrance only until Sunday 12 August.
 From 28 July, Cutty Sark station closed whilst Games events took place in Greenwich Park,
generally between 07.00 and 20.00.
 Also from 28 July Pontoon Dock and West Silvertown on the Woolwich Arsenal branch became
venue stations for ExCeL. West Silvertown operated as exit only and Pontoon Dock operated
as entrance only until Sunday 12 August.
TIMETABLE SUMMARY
Trains
Veh’s
Dates
05.30 – 00.30
07.00 – 23.30
05.30 – 00.30
47
47
46
141
141
138
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
05.30 – 02.30
05.30 – 01.30
05.30 – 01.30
05.30 – 01.30
05.30 – 02.30
05.30 – 02.30
05.30 – 01.30
46
46
48
46
46
47
46
138
138
144
138
138
141
138
K
K
05.30 – 01.30
05.30 – 02.30
46
46
138
138
14.07.12
15.07.12
16.07.12
24.07.12
17.08.12
28.08.12
25.07.12
28.07.12
30.07.12
31.07.12
08.08.12
11.08.12
30.08.12
07.09.12
01.09.12
09.09.12
T/T
Times
A
B
C
21.07.12
22.07.12
17.07.12
26.07.12
20.08.12
18.08.12
19.08.12
18.07.12
13.08.12
21.08.12
25.08.12
26.08.12
19.07.12
14.08.12
22.08.12
27.07.12
29.07.12
29.08.12
04.08.12
05.08.12
01.08.12
09.08.12
12.08.12
31.08.12
02.08.12
10.08.12
03.09.12
02.09.12
08.09.12
27.08.12
20.07.12
15.08.12
23.08.12
23.07.12
16.08.12
24.08.12
03.08.12
06.08.12
07.08.12
04.09.12
05.09.12
06.09.12
THE TIMETABLES
TIMETABLE ‘A’. 05.30 – 00.30.
Date
14.07.12
21.07.12
18.08.12
25.08.12
27.08.12
(mins)
Sat
Sat
Sat
Sat
Mon
10
10
10
10
10
05.30 to 08.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STI – WOA
28x3
84 vehicles
Trains
(mins)
6x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
6x3
5
10
10
5
5
08.30 to 00.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
47x3
141 vehicles
Trains
12x3
7x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
154
Underground News
TIMETABLE ‘B’. 07.00 – 23.30.
Date
15.07.12
22.07.12
19.08.12
26.08.12
(mins)
Sun
Sun
Sun
Sun
10
10
10
10
10
07.00 to 10.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STI – WOA
27x3
81 vehicles
Trains
(mins)
6x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
5x3
5
10
10
5
5
10.30 to 23.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
47x3
141 vehicles
Trains
12x3
7x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
TIMETABLE ‘C’. 05.30 – 00.30.
Date
16-20.07.12
23.07.12
24.07.12
26.07.12
13-17.08.12
20-24.08.12
28.08.12
M-F
Mon
Tue
Thur
M-F
M-F
Tue
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
10
10
Trains
(mins)
12x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
10
10
10
10
10
10
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
5
10
10
10
10
10
10.00 to 16.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
42x3
126 vehicles
AM and PM Peaks
Service
Trains
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
20.00 to 00.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
37x3
111 vehicles
12x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
Trains
6x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
5x3
TIMETABLE ‘D’. 05.30 – 02.30.
Date
25.07.12 Wed
27.07.12 Fri
29.08.12 Wed
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
10
10
Trains
(mins)
12x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
10
10
10
5
10
10
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
5
10
10
10
10
10
10.00 to 16.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
42x3
126 vehicles
AM and PM Peaks
Service
Trains
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
20.00 to 02.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – LEW
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
44x3
132 vehicles
12x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
Trains
6x3
7x3
7x3
14x3
6x3
4x3
January 2012
155
TIMETABLE ‘E’. 05.30 – 01.30.
Date
28.07.12
29.07.12
04.08.12
05.08.12
Sat
Sun
Sat
Sun
(mins)
05.30 to 08.00
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
6x3
10
10
10
10
5
10
Trains
(mins)
00.30 to 01.30
Service
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
5
23.00 to 00.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
40x3
120 vehicles
08.00 to 23.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
46x3
138 vehicles
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
35x3
105 vehicles
TIMETABLE ‘F’. 05.30 – 01.30.
Date
30.07.12 Mon
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
5
(mins)
5
10
10
10
10
5
10
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
5
06.30 to 09.30
Service
Trains
28x3
84 vehicles
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
09.30 to 20.00
Service
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
10x3
6x3
11x3
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – LEW
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
CAT – PRR *
48x3
144 vehicles
23.00 to 00.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
40x3
120 vehicles
* Canning Town (Low Level) – Prince Regent.
TIMETABLE ‘G’. 05.30 – 01.30.
Trains
(mins)
20.00 to 23.00
Service
12x3
7x3
6x3
5x3
6x3
10x3
2x3
10
10
10
5
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
13x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
7x3
45x3
135 vehicles
Trains
(mins)
00.30 to 01.30
Service
Trains
6x3
7x3
6x3
5x3
6x3
10x3
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
10x3
34x3
102 vehicles
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Underground News
Date
31.07.12
01.08.12
02.08.12
03.08.12
06.08.12
07.08.12
Tue
Wed
Thur
Fri
Mon
Tue
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
5
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
15.00 to 20.00
Service
Trains
(mins)
5
10
5
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
12x3
7x3
10x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
5
10
5
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
5
06.30 to 15.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
20.00 to 23.00
Service
Trains
13x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
7x3
Trains
46x3
138 vehicles
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
45x3
135 vehicles
23.00 to 00.30
Service
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
41x3
123 vehicles
Trains
(mins)
00.30 to 02.30
Service
6x3
7x3
6x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
10x3
6x3
11x3
35x3
105 vehicles
TIMETABLE ‘H’. 05.30 – 02.30.
Date
08.08.12 Wed
09.08.12 Thur
10.08.12 Fri
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
5
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
15.00 to 20.00
Service
Trains
(mins)
5
10
5
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
12x3
7x3
10x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
10
5
5
(mins)
06.30 to 15.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
21.00 to 23.00
Service
46x3
138 vehicles
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
TOG – PRR
45x3
135 vehicles
23.00 to 00.30
Service
00.30 to 02.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
Trains
13x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
7x3
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
10x3
Trains
January 2012
157
10
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
40x3
120 vehicles
6x3
7x3
5x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
35x3
105 vehicles
TIMETABLE ‘I’. 05.30 – 02.30.
Date
(mins)
11.08.12 Sat
12.08.12 Sun
10
10
10
10
10
(mins)
5
10
10
5
5
05.30 to 08.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STI – WOA
28x3
84 vehicles
12.00 to 21.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
47x3
141 vehicles
Trains
(mins)
6x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
6x3
5
10
10
10
5
Trains
(mins)
12x3
7x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
10
10
10
5
5
08.00 to 12.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
41x3
123 vehicles
21.00 to 02.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – LEW
STI – WOA
43x3
129 vehicles
Trains
12x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
14x3
11x3
TIMETABLE ‘J’. 05.30 – 01.30.
Date
30.08.12
31.08.12
03.09.12
04.09.12
05.09.12
06.09.12
07.09.12
Thur
Fri
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thur
Fri
(mins)
05.30 to 06.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STI – PRR
6x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
10
10
(mins)
5
10
10
10
10
10
(mins)
06.30 to 10.00
Service
28x3
84 vehicles
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – CAW
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
46x3
138 vehicles
10.00 to 15.00
Service
15.00 to 20.00
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – WOA
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
STI – PRR
42x3
126 vehicles
20.00 to 00.30
Service
Trains
(mins)
12x3
7x3
7x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
5
10
10
10
10
5
Trains
(mins)
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
45x3
135 vehicles
00.30 to 01.30
Service
Trains
12x3
7x3
7x3
4x3
6x3
6x3
4x3
Trains
12x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
6x3
11x3
Trains
158
Underground News
10
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
40x3
120 vehicles
6x3
7x3
5x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
10
10
10
10
5
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
6x3
11x3
35x3
105 vehicles
TIMETABLE ‘K’. 05.30 – 01.30 (02.30 Sunday 09.09.12).
Date
01.09.12
02.09.12
08.09.12
09.09.12
Sat
Sun
Sat
Sun †
(mins)
05.30 to 08.00
Service
Trains
(mins)
10
10
10
10
10
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – CAW
STI – WOA
6x3
7x3
5x3
4x3
6x3
10
10
10
10
5
5
28x3
84 vehicles
(mins)
10
10
10
5
5
00.30 to 01.30 †
Service
Trains
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
41x3
123 vehicles
6x3
7x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
08.00 to 00.30
Service
BAN – LEW
BAN – BEC
BAN – PRR
TOG – PRR
STR – GRE
STI – WOA
46x3
138 vehicles
† To 02.30 on 09.09.12
Trains
6x3
7x3
5x3
5x3
12x3
11x3
January 2012
159
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
AUGUST 2012 MODERN RAILWAYS – Over 400,000 French people now live in Britain, most of
them in London. John Glover reports that The Sunday Times Magazine has kindly provided a new
version of the familiar London Underground diagram, with the station names helpfully translated into
Franglais. Many are straightforward, as with Pont de Londres for London Bridge and Rue de
Liverpool for Liverpool Street. Some such as Holborn are unchanged, but Plus de Stan was perhaps
inevitable for Stanmore. Literal translations abound, with Buisson de Berger for Shepherd’s Bush,
Chapelle Blanche for Whitechapel, and Chêne Brûlé for Burnt Oak. Croissants apparently take their
name from the crescent shape, hence Mornington Croissant. Marylebone appears as L’Os de Marie
(think about it), but we leave readers to ponder which station has been termed Gare de Napoleon*.
(* Waterloo).
01.08.12 UXBRIDGE GAZETTE – LU passengers will have more to grab hold of when extra
handles are installed on the new Metropolitan Line trains, after complaints the existing bars are too
high. New S Stock trains were introduced earlier this year at a cost of about £1.5B. The
walkthrough trains have now replaced the aging M(!) stock trains, with fewer seats and more
standing room. But the horizontal bars were higher than on the older trains by a matter of inches
and smaller passengers struggled to reach them. The new handles, called strap hangers, will be
suspended from the bars. The Federation of Metropolitan Line Users’ Association said it first raised
concern about the height of the bars, said, “In the design stage about two years ago, we suggested
they fit strap hangers, but they refused, saying they weren’t necessary. About a year ago we raised
it again. Three months ago they decided to trial them on one of the trains and that went very well”.
A Metropolitan manager said, “The rails and poles can’t be moved due to the structure of the train,
however we will be fitting straphangers to all the S Stock trains currently in service”. (Straphangers!
What goes around, comes around! – Ed.).
01.08.12 THE TIMES – Never mind the seats, the whole of Central London seems empty. Veteran
Londoners liken the scene to a deserted town in a Western, minus the windblown tumbleweed and
menacing guitar. Rush hour isn’t rushed. Seats can be found on the Underground even at times
when passengers have normally to stand shoulder to chest, enjoying the various fragrances that
intimate proximity make olfactory available. The roads far from being clogged, offer unique
opportunities to study at leisure the various marking systems used by the transport authorities. What
appears to have happened is something that other cities have experienced when hosting the
Olympics. So stern have been the warnings of disruption and transport chaos and so widespread
the rumours of profiteering and crowding, that countless Londoners have decamped for the duration
and visitors have delayed their trips to the capital.
01.08.12 METRO – Text from Belinda – “Thanks to the underground operator on the Victoria Line
for making everybody smile by saying, “Big up, big up, respect the Olympic athletes. Ready, driver?
On your marks, Get set, Go!”.
01.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Tweet from BoyDoyle – “I have never travelled in London with
such ease. Will Underground staff hand back their Olympic ransoms – sorry, bonuses?”.
01.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Plans for a light-rail or tram route running the length of Oxford
Street will be examined by a commission overseeing the future for the West End. The number of
buses travelling through Oxford Circus – about 280 an hour at peak times – could then be cut back.
The West End Commission, set up in the wake of the row over parking charges, would consider new
forms of transport after the arrival of Crossrail in 2018, which would reduce the need for arterial bus
routes across central London. The idea for a tram along Oxford Street was first mooted by the
previous Mayor, Ken Livingstone, but it was dropped as it was considered too expensive and
disruptive.
02.08.12 THE TIMES – By Columnist Alan Lee – “So it was here, at last, the inevitable transport
crash that doomsayers such as me had been predicting for years. Heading off on the Underground
to see Luol Deng and his boys at the afternoon basketball, the Central Line had “serious delays”
reported. But the magic of the Rings is Harry Potterish. Even the creaky old Underground, a
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Underground News
perennial source of black humour to its regulars, has mended its ways. Sure, there had been a bit of
early congestion – this is London after all. But by the time I climbed aboard at Holborn, three trains
were due in the next 5 minutes and the Olympic empty seats mystery had spread to the
Underground. Things get surreal at Stratford. Give a megaphone to an Underground operative and
you are likely to get commands in blunt, humourless tones. Yet here was this bald, gurning official
jollying the crowd through the station and even leading the patriotic chants. And he had not been
drinking, honest. These are the twin trends of the Olympics. London is almost empty, Games-goers
aside, and that vacuum – the space to smell the roses – has infected people and places customarily
immune to such things. Such a giddy spirit is developing that, come next weekend, we may well be
reaching for the sedatives”.
02.08.12 METRO – While I applaud a King using public transport. I am a little less comfortable with
the LU system being infiltrated with various MPs. Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dems alike have
been “getting ahead of the Games” by giving their Oyster cards a run-out and roughing it with us
mere mortals. I have been on the Underground every day and the last thing I want is to be stuck
next to David Cameron, or any other MP, on the way to the Olympic Park. “You have to remember
what we inherited from Labour .......”. Listen, no offence, but I am trying to eat my bacon sandwich
here. “Okay, but I want to make it clear the carbon omissions from these Games have been lower
than the average .....”. Forget it! I’ll get off and walk!
05.08.12 INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY – Have the travel problems been as bad as expected?
What they said: Grim tidings in Tube announcements from Boris Johnson: “Our roads and public
transport are going to be exceptionally busy”. He said more than 1M people a day were going to put
huge pressure on the transport network. What happened: With the exception of the Central Line’s
almost daily capitulation, the Underground has coped incredibly well, with increases in journeys.
Outcome: The Boris recordings are dropped. Now commuters are told, “While in central London,
why not visits shops, restaurants and theatres?”.
06.08.12 METRO – Text from DB – “Has anybody else noticed the vast amounts of extra work the
Underground and bus drivers are having to do during the Olympics, justifying their £600 bonuses? It
seems like business as usual (if not quieter) for most of them to me”.
06.08.12 METRO – It’s not just the athletes breaking records this summer – the number of people
using the capital’s transport services is also scaling new heights. On 3 August on the Underground,
a total of 4.4M breaking the record of 4.3M the previous day. On the DLR, 500,000 for the first time,
up more than 70%. On the Overground, 2.8M during last week, up 27%.
08.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Many of the athletes cramming onto overstretched public
transport network have helped bring some Olympic spirit to commuters. Team GB members were
seen waiting for eastbound trains at Mile End while Rwanda athletes were spotted waiting patiently
for a train at Shoreditch High Street Overground station. One of the biggest thrills for those not
fortunate enough to witness the Olympic events first hand was when Venezuelan fencer Ruben
Limardo Gascon boarded a DLR carriage with his Gold medal around his neck.
09.08.12 METRO – Tweet by Olympic Enthusiast – “Thank you to the Central Line driver on
Tuesday evening who advised us that Team GB had won another Gold medal”.
09.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from David – “Very pleasing to see US athletes taking the
Underground. I was less pleased to see an administrative member of the same party with his feet on
the chair on the DLR. Please be a little more thoughtful in future”.
10.08.12 METRO – 6 August was the busiest day in Underground history with 4.51 million journeys
made. TfL’s Peter Hendy said, “We are tremendously grateful to Londoners for their efforts in
adapting their travel patterns – it’s made a huge contribution to the success of the Games so far and
I would urge people to continue to plan their journeys and avoid the busiest stations at the busiest
times”.
10.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from Louise – “To the chap on the Central Line on Thursday
morning. I got on at South Woodford and you saw I used a stick but remained steadfastly in your
seat even when other people were looking at you. You couldn’t even look at me in the eye when you
got off”.
13.08.12 METRO – Statement by Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy – “While the Games were
here, we carried more than 60M passengers on the Underground, 30% more than usual and more
January 2012
161
than at any time in its 149-year history. The number using the DLR rose by more than 100% and
using the Overground by 47%, compared to last year. By changing the way you travelled, you
helped support the Games kept London moving. Without you, the past two weeks would not have
been possible. Thank you”.
13.08.12 METRO – Carl Downer, a customer services adviser at Victoria Underground station, has
been helping travellers get into the Olympic spirit. He cheered on fellow countryman Usain Bolt and
in his announcements on the platform he told customers, “The most important thing is to have a
lovely day and don’t forget Team GB”. He said, “The customers are such nice people and they come
and have a chat with you”.
14.08.12 METRO – Text from Rob – “I think London Bus and Underground staff should now ask for
a £500 bonus as they are likely to be busier than they have been for the past fortnight”.
14.08.12 THE TIMES – The Hong Kong mass transit, whose international business included corunning the London Overground network in Britain, reported a 6.1% rise in revenues in the first six
months of this year to $1.4B. MTR is in the bidding to run London’s Thameslink and Thameside
commuter train services.
14.08.12 THE TIMES – By columnist Alan Lee – “The hero of London 2012 is a train – the Javelin
train, to be precise. Where would we have been without it, especially when the inevitable happened
and the Central Line let us down on the very morning when the athletics started? I had actually
boarded a train for Stratford when the solemn announcement came of an indefinite suspension. It
was to last for several hours and, but for the creation of the Javelin, would have ensured a
desperately poor image of empty stadium seats. The Javelin rushes from St. Pancras International
to Stratford in seven minutes. Whoever came up with the idea, and decreed that it would be free to
all Games-goers, deserves a Gold medal of their own.
15.08.12 METRO – Text from Andrew – “Don’t blame the bus and Underground drivers for collecting
their bonuses. We all fell for the TfL/Boris Johnson hype about how busy it would be during the
Olympic period”.
15.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from LM – “Out of interest, how much did the free Zones 1-9
Travelcards provided with every Olympic ticket issued cost the transport system? Surely regular
Underground passengers should not have to bear the cost?”
15.08.12 METRO – According to TfL’s latest figures, 0.5M people used the capital’s new cable car
river crossing in the first six weeks of opening – with an average of 20,000 trips every day. The AirLine has seen a succession of record-breaking days since launch, with 31,964 journeys on Saturday
11 August, marking its busiest day.
16.08.12 METRO – The 18M journeys to Olympic events were a breeze for London’s improved
transport network, it was claimed. More than 900,000 visitors used services like park-and-ride,
shuttle buses and cycling routes, while journeys on the DLR doubled to 6M. The Olympic Delivery
Authority said transport “delivered”.
17.08.12 HOUNSLOW CHRONICLE – From the August 1912 Archives – “The competition
commenced three years ago to improve the appearance of the District Railway line and to make the
stations attractive has again been an unqualified success. The efforts of the competitors have
proved of great interest to those who travel to Town by this line. The gardens were inspected by a
committee of directors and in view of their excellence it was decided to increase the amount to be
awarded from £37 to £43. The results of this year’s competition has just been made known and the
first three prizes of £5 each go to Boston Manor, Hounslow Barracks and Acton Town. Second
prizes went to Ealing Common, South Kensington and St. James’s Park.”
17.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from Martin Akehurst – “On a really hot, sticky day on the
Underground, when there’s a carriage connecting door with an open window for ventilation, why does
someone always stand in front of it and block it? On a cross-London train yesterday as one person
vacated the spot another took over. Is it only them who are hot and sticky?”
17.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – By columnist Andrew Neather – It was an Olympic win more jawdropping to Londoners than any Gold medal – our transport system managed just fine during the
Games. Not only were there no major delays; the Underground carried even more passengers than
predicted, up almost ⅓ on the same time last year. So why can’t it run like this the whole time?
Could this be London’s real legacy? LU’s MD Mike Brown points out that maintenance schedules
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Underground News
were devised to make sure the entire system was in shape for the Games and that very little work
had to be done during them. Meanwhile, Londoners responded well to please to change their
normal travel patterns. Brown would like this to continue. Yet all this will only take us so far. And
while there were no major Games problems, the Underground remains maddening to its users on far
too many days, chronically overcrowded and prone to delays. To fix such problems, the upgrade
programme cannot slacken. The Northern Line will be upgraded by 2014. Replacing all the trains
and signalling on the District, Circle, H&C and Metropolitan lines won’t be complete until 2018, also
when Crossrail opens. And it will then go to work on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines, whose trains
are already, respectively, 39 and 40 years old. “The Piccadilly line is going to fall apart unless we
upgrade it” warns Brown. Yet there is no money promised from central government. For those
projects not started before the end of this spending round in 2015, TfL and the Mayor need to
persuade the Chancellor to give London £1.2B a year. A spending review is reportedly pencilled in
for autumn next year – all signs are that it will be savage. Last time around, in 2010, ministers
recognised London’s centrality to the British economy. Next time, Brown worries that some may take
a view that “London had its turn last time” – a mad way of looking at it. This week Boris Johnson has
been talking up his desire for a new airport. I’d rather he concentrated on fixing the Underground –
and persuading the Chancellor to pay for it.
20.08.12 METRO – Eight people were stabbed at a Seoul (South Korea) Underground station
following a row over spitting. A jobless man brandishing a box-cutter, slashed passengers who
confronted him on the train. He continued his rampage on a platform before being arrested. The 39year-old was looking for work on Seoul’s underground network!
20.08.12 METRO – The London 2012 Games have been a great success thanks in part to £6.5B
invested in the capital’s public transport network and 10 years of preparation. Dubbed the first
“public transport Games”, few people know that 2012 is actually the third time the Underground has
been placed at the heart if the Games. 1908 – Emergency Games – So named due to London
hosting the Games instead of Rome, after the recent Vesuvius eruption near Naples. Horse-drawn
buses and trams were still in service but were being increasingly replaced by trains and buses. The
Olympic venue was White City but the Central London barely reached the stadium. It was the first
time several independent operators agreed to jointly promote their services as “the Underground” in
a bit to boost passenger numbers, and even produced a free publicity map of the network – an early
Tube map. 1948 – Austerity Games – So named due to rationing and economic hardship, no new
Olympic venues or athletes’ accommodation were built.
Many of London’s mainline and
Underground stations had been damaged during the war so transport was very much “make do and
mend”. Despite the lack of funds, some larger projects were completed, including Wembley Park
station as Wembley was the main Games venue that year. 2012 – Public Transport Games – The
Victorian Underground network of 1908 and 1948 has since developed into one of the world’s most
efficient public rail systems, helping make London the most accessible place in Europe. The 2012
Games are the first Olympics and Paralympics where spectators have been encouraged to travel to
the events solely by public transport, with each getting a Travelcard with their event ticket. More than
60 million journeys were made by Underground between 27 July and 12 August, that is 30% more
than usual. Record investment in the transport network, with major upgrades at stations, means the
2012 Games will leave a lasting legacy of improved public transport in the capital. Perhaps in
decades to come, the Underground will help support a fourth London Games.
20.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – Airport style security screening is being considered for
Underground and mainline stations across London. Earlier plans for individual screening were
abandoned because the Underground carries 3.4M people a day and the Home Office is now looking
at technology which would enable mass screening at escalators and ticket barriers. Officials will next
month begin to look at solutions, with a report due next March. The technology would not only detect
weapons on people and in their bags, but would also be able to scan wheelchairs and prosthetic
limbs. After the 7/7 attacks, the DfT carried out trials for mass screening at five mainline and
Underground stations. Members of the public had a positive attitude to screening but favoured
sniffer dogs over screening and were unwilling to accept major delays to their journeys. A senior
Underground source said, “Previous proposals for screening didn’t work out because we carry too
many people. The Underground and the City would not be able to function because we would take
too long to get people to destinations. New technology is very different”.
January 2012
163
24.08.12 METRO – Letter from PLT – “Thanks to TfL staff at Rayners Lane station. It was
wonderful to see you help a blind lady and her dog onto a train, then count the doors from the end of
the train and radio that information through to Harrow-on-the Hill to make sure she was met at the
same door”.
24.08.12 METRO – The £6.5B upgrade programme now in progress on TfL’s network means it is
already much easier for disabled people, passengers with reduced mobility and those with buggies.
One aim has been to create step-free access at stations using lifts and ramps as an alternative to
escalators or stairs. New trains on the Victoria and Metropolitan lines have wider doors and more
spaces for wheelchairs. The Metropolitan trains also have been designed without doors between
carriages so they are easier to walk through. New lifts to allow passengers with mobility impairment,
including wheelchair users, to enter or exit station platforms without facing the barrier of stairs.
Platform surfaces in many stations have been raised or realigned at certain points so that the edge is
now level with the train entrance to make it easier to board and alight. Signs on the platform show
where the humps are. More than 250 wide-aisle gates have also been installed. Temporary manual
boarding ramps have been added to 16 Underground stations for the duration of the Olympic and
Paralympic Games. These help wheelchair users to board and alight from trains more easily at
these stations, which have gap between the train and the platform.
24.08.12 THE TIMES – What will we do without the Olympic volunteers? Waiting for a train at
King’s Cross I overheard an American visitor talking with one of those cheery helpers. “Is it true that
your Queen Boadicea is buried here?” the American asked. Without a moment’s hesitation the
volunteer replied, “She’s under Platform 8, sir.” Fantastic knowledge! I didn’t have the heart to point
out that archaeologists have now changed their minds. According to latest scholarship, Boadicea (or
Boudicca as historians insist on calling her) is more likely to be buried under a McDonalds on the
outskirts of Birmingham. But why spoil a great myth? Better for the tourists if we keep her inside
Zone 1 of an Underground Travelcard.
28.08.12 METRO – On 24 August, the Paralympic flame joined passengers on the DLR between
Mudchute and Canary Wharf as part of its journey through the capital. It was carried by Aneurin
Wood, who works with disabled children for the Learning Trust.
28.08.12 METRO – This week marks the DLR’s 25th Anniversary. In that time the network has
grown from just two routes serving 15 stations to 45 stations on 6 branches. The DLR is London’s
first fully accessible railway and will play a key part carrying passengers to and from the Paralympic
Games venues.
28.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – More than 300,000 people have viewed a YouTube clip of a
sleepy LU passenger snuggling up to a stranger on the train. But one person who did not see the
funny side was the human pillow’s wife – who suspected that something must have been “going on”
between him and the drowsy woman. The video shows the young woman suddenly cuddling the arm
of the man sitting next to her, after nodding off on a late-night Jubilee Line train. She appears to be
overcome with embarrassment after suddenly waking up to realise she has snuggled up to a man
she did not know.
29.08.12 EVENING STANDARD – After an Underground information board warning of mice attacks
on passengers became an online hit, the Standard has uncovered more comedy signs on the
Underground. TfL has confirmed that the notice at Farringdon station advising travellers to tuck their
trousers into their socks to avoid being bitten was a spoof, and was wiped clean as soon as it “came
to the attention” of station staff. However, as the images show it is not the first time that staff and
passengers have taken it upon themselves to lighten the mood on the Underground. One invented
sign at South Kensington was addressed to “parents with children”, with the sarcastic message:
“Aren’t you wonderful taking little Hugo to the Museums?” This was followed in big red letters, with
“WALK ON THE LEFT”. Travellers at Angel are familiar with “thought for today” messages on the
station’s whiteboards, which even have their own website – thoughtsofangel.com. In one occasion at
one station on the train indicators were shown as “BAKERLOO LINE – GOOD SERVICE and
NORTHERN LINE - GOD SERVICE”.
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Underground News
THE UNDERGROUND OLYMPIC DIARY
AUGUST 2012
On Wednesday 1 August two signals failing at Turnham Green Junction on the eastbound, where
the Ealing and Richmond routes converge, suspended the District Line between Earl’s Court, Ealing
Broadway and Richmond from 07.00. Two trains were stalled approaching the junction, one from the
Ealing road until 08.00 and one from the Richmond road until 08.25.
The trains trapped on the
Richmond
branch
shuttled
between there and Gunnersbury,
reversing via the short section of
4th rail line on the NLL (there is no
other way of doing it).
___________________________
The use of the east-west
reversing facility via the NLL at
Gunnersbury is so rare, but the
photo (Left) was on a training run
on 31 January 2008, where the
reversing train is seen returning to
the westbound platform.
The
normal District Line tracks veer off
to the right in the background.
Photo: Brian Hardy
Trains on the Ealing branch were put into Ealing Common depot – there was no evidence of an
Ealing – Acton shuttle. Some Piccadilly Line trains called at District stations (where they could) in
both directions. Once a defective trainstop was replaced, services to Ealing Broadway resumed at
09.40 and to Richmond at 10.05. Some 17 trains were cancelled for the morning peak. The only
other problem of the day was a local power failure, closing Marble Arch station from 15.20 to 16.00.
The Bakerloo Line was suspended between Paddington and Queen’s Park from 08.10 on Thursday
2 August because of a broken rail on the northbound at Maida Vale. While traction current
isolations were being implemented, the area of suspension was extended to Piccadilly Circus and
Elephant & Castle for short periods. Services resumed throughout at 10.10. A signal track circuit
failure at West Ruislip suspended the Central Line suspended west of Northolt from 13.10 to 13.45,
while later in the evening the line was suspended Leytonstone – Epping and Hainault (via Woodford)
from 19.35 to 20.35 with a loss of signalling control at Woodford.
Passengers hoping for an early arrival at Stratford for the Olympic Games events were thwarted by a
loss of signal control at Bethnal Green at 07.20 on Friday 3 August, suspending the Central Line
between Liverpool Street and Leytonstone. Two trains were stalled on the eastbound and one on
the westbound, the last one being clear of passengers by 07.55. Services resumed at 08.45. Yet
again, no trains were recorded as cancelled for the morning peak (see page 463 of the September
issue of Underground News, entry for 31 July!). Two signals failing on the northbound Bakerloo Line
between Waterloo and Embankment from 16.20 resulted in delays in the area while trains worked
through under failure conditions, costing five cancelled trains for the evening peak. Clear signals
were obtained at 17.15.
There was just one incident of note on Saturday 4 August, when the Waterloo & City Line was
suspended from 17.10 because of a signal failure at Bank. One train stalled on the approach was
authorised to return to Waterloo, where it arrived at 17.40. The intention to implement single line
working, not especially difficult in itself (apart from having a separate pilotman for each single line
with each train ‘locked in’), created more problems than it solved, especially with the potential
management of passengers at Waterloo with two physically isolated platforms with a considerable
walk between them – the “which train is first” and “can we get over there before it goes” syndromes.
This was abandoned in favour of concentrating a one-train service in the eastbound tunnel.
January 2012
165
However, this would have meant passing signals at danger on the approach to Bank (i.e. the home
signal that had caused the failure) and also on departure (i.e. the westbound starting signal which
could not have been cleared to send a train westbound into the eastbound tunnel). There would also
have been issues with the lack of in-cab CCTV departing from Bank and also no Correct Side Door
Enable on arrival at Waterloo, plus delays caused by the Speed Control After Tripping equipment, all
of which negating the advantages of using two Train Operators to ‘double-end’. It would probably
have been necessary to ‘drop’ track circuits in Waterloo depot too, in order to protect the western
end of the ‘Single Line’ section. Services resumed at 21.10 – and without single line working!
On Sunday 5 August a loss of signal control at Hainault at 21.30 suspended the Central Line
between Newbury Park and Woodford. Two trains were stalled, one arriving at Fairlop inner rail at
21.55, the other at Hainault outer rail at 22.00. Services resumed at 23.05.
A person on the track at Finsbury Park southbound suspended the Victoria Line between
Walthamstow and King’s Cross at 10.25 on Monday 6 August. The westbound Piccadilly Line was
also delayed as trains were cautioned because of the close proximity of the crossover tunnel.
However, the person headed north and was detained at Seven Sisters, enabling services to resume
at 11.20. The Metropolitan Line was suspended through Harrow-on-the-Hill from 18.25 to 19.00 with
two signals failing, one each on the northbound ‘local’ and ‘fast’ lines’ approach. A local power
failure at Chalfont & Latimer necessitated the station closing at 21.15 when there was insufficient
daylight, reopening at 21.55 when power was restored.
Tuesday 7 August began with the west end of the District Line unable to start up until 06.00
because of a late finish to overnight work at East Putney, a loss of signalling control in the Earl’s
Court area and incomplete work on pointwork at Hammersmith. The District and Piccadilly lines
were then suspended west of Hammersmith – Northfields and Uxbridge (Piccadilly) and Turnham
Green – Ealing Broadway (District) from 06.10 because of a signal failure at Acton Town. Two
westbound Piccadilly Line trains were stalled approaching Acton Town. The second in the queue
was authorised to return to Turnham Green, where its passengers were detrained by 07.05. The first
train couldn’t go forward into Acton Town station and was later authorised to return to Turnham
Green also, its passengers being detrained through that in the platform, which was complete by
08.00. Services resumed at 08.05 but the incident cost 24 cancelled trains for the morning peak.
The Jubilee Line was suspended north of Willesden Green from 06.35 with a signal failure at
Wembley Park. The last of five stalled trains reached a platform by 07.10 and services resumed at
07.30. During the failure period Metropolitan Line trains stopped at Willesden Green. A northbound
S Stock train stalled across the crossover approaching Harrow-on-the-Hill at 14.00, suspending
services between Wembley Park and Harrow. Once the train arrived in the platform after the
deployment of gap jumper leads services were able to resume at 14.40. There was a further 20minute delay to the Metropolitan Line from 21.35 because of a passenger falling between a train and
the platform on the northbound at Finchley Road. The Jubilee Line was then suspended north of
Wembley Park from 22.10 to 00.15 because of points failing at Stanmore. This also caused a knockon effect to the rest of the Jubilee Line service, which wasn’t particularly helpful for return Olympic
traffic from Stratford. The day ended (at 00.45 in the early hours of the following morning) with a
person under a southbound Victoria Line train at Stockwell, suspending the service south of Victoria
until 01.50.
Wednesday 8 August wasn’t without incident, although none of them caused excessive delays. A
loss of signal control at Arnos Grove from 16.40 resulted in 10 Piccadilly Line trains being cancelled
for the evening peak.
Thursday 9 August began with a signal failure on the eastbound at Acton Town at 05.40,
suspending the Piccadilly Line between Uxbridge and Acton Town. The last of stalled eastbound
trains arrived at Acton Town at 06.25 enabling services to resume. A limited eastbound service from
Heathrow was provided by trains running via the local line from Northfields. The only other notable
problem was a signal failure on the southbound approach to Piccadilly Circus from 12.40 with
Bakerloo Line trains passing through under failure conditions until fixed at 15.10. There was no
‘declared’ suspension as such, just slow progress through the area.
The Victoria Line was suspended north of King’s Cross from 08.40 on Friday 10 August because of
a person under a northbound train at Finsbury Park. The station closed and Piccadilly Line trains
non-stopped. One stalled northbound train was authorised to return to Highbury & Islington, arriving
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Underground News
there at 09.00. In the meanwhile a very limited service was implemented between Seven Sisters and
Walthamstow from 09.10 with through running an hour later. There were no other incidents to cause
undue concern.
A broken rail between Seven Sisters and Finsbury Park on the southbound, nearer to the latter,
prevented the Victoria Line from starting up normally on Saturday 11 August. All that could be
achieved was a very limited service of three trains (the three overnight stablers from Victoria and
Brixton were the only trains available) shuttling between Brixton and King’s Cross. Services over the
rest of the line began at 06.35.
There was nothing untoward to report for Sunday 12 August, which was the last day of the Olympic
Games and the closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. In the event the closing ceremony ran
late and the District Line was able to organise a handful of extra trains beyond the planned 01.30
finish and in fact the last westbound train was about 30 minutes later than scheduled.
Timetables and service levels now revert to normal until the Paralympic Games commence at the
end of the month.
The Ruislip branch of the Central Line was delayed during the evening peak on Monday 13 August
with a track fire at Perivale and a defective train at Marble Arch. The only other problem was a fire
alarm operated at Earl’s Court, closing the station from 20.45 to 21.10.
There was nothing out of the ordinary to note for Tuesday 14 August, nor Wednesday 15 August.
Lambeth North station closed from 06.35 to 07.20 on Thursday 16 August because of defects with
both lifts. The combination of a signal failure at Walthamstow Central and a defective southbound
train at Warren Street, both at around 21.30, resulted in late evening delays on the Victoria Line.
The offending train at Warren Street was moved to Victoria sidings by 21.55.
Two temporary 5mph speed restrictions imposed at Finchley Road and Farringdon on Friday 17
August resulted in a number of cancellations on the Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City
lines throughout the day, reaching 11 trains in total for the evening peak.
On Saturday 18 August the Piccadilly Line was suspended between Arnos Grove and Cockfosters
from 12.40 to 14.50 with points failing just east of Arnos Grove. A points failure on the northbound
approach to Wembley Park suspended the Metropolitan Line south of Harrow-on-the-Hill from 14.00
to 15.25. Three trains were stalled between stations, the last reaching the platform at 14.50. A
southbound Jubilee Line train became gapped off current approaching Neasden at 16.35,
suspending the service north of West Hampstead. Willesden Green was unavailable to reverse
because of issues with a train occupying the siding there. In consequence the Metropolitan Line was
suspended south of Harrow-on-the-Hill (17.05 to 18.00) while passengers from the defective Jubilee
Line train were detrained via the track to Neasden station. By the early evening the Metropolitan and
Jubilee lines each had 13 trains cancelled. Services resumed at 18.35. The Piccadilly Line nonstopped Gloucester Road from 17.30 to 18.45 because of lift defects, while the Bakerloo Line was
suspended on the LU section from 18.50 to 19.10 because of a passenger emergency alarm
operated on a northbound train just departing Marylebone. The delay was exacerbated by the Train
Operator unable to exit the cab and walk through the train because it was heavily loaded and
therefore station staff were requested to attend the train and reset the passenger alarm.
Sunday 19 August belonged to the SSR in terms of problems, beginning with a 20-minute late start
through Harrow-on-the-Hill because of incomplete work on points at Harrow North Junction. Just
after 07.30 points failing at Aldgate North Junction suspended the Metropolitan Line into the City, the
Hammersmith & City Line east of Moorgate and the outer rail Circle Line. One Hammersmith & City
Line train was stalled on the North Curve until 08.05. Services resumed at 08.10 but with platform 2
out of use for the remainder of the day. Points failing at Watford South Junction from 08.30
suspended Chiltern Railways’ services south of Amersham. Northbound Watford trains were
diverted to run via Rickmansworth until the fault was fixed at 09.55. Points failing at Rayners Lane at
10.45 resulted in Piccadilly Line trains reversing in the westbound platform and the service
suspended to Uxbridge in consequence. One eastbound Piccadilly Line train was authorised (and
piloted) to Harrow-on-the-Hill to clear the road and allow the Metropolitan Line to operate nearnormally. The Piccadilly Line resumed to Uxbridge at 13.00.
The service on Monday 20 August was one of near perfection, or so it was suggested in various
circles!
January 2012
167
Tuesday 21 August began with a loss of signalling control from the start of traffic at Wembley Park,
Neasden and in Neasden depot, preventing trains from running south of Wembley Park until 05.40.
An event that wouldn’t normally make “The Diary” would be a defective train withdrawn from service
at Parsons Green with motor alternator problems at 19.50 and put into the sidings. Of interest
though is that it remained there until 11.00 the following morning, when it was returned empty to
Hammersmith depot, but via the south side of the District and Aldgate – i.e. the train didn’t have to
reverse direction.
The only notable event on Wednesday 22 August was a points failure at Upminster at 21.50 which
resulted in a 20-minute suspension east of Hornchurch.
On Thursday 23 August a loss of signalling control from the start of traffic between west of
Hornchurch and east of Dagenham Heathway resulted in a 50-minute delay to the first westbound
train while points were secured at the former. Even when trains were able to move under failure
conditions, it continued to take some 40-50 minutes to pass through the problem area and thus the
westbound service between Upminster and Barking was rather limited. The eastbound service was
suspended east of Barking until 09.00 to maintain some sort of westbound service for the morning
peak, although there were 16 trains cancelled. In the event a section of signal cable had to be
replaced which enabled normal signalling from 14.00. Staying with the District Line, a reported ‘kink’
in the westbound track on points just west of East Putney suspended services west of Putney Bridge
from 19.35 to 20.05. Earlier in the afternoon a multiple signal track circuit failure between Vauxhall
and Pimlico from 14.35 resulted in delays for the Victoria Line, with services ‘thinned’ south of
Victoria until the fault was fixed at 16.55.
The Piccadilly Line was suspended west of South Harrow from 12.05 until 13.05 on Friday 24
August because of a signal failure at Rayners Lane. The Metropolitan Line was able to continue
almost normally. Hyde Park Corner station closed from 15.45 to 16.20 because of a fire alarm
activated.
On Saturday 25 August the southbound Jubilee Line suffered a 25-minute stand from 05.05 with a
signalling problem at Wembley Park. Just as the service was returning to normality, a cable theft
north of Canons Park suspended the service between there and Stanmore from 06.20. The area of
suspension was widened to be north of Wembley Park from 06.40 when an empty train attempting to
reverse on the reception road to Stanmore sidings stalled across the crossover. Services resumed
at 08.40 after sections of cable had been replaced. Arcing in the depot at Waterloo suspended the
Waterloo and City Line twice, from 14.25 to 15.05 and again from 17.05 to 17.50. Heavy rain caused
flooding and the closure of Lambeth North station (15.40 to 20.45), Covent Garden (15.45 to 18.30),
Gloucester Road (Piccadilly Line, 15.50 to 16.55) and Aldgate (platform 4 from 15.50 to 16.40). The
closure at Lambeth North was protracted because of damage to the station supervisor’s office roof,
which had to be made safe. At 18.50 a person ill on an eastbound District Line train at Bromley-byBow caused a 30-minute suspension of both the District and Hammersmith & City lines.
Points failing at Willesden Junction suspended the Bakerloo Line north of Queen’s Park from 08.35
on Sunday 26 August. Services resumed at 10.15, only to be suspended again for a final ‘fix’ from
12.50 to 13.25. White City station closed from 16.10 to 18.15 because of flooding caused by a burst
water main close to the station.
Southbound Metropolitan and Jubilee Line services from Wembley Park were late starting up on
Bank Holiday Monday 27 August because of a rail defect at West Hampstead. The first
Metropolitan Line train departed Wembley Park 30 minutes late with the Jubilee Line not so badly
affected, as that line starts up a little later. Problems with the computer signalling at the east end of
the Piccadilly Line resulted in manual ‘on-site’ (local) operation from 05.45. However, at 07.50 the
service came to a complete stand for 30 minutes while the system was ‘rebooted’. The combination
of a SPAD (at 16.05) and a signal failure (at 16.15) on the westbound at Bounds Green resulted in a
25-minute delay ‘through the road’ and seven trains being cancelled in the early evening for
timetable recovery.
On Tuesday 28 August, a multiple signal failure westbound between Stepney Green and
Whitechapel from 10.00 resulted in the Hammersmith & City Line being suspended east of
Moorgate. The District Line continued through the area under failure conditions but not without 12
District and 5 H&C cancellations by midday. The fault was fixed by 12.15, when the Hammersmith &
City Line resumed, but as soon as a normal service was achieved, a signal failure occurred at
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Underground News
Stepney Green westbound just before 17.00, delaying services once again until fixed at 19.30. In the
meantime a local power failure closed Warwick Avenue from 15.10 to 18.25 and again from 21.10 to
22.30.
The Diary now continues to cover the Paralympic Games period, with later finishes daily and an
earlier start-up on Sundays.
Wednesday 29 August was trouble-free. The fact that the opening ceremony of the Paralympic
Games ran an hour late resulted in the later last trains through the Olympic Park area running some
10-15 minutes later still, all without problems.
Smoke from under a southbound Jubilee Line train at Bond Street at 10.25 on Thursday 30 August
suspended the service between Finchley Road and Waterloo. One train stalled between St. John’s
Wood and Baker Street was authorised to return to the former, arriving back there at 10.50.
Services resumed at 11.35 after the incident train departed for Stratford Market depot. The only
other notable event of the day was a 35-minute suspension through Earl’s Court on the District Line
from 16.25 because of a person trackside east of the station. The traction current layout and
arrangements meant that the Circle Line had to be suspended as well. Five trains were stalled
between stations, the last reaching a platform at 17.00, from when services resumed.
Friday 31 August began with Blackfriars LU station closing for 30 minutes from 05.40 because of a
fire alarm operated. A track defect on the northbound approach to Old Street suspended the
northbound City branch of the Northern Line for 30 minutes from 13.15. The rest of the day was
uneventful.
January 2012
169
UNDERGROUND ITEMS FROM THE TELEVISION
AN OCCASIONAL SERIES
by Paul Creswell
BUILDING THE LONDON UNDERGROUND
Wednesday 11 July 2012. Channel 5 from 20.00 to 21.00.
Every morning, four million people descend on to the London Underground, which is the largest
underground railway system in the world. A billion passengers a year use a system which was not
designed to carry nearly so many. The network cannot cope with such a level of demand. Now, over
sixteen billion pounds is being spent to enhance the system.
There is to be a fleet of new trains, twenty-five miles of new tunnel and thirty new stations. (Your
reviewer paused to wonder whether or not Crossrail was included in some of these statistics?). A
spokesman told us that the engineering involved was rather like performing open heart surgery on a
tennis player (whilst playing) or a marathon runner (whilst running).
Four key inventions have allowed the adoption of underground railways around the world. The
programme referred to each of these as ‘Leaps’, which was probably a fair description. The first
‘Leap’ described was concerning the progress made in tunnelling techniques since the first tube
railways were constructed.
In the nineteenth century, the main line railways were not allowed to encroach into central London for
fear that they would cause problems to all the historic buildings. Thus they all terminated at the edge
of London, with commuters making their way on to the streets to complete their journeys. This was
causing massive traffic problems.
The traditional method of constructing ‘cut and cover’ tunnels was demonstrated, using some
remarkably good graphics. Good that is, except for the horses and carriages, which were travelling
on the right hand side of the road!
James Henry Greathead, an engineer, had the idea that a railway could be ‘burrowed’ under the
ground and thus was born the idea for the ‘City and South London Railway’. The tunnels would be
made by a ‘Tunnelling Shield’, where workers would excavate a small section of tunnel (about 60
centimetres) and the shield would then push itself forward against the already completed tunnel
rings, such that further rings could be inserted in the newly-dug section. This method worked
particularly well in the prevalent London clay. The work was carried out twenty-four hours a day at a
rate of about three metres a day, with, of course, no disruption to road traffic – the curse of the ‘cut
and cover’ method.
The City and South London Railway was completed in four years and carried five million passengers
in its first year of operation. We were shown a section of tunnel and a close up of a tunnel ring –
embossed ‘GN&CR’. Relevant perhaps, but not quite the C&SLR! Shields went on to dig most of
the tunnels for the London Underground and also led to its nickname – ‘The Tube’.
One hundred years after the first tunnels were dug, the underground needed a big upgrade.
Engineers took the idea of Greathead’s machine and pushed it to the extreme. It is now called a
‘Tunnel Boring Machine’. This has cutters which chew their way through the earth and rocks and
drop the excavated material on to a conveyor belt, which removes it from the constructed tunnel.
Mesh is placed over the tunnel surface (to stop the tunnel caving in) and quick-drying concrete is
then injected, by robot arms, on to the mesh, to give solidity. The machines can complete up to
forty-five metres a day, in the right conditions. Two machines were utilised on the Jubilee Line
Extension.
An obstacle was encountered in the shape of Big Ben. The clock tower was built in the 1850’s on a
shallow raft foundation and tunnelling had to pass close to it. There were fears that the clock tower
could be affected to a possibly dangerous degree. Professor John Burland, a Civil Engineer, who
had previously saved the Leaning Tower of Pisa, was retained to give advice. Calculations showed
that if the tower deviated by more than 35 millimetres, cracking might well occur (whether this was to
the tower or to its foundation was not made clear).
Engineer Gem Stansfield (previously seen on BBC’s ‘Bang goes the Theory’), explained what was
done by means of a model. Pipes were inserted under Big Ben and grout (a mixture of sand, cement
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Underground News
and water) was pumped in, in strictly regulated quantities, so that any movement of the tower’s
support raft could be compensated for as the grout set. Automated plumb lines were installed inside
the tower, giving constant readings to detect movement. Three-hundred tons of grout was used in
the process. In the outcome, the tower did move some 35mm to the north, but stopped at that
position.
It took six years for the Jubilee Line tunnels to reach Canary Wharf. The construction of the City and
South London Railway had proved that you could project a railway without disturbing city streets.
Engineer Gem Stansfield demonstrated, with a small model steam locomotive and train, the
problems encountered as you tried to add more and more carriages on the gradients involved. Of
course, you could add more locomotives, but that simply added to the already dirty and unhealthy
conditions.
In 1884, engineer Frank Sprague developed the electric elevator, this being easily fitted in to the ever
taller skyscrapers that New York was building The size of existing steam and hydraulic powered
elevators was causing serious space problems in the new (and ever taller) buildings. Some years
later, Sprague thought that the ‘vertical’ arrangement of elevators could be placed horizontally, to
provide a much more efficient and much cleaner means of powering underground trains.
The New York subway embraced Sprague’s new technology in that they dismissed steam trains as
being too inefficient and dirty. By providing electric motors in each carriage, trains would be better
able to crest gradients and cause no pollution to passengers. Furthermore, trains could be increased
in length at busy times, with the proportion of power to each carriage still broadly the same. The first
line in New York, which opened in October 1904, was a resounding success and carried threehundred thousand passengers a day into the city.
Sprague had really made the modern city a working possibility. He had inspired the means of getting
from home to workplace and also the means of ascending and descending the workplace itself.
Views were shown of London tube trains under construction at Derby. We were told that they could
not be made larger because of the constraints of the tunnels. However, modem technology had
allowed the ‘walls’ to be thinner, giving space for ten more passengers in each carriage. Each train
takes the power needed for some three-hundred homes.
London tube carriages being delivered by road were shown, as was the problem of getting them on
to the working railway. This was perhaps a slight exaggeration, compared to almost any other
delivery location. We saw the carriages being lowered into the ‘hole’ at Waterloo, for (we assume,
as it was not stated) the Waterloo and City Line! The narrator commented that the slightest gust of
wind would turn the elevated carriage into a ‘wrecking ball’! Twenty-four hours had been allowed to
get twenty carriages lowered to the railway, but all was completed with some hours to spare. Each
carriage was expected to travel 3 million miles in its lifetime, equivalent to one hundred trips around
the earth.
Once Sprague had shown the way in 1895, it was not long before ‘everyone’ wanted an underground
station in their locality.
Paris was one example given, where ‘everyone’ wanted access to a system. In the late nineteenth
century, it was one of the most densely populated cities on the planet. To build over one hundred
stations involved a sensational ‘vanishing act’ by engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe.
Paris lies in a valley, through which runs the River Seine. The ground each side of the river is very
waterlogged, as the river tends to project sideways into the adjacent ground. Also, in the north of the
city, exist many ancient catacombs, records of which do not exist.
To build the stations at Saint-Michel and Cité (these being opposite sides of the river), Bienvenüe
decided upon a unique construction method to cope with the treacherous soil conditions. The
stations were first constructed on the surface. Gangs of labourers then toiled away beneath each
station, excavating the soil. As the earth was removed, the station was gradually lowered, so that it
effectively ‘sank’ into its final resting place, where it was anchored by concrete. Working conditions
were terrible and five men died during the work.
To link these two stations under the river, Bienvenüe sank steel boxes into the river bed, then
workers in pressurised chambers dug the boxes into the river bed and finally joined them together.
One bank of the river presented a particular challenge, as there was a railway there. This would
have meant tunnelling through the impossibly wet soil. Bienvenüe’s solution was to sink pipes into
January 2012
171
the soil and pump coolant through them. Once again, Gem Stansfield demonstrated, using another
model, how this was achieved. The coolant caused the wet soil to freeze solid. Gem described this
as an ‘audacious’ plan! Once the ‘ground’ was solid, he could drill through the soil (here using a
hand drill), just as Bienvenüe’s workforce would have done in real life. It took forty days to freeze the
ground.
In twelve years, Bienvenüe built one-hundred and twenty stations and almost sixty miles of track.
In London’s Docklands, a massive new station is under construction for Crossrail. The station ‘box’
is as large as Canary Wharf tower laid on its side. Because the area is already fully developed, the
only place for such a large structure was in one of the docks. This was described as like trying to
sink a bath into water – the more you push down the harder it tries to pop back out. The process
started with construction of a watertight basin, using steel piles and earth. This was then drained
and a hole was dug inside it. Groundwater was continuously pumped out and concrete was poured
in to form the station ‘box’. Piles were used to lock the station in place – each one longer than two
double-deck buses. With so many offices in the area, noise could have been a big problem. Sinking
of the 1.2 metre diameter piles was achieved by use of pressure alone, thus obviating the more usual
constant pile-driving. It took a year just to drain the water before work could commence. We were
shown the two levels of the station box – ticket hall and track bed. Once the box was completed,
tunnel boring machines could commence work on the running tunnels.
The programme then looked at safety. We were shown footage of the King’s Cross fire of 18/11/87,
a time of 7.43 p.m. being quoted. This started as a relatively small fire, five metres or so down an
escalator shaft. Shortly after this, a wall of flame exploded into the ticket hall, which was engulfed in
flames and smoke. Thirty-one people were killed in what was the worst (fire) disaster in the history of
the London Underground.
Forensic experiments were conducted to establish exactly what turned a small fire into a ‘firestorm’.
Once again Gem Stansfield had a model to demonstrate to viewers what really happened. In normal
fires, the fumes rise upwards and the fire spreads, fairly slowly, sideways. In the angled escalator
shaft, the fumes have to follow the shaft and the fire itself spreads up the stair treads, thus
preheating the material ahead of the actual fire. This is known as the ‘Trench Effect’. Flames thus
travel at a higher speed, releasing a greater volume of toxic gases. The gases themselves can ignite
and this happened when they reached a high enough temperature to achieve ignition.
Fires are clearly more deadly below ground than above it. In modern stations there is practically
nothing that can burn. Escalators are now metal, walls and ceilings are steel and concrete. Stations
are thus so fire-proof that they do not have sprinklers, at least in the passenger areas.
Fire on a train in a tunnel is a different matter. Toxic fumes can spread down the tunnels and choke
passengers on the train affected (and, one assumes, other trains). Powerful fans suck air into the
tunnels, at a rate of three-hundred litres per second. This pushes the air towards the next fan shaft,
thus both removing the fumes and providing a supply of fresh air at the same time. This allows
passengers to escape the train concerned.
Your reviewer considered that this programme was interesting, informative and, so far as he could
tell, accurate. The graphics and models used were excellent and the explanations offered were of
the sort that virtually anyone could understand. One of my usual ‘moans’ about programmes that I
review is the inclusion of irrelevant shots and scenes – ones having absolutely no bearing on the
subject at hand or even the whole programme! This did not happen here, so congratulations to
Windfall Films for a truly excellent and well researched offering! The film was dated 2012.
172
Underground News
EDITED PRESS RELEASES
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
MANUAL BOARDING RAMPS TO BE RETAINED AT
KEY UNDERGROUND STATIONS AFTER THE GAMES
9 September 2012
Accessible manual boarding ramps, which have helped spectators using wheelchairs travel to the
Games by Underground, will be retained after they were well received by passengers, Transport for
London announced today.
The ramps have been used at 16 key London Underground stations where there is a gap between
the train and platform, enabling passengers using wheelchairs to board trains more easily, and they
will continue to be used after the Games at all of these stations following positive. The ramps will
remain in use for the next few months whilst a review is conducted, that will examine all aspects of
their use, including benefits to passengers, reliability, cost, level of usage and potential locations for
future use.
WORK BEGINS TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE SOUTH
TICKET HALL AT VICTORIA UNDERGROUND STATION
18 September 2012
The £700 million redevelopment of Victoria Underground station, one of the busiest and most
congested on the network, is well underway and work to double the size of the south ticket hall is
now starting.
The redevelopment of the Underground station will lead to a huge number of improvements for
passengers. As well as the new enlarged south ticket hall, these include a new underground north
ticket hall at the junction of Bressenden Place and Victoria Street with an entrance at street level,
nine new escalators, a new interchange tunnel connecting the three ticket halls, and seven new lifts
providing step-free access between street and platform levels.
The station and five entrances will remain open while the work goes ahead. Work on the south ticket
hall will be carried out behind hoardings so it can remain in use, and the main stairs leading directly
to the National Rail station have already been widened as part of the upgrade. However, in order to
deliver the upgrade, a number of changes will now take place at the station. These include:
 From Monday 24 September, the stairs from Wilton Road will close. They will to be replaced by a
new staircase in 2018 – plus a brand new entrance will open near the Cardinal Place Shopping
Mall in 2016.
 The Victory Arch entrance to South Eastern services at the National Rail station and the
pedestrian access in front will be closed in October, but a new entrance into the National Rail
station was opened from Wilton Road on 31 May 2012.
 The taxi rank at the front of the station will be relocated round the corner to Hudson’s Place from 1
October 2012.
Work to refurbish escalators connecting the District & Circle and Victoria Line platforms will start in
October but only one escalator will be out of use at a time.
TfL SIGNS PARTNERSHIP WITH VISITBRITAIN FOR
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE VISITOR
OYSTER CARD
18 September 2012
Transport for London has appointed VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, as their management
agent for the promotion and distribution of the Visitor Oyster card internationally. VisitBritain will act
as the single point of contact for all distribution partners and for the sale of the highly popular
transport smartcard to trade partners outside of London. The partnership means inbound visitors will
be able to have their Oyster card ready to go prior to arriving in London, reducing queues at airport
ticket halls and London Underground stations.
January 2012
173
GOODBYE A STOCK
The A Stock had a long and distinguished career, with most trains surviving in service for 48-49
years, some for 50 years, and even two units (5022 and 5034) achieving 51 years in passenger
service, despite the latter comprising cars from two separate units.
The 58-train fleet comprised two batches – 31 trains of A60 Stock and 27 trains of A62 Stock, the
latter originally being conceived as A61 Stock. All units of all trains were fully interchangeable and
with the complete flexibility that the stock originally had, made it possible to couple to any end of
another unit and, in one case, one unit was even temporarily formed with two ‘D’ end motor cars as
their ‘A’ end partners had been involved in a collision (see below).
EARLY YEARS
Having said that, the A Stock could be said to have led a ‘charmed’ and leisurely life. Even though
53 trains were required for peak service when the stock was new, the off-peak service (from October
1964) required just 16x4-car trains (6x4 Uxbridge, 7x4 Watford, 2x4 Amersham and 1x4 Chesham
shuttle), which translated to 8x8-car trains, meaning that 50 full-length trains sat idle during off peak
periods and at weekends. Moreover, the peak requirement dropped to 40 in the 1980s (although 6x4
were required for the East London Line from 1977 – 5x4 for service and 1x4 spare), creating far
more spare trains than was originally envisaged.
It is only in later years, with increased off-peak services, that more has been demanded of the A
Stock, ironically in its latter stages of life, with 35x8-car trains being required off-peak daily. This still
gave 21½ trains idle, but a far cry from the 50 trains sitting around in the 1960s and 1970s. The
number of trains for peak periods also started to increase again, albeit gradually, and it was only in
December 2011 that 50 trains were required for peak service once again.
In the meantime, the flexibility of the A Stock was lost when the trains were converted to One Person
Operation in 1985-86, when designated ‘A’-end units, ‘D’ end units and double-ended units were
formed, which saved the cost of fully converting every driving cab. After taking into account cars
written off, damaged units awaiting a decision on their fate, and the reinstatement of some of them,
the OPO fleet of A Stock in the 1990s settled at 56½ trains, comprising 44 ‘A’-end units, 43 ‘D’-end
units and 26 double-ended units.
The first ‘casualty’ was back on 27 August 1975, when unit 5170-6170-6171-5171 was involved in a
‘spectacular’ collision on the ‘Klondyke’ roads in Neasden depot with a three-car unit of 1938 Tube
Stock. Such was the force of the collision that DM 5170 and 1938 Stock DM 10149 were virtually
destroyed. Most of the A Stock unit was thrown sideways through a cable run and fouled the
southbound Metropolitan Line track22. In the event, cars 5170 and 6170 never ran again, but 6171
and 5171 were retained for some years, the latter running in service in place of 5091 between April
1977 and July 1978.
22
The other units involved (but not damaged) were A Stock 5042 and 1938 Stock 11214.
174
Underground News
Above: What had become a spare DM, 5171 is seen coupled to 6091 in Neasden depot, while 5091
was at Acton Works being repaired. Once 5171 had been displaced by 5091 after repair, it did not
see passenger service again, although it was used for some experiments until it was scrapped in
1987.
Below: Standing in platform 5 at Upminster is A62 Stock unit 5218 on a test trip to and from
Upminster. DM 5218 was fitted with air metacone suspension and trial bogies at various times and
when tests were concluded it was replaced by 5208, suitably renumbered.
Both photos: Brian Hardy
January 2012
175
The next ‘casualty’ as such was unit 5036-6036-6037-5037 on 19 July 1977. Although not damaged
in any incident, it was ‘stopped’ for maintenance. With spares even then being at a premium, the
unit was ‘robbed’ for spares to keep other units going and it languished in Neasden depot for many
years. Rather than being scrapped, it was finally reinstated to service in May 1993, having spent
some two years at Derby ‘being put back together’23.
Unit 5218-6218-6219-5219 was used as a test bed and was fitted with air metacone suspension on
5218. During testing, the unit also visited Upminster which was the first time that an A Stock had
visited the east end of the District Line. Although it saw intermittent passenger service, the unit was
‘stopped’ in April 1989. Unit 5208-6208-6209-5209 had been converted to OPO in 1986 but never
re-entered service as a complete OPO unit. DM car 5218 was replaced by 5208 and renumbered in
1992 while 5209 had replaced 5121 (damaged at Neasden in October 1986) and was renumbered.
In December 1984, units 5028 and 5116 were involved in a fatal collision on the northbound at
Kilburn with three cars being written off in consequence.
In summary, the early cars of A Stock that were scrapped were as listed below (all being original
numbers), which reduced the fleet from 58 to 56½ trains.
Withdrawn Scrap
Cars
Withdrawn
Scrap
Cars
27.08.75
03.06.81
6170
07.10.86
17.10.94
5121
27.08.75
05.06.81
5170
11.12.84
17.10.94
6029
11.12.84
03.10.86
5029
27.08.75
17.10.94
6171
11.12.84
14.07.87
5116
28.07.86
17.10.94
6208 6209
27.08.75
14.07.87
5171
REFORMATIONS
The earliest recorded change to unit formations was in November 1963 when units 5038 and 5162
were involved in a collision, with one good unit (5038-6038-6163-5163) being formed for service
while the other cars were repaired. Records do not survive that show when they reverted to normal.
Other reformations are shown below, but exclude the temporary changes where the Sandite car was
involved, which was from 1986.
5090
5090
5042
5056
5008
5034
5043
From
6090 6091
6090 6091
6042 6043
6056 6057
6008 5009
6034 6035
6056 6057
5091
5171
5043
5057
5009
5035
5057
5092
5138
5028
5116
5008
5034
6092
6138
6028
6116
6034
6008
6093
6139
6029
6117
6035
6009
5093
5139
5029
5117
5035
5009
5028
5138
6028
6092
6117
6093
5117
5093
5120
5208
6120
6208
6121
6209
5121
5209
23
5090
5090
5043
To
6090 6091
6090 6091
6056 6057
5171
5091
5057
Date
04.77
07.78
04.81
Notes
5091 collision
5008
6034
6035
5035
09.81
6042
6056
6092
6043
6057
6093
5043
5057
5093
10.82
10.82
03.84
) 5034 derailment
) 5009 collision
5042/5056 ex-repair
5042
5056
5138
5028
6028
6117
5117
06.85
5034
5008
6034
6008
6035
6009
5035
5009
07.85
07.85
5232
5092
5138
5120
6232
6092
6138
6120
6233
6093
6139
6121
5233
5093
5139
5209
08.85
04.86
04.86
10.86
5042/5056 collision
5092/5139 collision
) 5029/5116/6029
) collision
5008 reno 5034
5034 reno 5008 and
whole unit to store
Renumbered
5092/5139 ex-repair
) 5121 collision
) later stored ex-repair
5036-6037-5037 was renumbered 5116-6117-5117, with 6116 being the trailer from the Kilburn collision of December
1984. The original trailer 6036 by this time had been converted for use as a Sandite car as it was then thought unlikely
that the unit would run again.
176
Underground News
From
To
5122
5232
5122
6122
6232
6122
6123
6233
6233
5123
5233
5233
5070
5230
5070
6070
6230
6070
6071
6231
6231
5071
5231
5231
5208
5218
5208
5120
5036
6208
6218
6218
6120
6116
6209
6219
6219
6121
6037
5008
6008
6009
Date
Notes
5122
6122
6233
5233
07.87
5123/5232 collision
5122
5232
5070
6122
6232
6070
6123
6233
6231
5123
5233
5231
05.88
05.88
08.88
5123/5232 ex-collision
5121
5219
5219
5209
5037
5070
5230
5208
5218
5218
5120
5116
6070
6230
6218
6208
6218
6120
6116
6071
6231
6219
6209
6219
6121
6117
5071
5231
5219
5121
5219
5121
5117
07.89
07.89
07.92
07.92
08.92
03.93
03.93
5009
5234
6234
6235
5235
09.94
) 5071/6071
) fusing incident
5071/6071 ex-repair
For service
For scrap
5208 reno 5218
5209 reno 5121
Renumbered (except for
6116 – original number)
Renumbered after
reinstatement and
refurbishment
THE END
From the remaining fleet of 56½ trains, disposal of the A Stock began in October 2010 after the first
S Stock trains began entering service.
Most of the fleet had achieved 48-49 years’ service but a handful actually made 50 years in service,
being 5000, 5004, 5010, 5012, 5014, 5016, 5018, 5020, 5024, 5026, 5030, 5032, 5034, 5038, 5040,
5042, 5044, 5046, 5050, 5052, 5056, 5060, 5062, 5088, 5090, 5092, 5094, 5096, 5098, 5100, 5102,
5104, 5106, 5108, 5112, 5114, 5116 (second) 5118, 5120 and 5122.
Unit 5022 also made 51 years in service, as did the whole of unit 5034, despite the fact that its cars
came from two different units.
With just four operational trains left at the start of the Olympic Games and with 57 out of 58 S Stock
trains commissioned, it was the intention that A Stock would not be used during the Games periods
as the 15% spare S Stock (57 trains for a 50-train service) should be adequate. To that end, what
was hoped (by LU!) to have been the last normal run was in the morning peak on Friday 27 July –
the morning before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
However, LU failed to achieve its desire not to run any A Stock trains during the Olympic Games
period, but only just. The two trains that ran on Monday 20 August (not Olympic days) have already
been reported (see inside front cover, this issue) but on Wednesday evening 5 September, one train
managed a couple of late evening trips working train 445 (units 5118+5189). The original S Stock
train 445 went out of service with a problem and was replaced by the A Stock, entering service on
the southbound at Finchley Road at 21.37. From there it worked Baker Street (depart 21.52) –
Watford (22.50) – Baker Street (23.41) – Uxbridge (00.35) – Wembley Park.
The same train also made late evening trips on Thursday 6 September, working train 403. S Stock
train 403 also had a defect and was taken out of service at Harrow on the southbound. The
replacement (A Stock) train 403 went into service on the northbound at Wembley Park but because it
was late, was short-tripped at Ruislip to pick up its scheduled working on the eastbound at 21.25.
By 7 September units 5090, 5022, 5094 and 5102 were all declared ‘withdrawn’, as 5090 required a
replacement coupler and the other three required ‘maintenance’. It was thus decided that no more A
Stock would operate in normal service, save for a ‘last running day’, which was set for Wednesday
26 September 2012 and a farewell tour on Saturday 29 September 2012. The honours for these
workings fell to units 5034 and 5062/63, which were specially prepared for the event, a test trip
operating on 25 September to prove all was well. It is fair to say that Neasden depot staff did a
magnificent job on getting these units presentable, especially 5034, as the front of this was more
white than red (through graffiti removal) last time it was in normal service.
On Wednesday 26 September, the train was scheduled to work set 412 and the following trips:
January 2012
177
From
To
08.02 Wembley Park
08.30 Watford (fast Wembley Park – Harrow)
08.40 Watford
09.22 Baker Street (fast Harrow – Finchley Road)
09.28 Baker Street
10.26 Amersham †
10.47 Amersham
11.59 Aldgate
12.11 Aldgate
13.26 Amersham
13.47 Amersham
14.59 Aldgate
15.11 Aldgate
16.16 Amersham
16.46 Amersham
18.01 Aldgate
18.08 Aldgate
19.07 Watford (fast Wembley Park – Harrow)
19.17 Watford
19.39 Harrow-on-the-Hill
† Scheduled “all stations” but ran fast Finchley Road – Harrow – Moor Park.
The final tour, on Saturday 29 September, began at Moorgate at 09.55 and was scheduled to finish
at Wembley Park at 15.52.
From
To
09.55 Moorgate
10.44 Watford (fast line Wembley Park – Harrow)
10.47 Watford
11.18 Chesham
11.24 Chesham
11.55 Harrow-on-the-Hill platform 2 (via main line)
12.15 Harrow-on-the-Hill
12.43 Amersham platform 1 (via main line)
13.36 Amersham
14.06 Harrow-on-the-Hill platform 6 (via local line)
14.07 Harrow-on-the-Hill
14.24 Uxbridge
14.27 Uxbridge
15.19 Aldgate
15.21 Aldgate
15.52 Wembley Park platform 1
Because the tour train would be occupying the single line to and from Chesham, the scheduled
Metropolitan Line service at that time was diverted to and from Amersham, with a replacement road
service provided between Amersham and Chesham. A rather nice touch was that a number of
retired Metropolitan Line staff were invited to join the train at Rickmansworth. The train lost a little
time from mid-morning and arrived back at Wembley Park at 16.12. The final run from Finchley
Road to Wembley Park was rather ‘lively’ to say the least, ending what had been a perfect and
enjoyable day – even the weather ‘played ball’ with the sun out for most of the time.
The only disappointment of the day was the way in which the LT Museum’s Sales Stand at
Amersham was organised, originally having been set up at the north end of the southbound platform,
which is rather narrow at that point, especially with lots of people around intending to purchase items
with trains arriving and departing.
Quite why this spot was chosen is
unclear – a lack of thought and
planning comes to mind. In the
end, if only for safety reasons, the
sales stand was closed down for
some 20 minutes while it was
moved, lock, stock and barrel, to an
area further down the platform
which offered more space and a
safer environment. Not only that, it
was totally under-resourced and
many people went away un-served
and disappointed – trying to
accommodate 300 people in the 40
minutes left just didn’t work.
Left: DM 5043 temporarily took the
place of 5056 and is seen coupled
to trailer 6056 at Harrow-on-the-Hill,
meaning that this unit had two ‘D’end DMs for a short period.
178
Underground News
REPORTS OF SOCIETY MEETINGS
THE CROXLEY RAIL LINK
by David Leboff of London Underground
A report of the LURS meeting at All Souls Club House on Tuesday 8 May 2012
The presentation started with an explanation that the current Watford station on the Metropolitan
Line was remote from the town centre and main shopping areas. When the line was constructed
there was the intention to extend to the High Street but this was never constructed, in part due to
local opposition. For many years there has been an aspiration 24 to link the Metropolitan Line to an
adjacent disused national rail branch line, which ran passenger and freight services from Watford
Junction to Croxley Green. Services stopped on this branch line in 1996, which was formally closed
in 2002, as it was uneconomical to continue to run, mainly due to a lack of direct services to London
combined with an economic downturn that severely affected jobs and industry in the West Watford
area during the mid-1980s and 1990s.
The disused branch line comes very close to the Metropolitan Line just south of Watford and it has
been suggested many times that there should be a short link between them to create a through route
from the Metropolitan Line to Watford Junction station. This scheme is now a serious proposal and
is being promoted by Hertfordshire County Council in partnership with London Underground and
Network Rail. The proposals are currently in the design phase and are being developed with the aim
of having trains running along the new track by 2015/2016. As part of the scheme it is proposed that
Watford (Metropolitan) station be closed for passenger services, although the track infrastructure
would remain in place to facilitate the continuing stabling of trains.
The original stations on the national rail branch line were Croxley Green (not to be confused with the
Croxley Green station opened on the Metropolitan Line in 1925 and later renamed to Croxley in
1949), Watford West, Watford Stadium25, Watford High Street and Watford Junction.
A number of historical photographs were shown including the station building of Croxley Green
Station in the 1920s and the single platform – although the branch line was single track it was
constructed to accommodate twin tracks. After road layout changes in the 1960s the station was
relocated and a photograph showed the new covered staircase entrance up to the platform, with
British Rail Croxley Green written on the canopy. Photographs of Watford West station on Tolpits
Lane showed the station building, which is contemporaneous of Hounslow Central station and of
similar size and scale, and the platform, including the standard canopy of single car length. The
station building survived until recently, but has now been demolished.
Recent photographs showed the totems still remaining outside Croxley Green station, in network
South East livery, and the remains of the platform, showing that the track is still present and visible
through the vegetation overgrowth. At the location of Watford West station, the recent photos
showed there was still a totem and signage present (at least before the station building was
demolished) and the platforms were again heavily overgrown, demonstrating how quickly vegetation
can take over if it is not managed.
The platforms at the Watford Stadium halt station were shown, but this time the vegetation had been
cut back. The station served Vicarage Road stadium, home of Watford Football Club, and was open
only on match days. Although the route is closed, the infrastructure, including the lattice bridge over
the Grand Union Canal, is still owned by Network Rail who are responsible for managing it in a safe
condition.
It was explained that the objectives of the current project are to enhance transport links between
residents and employment, business, education, health and leisure opportunities within Watford and
across Hertfordshire as well as to London and the national rail network. In addition to promote
economic growth and housing development by improving public transport linkages and to provide a
credible alternative to car travel.
24
25
It was an aspiration from many decades before the Croxley Green branch was finally closed.
This wasn’t on the original line, only opening in 1982.
January 2012
179
Scheme plans show how the link is proposed from the Metropolitan Line north of Croxley station, via
a new viaduct (the existing lattice bridge is not in a suitable condition to be reused), to the branch
line. As part of this Watford (Metropolitan) station and the train service from Croxley would be
closed. The proposed route will link business parks, Watford Hospital and Watford Football club, the
town centre and Watford Junction Station. Croxley Green and Watford West stations would not be
re-instated, but new stations provided at Ascot Road and Watford Hospital, before the junction with
the London Overground DC lines to Watford High Street and Watford Junction stations. There are
proposed redevelopment areas around Watford Junction and Charter Place, in the main shopping
area, and a major redevelopment area around the Hospital and Bushey station on the main line and
it is hoped that the proposed new link would help in the regeneration of these areas.
Key elements of the scope of the project are the new viaduct and embankment linking the
Metropolitan Line to the Croxley Green branch, reinstatement of double track along the disused
alignment, a new junction with the London Overground DC lines, works to bring the bridges, cuttings
and embankments up to the required standard, new stations at Ascot Road and Watford Hospital,
closure of Watford (Metropolitan) station and minor works at Watford High Street and Watford
Junction stations. The value of the project is some £116.8m, split between the DfT (£76.2m), Local
Authorities (£33.7m) and third parties (£6.9m).
A fascinating computer generated flythrough along the proposed route from just before Croxley
Station to Watford Junction was shown, along with the proposed new Ascot Road and Watford
Hospital stations. The stations are designed to operate with minimum staffing levels, with ticket
machines only and no staffed ticket offices. The existing Watford Junction and Watford High Street
stations will remain with their existing operators, London Midland and LOROL respectively. The
proposed train service is 6 tph at peak and 4 tph off peak, but the infrastructure will be designed for a
capability of 10 tph. London Overground currently run 3 tph over their DC section, which has been
safeguarded for 4 tph, so in theory the shared section of line could support 14 tph.
The powers to construct, operate and maintain the railway are granted through the Transport and
Works Act (TWA). The public consultation process was completed in summer 2011 and the TWA
Order application was made at the start of this year, following announcement of confirmation of
funding from the DfT. A public enquiry will be held, expected in autumn26 2012, and if the application
is successful powers should be granted by summer 2013. It is anticipated that that work on site will
commence in summer 2014 and that the scheme will take approximately two years to become
operational from the start of construction, including testing and commissioning.
Some 55 objections were received following the extensive public consultation. Whilst the scheme
was generally positively received, most objections were due to the closure of Watford (Metropolitan)
station. The primary concerns related to people having a greater distance to their nearest station,
the effects of the scheme on road traffic and parking and the impact on access to the local Grammar
School.
A number of suggestions for alternative schemes were made during the consultation exercise
including keeping Watford (Metropolitan) station open and providing a peak time service only,
providing a Watford – Croxley shuttle service or forming another branch from the Metropolitan Line
north of Moor Park and connecting into a more southerly route along the former Watford –
Rickmansworth alignment to link Watford Junction and Watford High Street stations to the
Metropolitan Line. However the DfT have already instructed London Underground to commence the
application for powers to close Watford (Metropolitan) station and passenger service from Croxley. If
the closure of the station is not granted then the cost/benefit ratio of the overall scheme would be
less advantageous, the business case will have to be re-evaluated and it was speculated that the
DfT may withdraw their funding.
It was highlighted that there is still a lot of process and design work to complete before works can
commence, as well as a number of technical integration matters to work out. Some of these include
how to extend the proposed new London Underground ATC signalling system over the link, resolving
interoperability issues on the existing London Overground DC lines, obtaining additional LUL S8
rolling stock without adversely affecting other delivery programmes, finalising the arrangements for
stabling of the trains (the scheme assumes these remain at Watford station sidings) and increasing
26
Now confirmed to be October 2012.
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Underground News
the scope of the current London Underground Power, Prestige (Ticketing) and Connect
(Communication) PFI contracts to cover the link.
The next major stages of the project are to prepare for the TWA public inquiry and the Watford
(Metropolitan) station closure hearing. If all is successful then the scheme will deliver benefits for
Watford through improved transport links to town centre and regeneration sites. After the fascinating
presentation an interesting Q&A session took place with the presenter being thanked afterwards in
the usual manner.
Further information can be seen on the official project website at http://www.croxleyraillink.com/
Tim Lewis
January 2012
181
THE CENTRAL LONDON ELECTRIC TRAIN
1 – THE ROUTE
by Piers Connor
INTRODUCTION
This is the first of a series of articles covering the story of the trains used by the Central London
Railway between its opening in 1900 and the time of its conversion to the London Underground
standard 4-rail traction supply system in 1938-39 when its own stock was replaced by Standard Tube
stock. The story is in the style I have used for my series “The Underground Electric Train” and “The
District Electric Train” except that there will be more specially selected photos, drawings and
diagrams. The story will cover the original rolling stock and its subsequent conversions and
additions.
THE PREMIER ROUTE
The casual observer of today’s London Underground map, be he a local commuter with a reasonable
knowledge of the city or a tourist on his first visit, could hardly fail to notice the central position of the
red line cutting across the diagram from west to east. This line, which we know so well as the
Central Line, owes its location and its status to the fact that it runs under an old Roman road now
called Oxford Street. The
photograph (Left) of Oxford
Street was taken circa 1892
and shows the view looking
east towards Oxford Circus.
By this time, the route of the
Central London Railway, the
Central Line’s original owning
company,
had
been
authorised and construction
was starting.
In the mid 19th Century
Oxford Street began to
develop as a shopping area
and quickly became the
premier street for retail
commerce in London. It was
natural therefore, that an
enterprising
Victorian
Figure 1: View along Oxford Street circa 1892 looking east towards
company would soon be set
Oxford Circus. The second of the two gaps in the row of buildings on the
left is where Oxford Circus is today. The Central London Railway was built up to build a railway under
under this street. If you were standing at this point today, you would see this street, once the tube
tunnelling technique and
the London School of Fashion on the left. (Photo – LT Museum)
electric traction had been
proved by the City & South London Railway (C&SLR), which had been opened between Stockwell
and the City of London at King William Street in 1890. This company, at first known as the
“Exploration Company Ltd.”, quickly became the “Central London Railway” and obtained its Act of
Parliament, authorising construction, in 189127.
Conveniently for the new railway, the Romans had a habit of building their roads in reasonably
straight lines and this is reflected in the alignment of Oxford Street and its continuation in the roads
on either side of it. Unfortunately, the railway had to spoil the straight route at each end because of
the need to follow the line of the streets above to reach the City terminus at the Bank and the depot
beyond the western terminus at Shepherd’s Bush. Both locations had severe curves, the one at
27
Pamphlet published by the Central London Railway, 25 October 1892.
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Underground News
Bank (the present westbound platform) having a radius of 89 metres, while west of Shepherd’s Bush,
the single track from the station up into the depot on the surface at Wood Lane (today’s westbound
track) squeezes round a 60m radius curve28.
Figure 2: Section of gradient profile of westbound Central Line between British Museum (now closed) and
Marble Arch showing the “sawtooth” profile with nominally 1 in 60 approach gradients and 1 in 30 exit
gradients. The actual gradients were often steeper. Source: LT Chief Civil Engineer’s drawing.
A SAWTOOTH
It took the rest of the 19th Century to complete construction of the Central London. Tunnelling was
started in August 1896 (according to the Railway Magazine, March 1903) and completed by October
1898. Equipment of the route was advanced enough for the official opening of the line by the Prince
of Wales (later King Edward VII) on 27 June 1900. After three weeks of running a full service without
passengers, so that staff could get used to the new systems and to iron out the inevitable teething
troubles, the line was opened to the public on 30 July.
The design of the Central London was advanced for its day. The line was arranged to what we might
today call an “ecological profile”. The stations were built on humps, so that trains ran uphill into the
platforms to reduce the braking requirement and then
downhill as they left to assist their acceleration. The
profile resembled a sawtooth pattern (as shown in the
sample gradient profile in Figure 2 above), a name that
was later adopted to describe it. The gradient inbound
was nominally 1 in 60 while the departure side was
supposed to be 1 in 30. The actual grades varied and
most approaches were graded at less than 1 in 60
while some of the exit ramps were as steep as 1 in 26.
As far as I can see, the steepest gradient (probably the
steepest over the longest distance on LU) is the 1 in 26
for about 80m on the eastbound exit from Chancery
Lane.
The energy saved by this profile was reported to be
about 19%, following a number of trial runs carried out
in 1903 and described in that year in a series of
supplements to the journal “Engineering” called
“Traction and Transmission”29. However, the design of
the profile was not without issues. Originally, the idea
was to provide 1 in 30 on the approach as well as on
the exit side but it was realised that, if a train was
delayed at a station and the following train was held at the home signal on the approach, there could
be difficulties in restarting on such a steep slope once the signal cleared. Whether this was actually
Figure 3: Voltage and Ampere trace for a test
train on the westbound Central London
between Marble Arch and Lancaster Gate,
showing the rises due to renewed motoring as
the train approaches Lancaster Gate up the 1
in 60 ramp. Source: “Traction & Transmission”
1903.
28
29
The depot entrance road was built on a rising gradient partly at 1 in 37, making it steeper than the gradient to the east
of Bow Road on the District Line (1 in 38). The current eastbound route into Shepherd’s Bush is even steeper at 1 in
28. Sources: LT Chief Civil Engineer’s drawings.
Written by H.F. Parshall, E. Parry and W. Casson.
January 2012
183
true was never tested but it showed that there was some integrated thinking even in those early days
of urban railway design. However, even with a 1 in 60 approach, trains often had to reapply power
on the gradient as they ran into stations, as shown by the voltage and current trace of a test train in
Figure 3 opposite. Of course, this negated some of the energy saving but it was largely a problem
with the original locomotive performance, of which more in the next article.
TRACTION CURRENT
It was determined from the initial concept for the new
railway in 1891, that it should be electrically powered.
Direct current (DC) was chosen as the system for use by
the trains since it was realised that the series wound DC
motor was a simple machine in comparison with other
types available and it had a power characteristic that
suited the operation of an urban train service very well. It
was a choice that was to remain largely unchallenged for
almost a century.
Another decision that was heralded as new for the time
was the choice of 3-phase alternating current (AC) at a
frequency of 25Hz as the energy distribution medium
between the power station and the feeder points along
Figure 4: Original arrangement of current the line30. At each feeder point, a substation was built
rail on CLR. The height of the top of the rail where the incoming AC was transformed down from
above the sleeper was 5 inches. The 5,000 volts to 330 volts AC and then converted to 550
height above the running rail was 1½ volts DC for connection to the third (conductor) rail.
inches, which provided a challenge at point Although this is a common arrangement today (but at
and crossing work.
Source: “Electric higher voltages), at the time it was quite novel. Both the
Traction on Railways”, P. Dawson, 1909.
previous underground lines in London, the C&SLR and
the Waterloo and City Railway had DC transmission throughout but their routes were shorter than the
Central London and it was known that DC doesn’t transmit well over long distances. Alternating
current transmission was therefore the obvious choice for the longer route. The three substations
were provided at Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch and Post Office (now called St. Paul’s).
The current was transmitted to the trains by a third rail
mounted on insulators fixed mid-way between the running rails
– in the “four foot”, as we call it. The arrangement was
introduced largely because the tunnel linings were cast iron
and were included in the return circuit by being bonded to the
running rails at the substations. To have had the conductor
rail outside the running rails would have placed it very close to
the lining, increasing the possibility of a short circuit. The
running rails were cross-bonded to each other as well as to the
tunnel lining, presumably to try to reduce losses and corrosion.
Figure 5: Drawing of original CLR locomotive collector shoe. It is
almost 2 feet wide and just over 1ft 6in long. The bottom contact
surface is slightly bowed to ease movement on and off the
current rails. Later versions were smaller, measuring 1ft 9in by
10in. Source: “Traction & Transmission”, 1903.
The current rail system was a direct copy of the Waterloo &
City Railway system. The rail was of “bridge” section and the insulator “pots” were designed to allow
the rail to rest on top under its own weight (Figure 4). The top of the rail was only 1½ inches above
the level of the running rails, an arrangement that lead to an interesting design at points and
crossings and to the adoption of a special current collector shoe (Figure 5).
30
The idea was described by Parshall et al in “Traction & Transmission” as “new” but it had already been installed for
tramway systems in Dublin and Middlesborough.
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Underground News
At points and crossings, current rails were provided with wooden extensions so that the huge shoes
could ride over the crossing rails without touching them. The width of the shoes allowed this (See
photo, Figure 6).
The photo shows a set of points in the Central London Railway’s Wood Lane depot. Where the
current rails cross the running rails, wooden sections with a similar profile were added to the ends of
the current rails and these were angled to run parallel to and on either side of the running rails so
that the wide shoes would slide over them, clear of the running rails. I have added an outline of the
collector shoe to the photo to show how it sits clear of the running rails.
Figure 6: Detail from a photo showing a set of points in the CLR’s Wood Lane Depot c.1925. The current
rails have wooden sections added to the ends where rail cross their alignment. The wooden sections
allowed the wide shoe to ride over the running rail without touching it. The outline of the shoe is added to
demonstrate how it worked. Note also how the ends of the current rails are anchored to the sleepers to
prevent them moving out of alignment. The photo also shows how the short curved section of current rail
slopes down where it joins a straight section of rail. This is to prevent the shoe striking a blunt end of rail.
The wooden safety ramp between the two joining sections of current rail performs a similar function. The
final thing that this photo shows is that the depot uniquely used flat bottom rail, spiked directly to the
sleepers in American style. On the main line, rails were bolted to sleepers. Photo: LT Museum.
LOCOMOTIVE OPERATION
The Central London Railway was to be operated using locomotive-hauled trains. This was for the
simple reason that there was no other option. With the development of electric traction still in its
infancy and with the operational thinking based on that of a main line railway, the use of locomotives
was inevitable. The locomotive had to be at the head of the train, hauling a set of passenger
coaches.
Aside from any technical issues, the main difficulty with locomotive operation occurs at the terminals.
In order to change the direction of an arriving train, you need to place a locomotive at the other end
of it. This can be a simple operation if you use a second locomotive, rather than providing expensive
run-round facilities. The second locomotive is kept in a “loco siding” at the departure end of the
terminal and, when a train arrives, the second loco follows it into the platform. You uncouple the
arriving loco from the train while attaching the second loco at the departure end. Carry out a brake
test and you are, as they say, “good to go”. Once the train has departed, the arriving loco follows it
out of the platform to the departure end siding and waits for the next train to arrive.
Curiously, the Central London did not have loco sidings at its terminals. Right from the early
planning stage, it was decided to equip each terminus only with scissors crossovers, “to get the trains
shifted out of one tunnel and into the other” as a pamphlet issued by the company in 1892 described
the operation31. At Bank, there was a crossover only at the east end of the station and this meant
that all arriving trains used the eastbound platform and then had to be reversed in one of the two
31
Central London Railway (1892),“The Central London Railway”, London, 1892.
January 2012
185
siding tunnels provided beyond the station (Figure 7) 32. Departing trains used the westbound
platform. The arrangement is replicated on the Piccadilly Line today at Heathrow Terminal 5 station,
where one platform (the westbound) is used for arrivals and the other for departures.
Figure 7: Schematic of the track layout at Bank, CLR, 1900, based on a signalling plan prepared as part
of a bid by Westinghouse for the signalling of the line, dated 10 March 1899. The space to the east of the
westbound platform allowed a locomotive to stand between the platform and the crossover. The original
Westinghouse diagram shows a shunt signal was to be provided at the east end of this space to allow the
locomotive access into the sidings to couple to a train therein. Diagram: Author.
This arrangement has a number of pros and cons. On the plus side, it makes the direction of
passengers simple, since they are always directed to only one platform. You don’t get the swapping
of “Next Train” signs that often frustrates passengers at places like Elephant & Castle or Morden. It
also makes for easy separation of passengers leaving and arriving. If you have large crowds to
handle, this is a positive advantage. On the other hand, having to empty the train and then remove it
to a siding beyond the station takes time and, if you have a locomotive to shunt as well, it will use up
more time. This usually meant that you needed at least one extra train in service for each terminus –
one arriving, one shunting and one leaving. As I show below, the Central London used two.
Figure 8: Schematic of the track layout at Shepherd’s Bush, 1900. The station has a crossover at each end
of the platforms. One of the tracks is extended beyond the siding to become the access track for the depot
at Wood Lane. Diagram: Author.
At both terminals, the signalling was arranged to allow locomotives to be shunted over the crossover
behind a train standing in the westbound platform. There was sufficient space between the rear of
the train and the crossover to allow a locomotive to stand there while the departing train was being
dispatched from the westbound platform.
Although I have seen little firm evidence on how it was done, I offer a sequence of a train reversing
as follows. The train (locomotive and carriages) stops in the arrival platform, disposes of its
passengers and then moves to one of the sidings. Next, a locomotive, waiting in the space at the
rear of the departure platform, moves into the same siding to couple to the train while the arriving
loco is uncoupled from the other end. Following (I hope) a brake test, the train is then hauled out of
the siding into the departure platform by the second locomotive to form the next service. It is
immediately followed out of the siding by its arriving locomotive but only as far as the loco space,
where it waits for the next train to go into the sidings, when the changeover process is repeated. At
Shepherd’s Bush, they went about reversing trains in the same way but a second crossover was
provided at the departure end of the station. I’m not sure this was really much use. As at Bank, both
32
The lack of a loco siding at Bank is understandable, since the original intention was to build to Liverpool Street and the
two sidings were actually the intended running tunnels.
186
Underground News
platform tracks extended westwards beyond the station but only one of them ended as a siding. The
other became the depot access track (Figure 8 above). I suspect most of the trains were reversed
via the siding.
SERVICE PERFORMANCE
The terminal operation had to be slick. Although the original plan (CLR, 1892) was to operate trains
at 3-minute intervals (20 trains per hour), it was soon increased to 24 trains per hour or every 2½
minutes. The time allowed between Shepherd’s Bush and Bank was 26.7 minutes each way
(Parshall at al, 1903). For those who might ask, today it’s 20 minutes. With a recorded 62.4 minute
round trip time, this meant that each train had 4½ minutes at each terminus. The minimum time
allowed for shunting at the terminals was 2¼ minutes but this was not normally required. With a 2½
minute service interval, both sidings would be in use at both terminals and this also allowed for some
recovery time from minor delays. The following table shows how it could have worked.
Time:
mm.ss
Operations in
Arrival Platform
00.00
Train 3 stops in
arrival platform.
Operations in Siding 1
Operations in Siding 2
00.10
Operations in
Departure Platform
Train 1 clears platform
berth.
00.20
Route set for Train 2 to
move from siding to
departure platform with
its loco following.
01.00
Train 2 arrives in
departure platform.
01.10
Loco off Train 2 arrives
in space behind Train 2.
01.20
Train 3 departs for
Siding.
02.00
Train 3 berths in siding.
02.20
Loco (ex-Train 2) arrives
in siding and starts
couple process to Train
3.
02.30
Train 2 starts from
platform.
Train 4 stops in
arrival platform.
02.40
Train 2 clears platform
berth.
02.50
Route set for Train 3 to
move from siding to
departure platform with
its loco following.
03.30
Train 3 arrives in
departure platform.
03.40
Loco off Train 3 arrives
in space behind Train 3.
03.50
Train 4 departs for
Siding.
Table 1: Probable Timings for Central London Railway Terminal Operation with Locomotive
Hauled Trains.
Assuming we start the clock running upon a train’s restart from the arriving platform to go into the
siding, we should calculate for a maximum 15km/h during the movement. The distance is about
170m from the platform to the end of the siding, so we will need 40 seconds to take the train clear of
the crossover. I have allowed 10 seconds for the setting up of routes and another 40 seconds for the
January 2012
187
train to move from siding to platform. The time available for coupling the loco and doing the brake
test was about 30s – tight but do-able with practice.
One thing that is clear from this is that the signalmen had a “full on” job. Everything was manual.
They were working a form of “Lock and Block”, where trains were offered and accepted manually
between signal boxes. Points and signals were all manually operated too. With trains passing at
150s intervals in each direction, there was hardly time to scratch your nose, let alone make tea. The
system worked largely unaltered until 1912, when a signalling replacement programme was started.
The line was fitted with AC track circuits, impedance bonds and automatic signalling. The work was
completed in November 191333.
Figure 10: Schematic of a Central London Railway reversing siding as built at Queens Road (now
Queensway). The arrangement was repeated at British Museum and Marble Arch. Unlike the terminals, a
dedicated locomotive siding was provided. The sidings at Marble Arch and British Museum survive today
but the one at Queens Road was taken out of commission on 12 July 1982. Diagram: Author.
INTERMEDIATE REVERSING
An odd feature of the Central London was the provision of intermediate reversing sidings (Figure 10).
Not that these were unusual in themselves but in that, for a line that was only six miles long, it had
three full blown reversing sidings built in their own tunnels between the running tunnels, complete
with loco sidings and connecting crossovers. They were provided at Queensway (then called
Queens Road), Marble Arch and at British Museum (now closed), between Tottenham Court Road
and Chancery Lane. Figure 9 below shows the arrangement at Queens Road.
Perhaps what we might consider surprising is that the reversing arrangements were designed so that
shuttle services could be provided between Shepherd’s Bush and Queens Road, and between either
Marble Arch or British Museum and Bank. These facilities were rarely used but Marble Arch
accommodated a spare locomotive that was used for rescues from time to time – a Central London
“Thunderbird”, if you like.
The reversing facilities at these places were actually better suited for train reversal than the
arrangements at Bank and Shepherd’s Bush. The provision of a loco siding was much more efficient
than using the running line, simply because a loco could be stored without interfering with other train
movements. The facilities were also used as a model by later tube lines (without the loco siding, of
course) and has been extensively adopted elsewhere. Whilst writing this, I wondered if the idea was
a first for the Central London but I am unable to find any evidence.
The siding at Queensway was taken out of use in 1982 after some incidents with 1962 Tube Stock
cars fouling each other as they passed through the crossover. A new facing crossover was installed
in 1994, without the siding.
To be continued …..
33
According to the Board of Trade enquiry into an accident at Shepherd’s Bush on 30 September 1913.
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Underground News
EDITED PRESS RELEASE
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
LONDON UNDERGROUND UNVEILS PLANS FOR A YEAR
OF CELEBRATIONS TO MARK 150TH ANNIVERSARY
24 October 2012
Next year London Underground will celebrate 150 years since the very first Underground journey
took place between Paddington and Farringdon on the Metropolitan Railway. To mark this occasion,
LU, working in partnership with the London Transport Museum, will be organising a range of events
and activities this year and throughout 2013.
Setting the scene for the exciting year to come is the publication of a new lavishly illustrated book,
published by Penguin Books, about the history of the Underground. The book Underground – How
the Tube shaped London 1863 to 2013 will be launched by BBC Broadcaster Robert Elms and the
authors at London Transport Museum on the evening of 29 October.
A range of other events and activities will follow, including:
 The first Underground passenger journey will be recreated on Sunday 13 January 2013, with a
series of specially restored trains including the Metropolitan Steam Locomotive No.1 and the
Metropolitan Railway Jubilee Carriage No 353 – the oldest operational Underground carriage in
existence – which is being restored with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
 A series of heritage rail trips, including the use of steam trains.
 The publication of 12 short stories by well-known authors, published by Penguin Books. The
stories, one about each Underground line, look at the meaning of the Underground and the place
it holds in the imagination of all those who live and visit the city.
 Two new two-pound coins issued by the Royal Mint which will go into circulation in 2013 to mark
the 150th anniversary of the London Underground.
 Poster Art 150: London’s greatest Designs – an exhibition at London Transport Museum focussing
on the iconic poster art that has been a feature of London Underground for much of its history.
 Train wraps of Metropolitan Line trains for passengers to enjoy.
 A commemorative Oyster card which will serve as a sought-after memento for passengers.
 A series of Poems on the Underground will celebrate 150 years of the Underground.
 A series of theatrical events at the disused Aldwych station.
 In 2013 Art on the Underground will present a programme that will include: a major commission by
an acclaimed high-profile British artist bringing artworks into every station on the Underground
network, a set of posters and limited edition prints by 15 leading contemporary artists, screenings
of London Underground themed films at an Underground station from the BFI archive.
 Behind the Scenes events and Open Weekends at the Museum’s store at Acton.
January 2012
189
FROM THE PAPERS
Items for “From the Papers” should be sent to Ian McKenzie at 24 Thamespoint, Fairways,
Teddington, TW11 9PP, and not to the Editor of this journal. Please ensure that contributions are
identified by date and source publication.
OCTOBER 2012 MODERN RAILWAYS – Further to the entry in From the Papers in Underground
News No.608, a letter from John R. Toynbee – “Regarding the Beck tube map in Franglais, surely
that well known south London terminus would be better known as Eau de Toilette”.
OCTOBER 2012 MODERN RAILWAYS – The long term future of third (and fourth) rail electrification
in the UK has been regularly discussed in recent years after a series of severe winters have proved
its inherent weakness when covered with snow and ice. The situation has become more severe with
the use of lighter current collector shoes, and newer designs of trains are less happy to run when the
current supply is arcing and fluctuating through poor contact between shoe and electric rails.
Arrowvale has developed solutions to combat this problem, and has designed on-train systems which
are able to remove ice from the top of the conductor rails. One Arrowvale system activates a spray
mechanism which dispenses de-icing fluid onto the rail surface, creating a good contact surface for
the current collector shoes, or alternatively dispenses the fluid through special collector shoes.
Clearly, where the spray mechanism is employed it is important to ensure the fluid is only applied to
the correct side of the rail vehicle. Thus the position of the live rail is continually sensed using a
laser, and a manifold diverts the fluid accordingly, at a recommended rate of 1.2ml per metre.
Initially the de-icing fluid was a mixture of ethylene glycol and water, however recent enhancements
now allows the use of “greener” proprietary branded anti-icing fluids which provide a greater degree
of adherence to the conductor rails. The system is being fitted to the 191 new S7 and S8 trains for
the Underground SSR lines.
01.10.12 METRO – Underground passengers pining for all things Olympian, can enjoy specially
commissioned Games-related art at Piccadilly Circus and Southwark stations until December. 12 of
the UK’s leading artists, including Tracey Emin, Sarah Morris and Bridget Riley, were asked to
design posters celebrating London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
01.10.12 METRO – All the capital’s over-60s will be able to use TfL services for free when a new
Oyster travel concession launches at the start of November. The new scheme fulfils the Mayor’s
pledge to bridge the gap for London’s 60-year olds since the age of eligibility for London Councils’
Freedom Pass was raised from 60 to 61 by the Government in 2010. More than 100,000
applications are expected before the 60+ London Oyster photocard goes live, with a further 10,000
Londoners expected to join the scheme each month. The Mayor said: ”Londoners who have grafted
all their lives and expected to receive free travel on retirement just as those before them quite rightly
felt cheated when the age escalator removed the Freedom Pass from their grasp. I promised to
restore this right to travel for free on the capital’s network for every Londoner from their 60th
birthday”.
01.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter from Mick Whelan of ASLEF – “Your interview with new
Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin quoted him as being “relaxed about bonuses for transport
workers to avoid strikes during the Olympics”. This is misleading. A “bonus” sounds like a freebie
handout. We negotiated compensation for working longer hours with more flexibility. We earned it –
which is more than many of Mr McLoughlin’s boardroom banking friends can say”.
01.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from Fiona Weir – “One thing that could be done to reduce
the crush on Oxford Street is to try to persuade pedestrians to keep left, the same way as traffic
does. It is very disappointing how “keep left” signs have disappeared from Underground stations
across most of the network”.
01.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Text from Chris Rogers – “Last week, in a busy Underground
carriage, two policemen on duty wearing full uniform sat down, leaving paying customers standing,
including a man with his foot in a cast. Who were the plebs then?”
02.10.12 METRO – LT Museum’s online archive features one of the greatest poster collections in
the world. This is largely down to the vision of one man, Frank Pick. In 1908, in an effort to increase
passenger numbers, the six independent underground railway operators in London, agreed to
promote their services jointly as “the Underground”. Pick was responsible for branding and initiated a
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modern poster campaign to encourage off-peak travel. Pick commissioned the best designers of the
day to promote everything from leisure trips, seasonal sales and sporting fixtures, to the reliability of
the trains themselves. Around 150 prints of each poster were made available to purchase for £8-20
in today’s money. By the 1920s, the status of willing an Underground commission became one of
the most highly coveted prizes in the design world.
03.10.12 METRO – A girl of 12 lay screaming under an Underground train after apparently jumping
in front of it. She is thought to have broken her back and lost several fingers and her injuries were
described as ‘life threatening’. Realising how young she was, horrified passengers were unable to
go to her aid because of the risk from the live rail. The train driver slammed on his brakes when he
spotted the girl at Brixton station at about 08.30 yesterday. After the power was turned off, the
youngster was treated on the platform by paramedics and taken to King’s College Hospital. LU staff
said they thought she had jumped as the train pulled in. The police said there was no reason to
believe she was pushed. The Victoria Line was shut between Brixton and Victoria for about an hour
after the incident.
03.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Commuters have been set a cryptic challenge: To find 75
Underground stations that feature in visual puns in a poster. So for example, Barbie and Ken in the
left hand corner is Barbican. Geddit? The campaign, devised by poster advertising company CBS
Outdoor, and called “Look for Longer”, is meant to encourage commuters to indulge in lateral
thinking as they travel around the capital. The poster has been installed at 30 Underground stations,
including Canary Wharf, Euston and Oxford Circus. With WiFi now available on Underground
platforms, the idea is people will enter their answers on a website or a Twitter account in the hope of
winning an array of prizes including a Virgin Media VIP entertainment package and iPads.
03.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – A pervert who secretly filmed “up-skirt” footage of women on the
Underground has avoided jail by claiming he is addicted to sex. Nicholas Holt, 41, was caught using
his mobile phone camera to film up the skirt of a woman commuter at Tottenham Court Road station.
Suspicious passengers reported him to LT staff and he was arrested. Police found 2 up-skirt videos
on his mobile, while a raid on his house found a further 128 videos stored on hard disks. He
admitted one count of outraging public decency in Westminster magistrate’s court. His solicitor told
the court his client had been seeing a counsellor to help deal with his sex addiction. Holt was
ordered to take a course for sexual offenders and given a 12-month supervision order.
03.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – An 8 year old boy was snatched to safety from the Underground
tracks by a station cleaner who reached from the platform and grabbed him as a train approached.
The driver of the Jubilee Line train slammed on the emergency brakes and stopped 20 feet away.
The boy who was trespassing on the track at Stanmore was unhurt. Station staff were praised by LU
for their quick response. The cleaner lifted him back onto the platform without injury, where the
station and train staff stayed with him until police arrived. LU claimed the distance from the boy to
the train was “not very close”. Meanwhile, a 12 year old girl who jumped in front of an Underground
train during the morning rush hour is fighting for her life. The girl, from Clapham, was hit by a
Victoria Line train at Brixton. BT Police said: “The incident was not an accident and is not being
treated as suspicious”.
04.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Letter from RMT’s Janine Booth (see above) – “The Standard’s
report on the rescue of an 8 year old boy from the Jubilee Line tracks reminds us how important it is
to have staff on Underground stations. It also reminds us of the important role of the train driver,
whose swift action in applying the emergency brakes prevented at tragedy. In light of this incident,
Boris Johnson and LU should drop their lethal plans to further reduce station staffing and introduce
“driverless trains”. If they don’t, London’s passengers and workers must unite to stop them”.
04.10.12 METRO – If your local Underground station has looked a little brighter over the past few
months, staff there may have been taking part in the Underground in Bloom competition. Now in its
tenth year, the competition recognises staff who put in hours on their own time to brighten up the
capital’s stations. There were 141 entries this year with 10 categories including hanging baskets,
fruit and vegetables, and best newcomer. Displays ranged from the Olympic rings and herb gardens,
to Japanese meditation-style spaces and beehives. The impressive garden at Finchley Central was
even entered into the Chelsea Flower Show. TfL’s Howard Collins said: “Our staff have shown a
level of dedication that has taken the judges’ breath away. These gardens have helped to improve
the local environment and made travel a lot more pleasant for commuters”.
January 2012
191
04.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – The England football manager today apologised to Rio
Ferdinand after revealing to an Underground passenger, the Manchester United defender was not in
the latest England squad and insisted the 33 year old still had an international future. The England
boss was travelling to the Champions League match between Arsenal and Olympiakos at the
Emirates Stadium on the Underground, when he let slip that Ferdinand would not feature in this
month’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland.
05.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Tweet from Terry – “Next time Roy Hodgson is on the Tube
maybe he should bury his head in the Evening Standard. But if we see Roy standing, should we
offer him a seat?”
05.10.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – A Public Inquiry into the Croxley Rail Link is due to start on 9
October. It will take place at Watford FC’s Vicarage Road ground, and will also feature statements
from those opposed to the scheme, including councillors, residents and businesses. They range
from concerns over cost and traffic increases to the argument for keeping Watford Met. station open.
The £117M project was announced last year and will connect Croxley station with the currently
disused track between Croxley Green and Watford High Street stations, including two new stations at
Ascot Road and Vicarage Road.
05.10.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – Letter from J Taylor – “I live close to the Metropolitan Line and I
have to say that the sound of the trains can be quite loud, particularly on a Sunday morning when I’m
trying to have a lie-in. Having read your story about the church bells being silenced in Croxley
Green, I was wondering if I should now get in touch with Three Rivers District Council to ask if it
could politely ask London Underground to keep the noise down a bit. I, for one, would be most
grateful”.
08.10.12 METRO – TfL is to recruit up to 100 graduate trainees in engineering, project
management, technical and corporate roles next year. The new roles have been made available as
TfL continues its multi-billion pound plan to upgrade the 100 year old Underground network, which
will result in faster, more reliable journeys for passengers. The ambitious plan requires a highly
skilled workforce and the graduates will also get the opportunity to be involved in major transport
projects such as the Victoria Station upgrades and the new Northern Line extension. Depending on
their subject, the trainees will spend up to 3 years with TfL where they will be able to gain valuable
hands-on experience and learn practical skills while they earn. TfL has been consistently in The
Times Graduate Top 100 for best companies to work for.
08.10.12 METRO – Opportunities are not just for graduates. TfL creates more than 500
apprenticeship roles open to school leavers aged 18 and over. Apprenticeships include roles in civil
engineering, building services, engineering, quantity surveying, and vehicle maintenance and repair.
TfL is recognised by the National Apprenticeship Service as one of the Top 100 Apprenticeship
Employers.
08.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – Underground bosses have ruled out driverless trains for at least
a decade. Proposal to test two driverless trains this month between Waterloo and Stratford on the
Jubilee Line, while the network is closed at night have been dropped, and the new stock of 191 S
Stock trains now being delivered to the SSL, will all have conventional driving cabs. There are no
current plans to buy new trains without driver cabs, said LU. Although some aspects of trains on the
Victoria, Jubilee, Central and Northern lines are fully automated, the trains will continue to be driver
operated. A company spokesperson said: “From the 2020s new trains could be operated without the
need for conventional drivers – perhaps being staffed instead by something more like the DLR “train
captains”. Underground bosses will face questions on driverless trains when they appear before the
London Assembly’s transport committee. RMT union leaders last week ordered a strike ballot
among its drivers involved with testing driverless trains. It threatened a major industrial dispute with
Mayor Boris Johnson, who has campaigned for driverless trains. RMT’s Bob Crow said: “Until we get
that, our battle for both jobs and public safety will continue.”
09.10.12 METRO – Text from Anon – “Thank you to the kind stranger on the Underground for
handing me and my boyfriend a bouquet of roses after she decided to give them to the cutest couple
she could find. Londoners are lovely”.
10.10.12 METRO – Improvements on the Central Line, which form part of TfL’s multi-billion pound
Underground upgrade plan, will ensure smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers. Work
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has also been undertaken to refresh the line’s fleet of 85 trains and renew the track. The line will
close between 24 October and 4 November between Grange Hill and Newbury Park, and Woodford
and Leytonstone. By closing the line for a longer period (instead of multiple weekend works) the
overall time needed for the work will be cut from 19 to 12 days and save more than £2M. Normal
services will continue between Epping and central London during the works.
10.10.12 METRO – A film looking at artists commissioned to design new Tube map covers has been
created by the LT Museum and Art on the Underground. For 12 years, the Underground has
promoted contemporary art at stations and on Tube maps, working with artists including Tracey
Emin, Sarah Morris and Richard Long.
10.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – A boy of 12 escaped death on the Underground after he was
accidentally carried into sidings on a train, then jumped on to the track – narrowly missing the live
rail. He failed to respond to three on-board announcements and a flash of lights that the Bakerloo
Line train was being taken out of service at Queen’s Park. Rail unions said physical checks to
ensure trains are empty have ceased and demanded a change to the “dangerous” practice.
11.10.11 EVENING STANDARD – Weary commuters are being cheered up by a spate of “guerrilla
sticker attacks” that have turned Underground train notices into comedy material. Travellers have
spotted several changes to the traditional signs, including priority seating notices indicating they are
for “people who are overweight, conjoined or charming snakes”, and warnings saying “don’t
acknowledge fellow passengers or sustain eye contact beyond two seconds”. Central Line maps
turned Shepherd’s Bush into “Shepherd’s Pie”, and Oxford Circus became “Nightmare on Elm
Street”. One sign says: “Pull lever to pour gravy on sausages located in driver’s compartment”. A
few websites are selling stickers online and the BBC spoke to a man called James, who claimed he
had sold more than 200 fake notices this year at around £2 a go. James said he wanted commuters
to “take back power” over their journeys. He said: “It’s a form of rebellion, whether it be due to the
current climate of doom and gloom, or people wanting to brighten their day. This is a bit of escapism
and freedom that people can express relatively easily.” But LU bosses are not amused. A
spokesman for BTP said the stickers were graffiti and “unwanted vandalism that causes damage and
will not be tolerated”.
12.10.12 METRO – There were full line closures on the Victoria Line on the weekends of 13-14 and
20-21 October to carry out track work. The line’s GM John Doyle explained why: “We have installed
a state-of-the-art signalling system to allow trains to run faster and more reliably. With more trains
and increased frequency this causes more wear and tear on our track. So for the next two weekends
we will remove any irregularities from the line’s track to extend its life and to improve your journey
quality”.
12.10.12 METRO – The pervert who spent 10 months taking upskirt pictures of women on the
Underground has been given a supervision order. Bryan Dean repeatedly rode up and down the
escalator while pointing his mobile phone up skirts.
12.10.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – The public inquiry into the Croxley Rail Link project, start in
Watford this week, in the Elton John Conference Centre, giving the Scheme’s promoters and
opposers a chance to air their views. Top of the bill was the controversial closure of the Watford Met
station in Cassiobury. LU’s head of transport planning argued that keeping the station open would
result in the reversing trains starting their return journeys late. Various arguments were submitted on
the increase/decrease in travelling times to/from the new Metropolitan stations, as well as the
additional residents have access to the line. One local businessman, the part owner of Croxley Cars,
stated the construction of the new viaduct between Croxley and Ascot Road stations would put him
out of business, unless one of the piers were to be relocated. A consultant said: “the planned pier
locations were critical in minimising the length of the closure of the Watford Met. branch. If relocated
the opposite way it would result in a 200 metre radius curve, sharper than LU will permit, as well as
producing rail wheel squeal, which due to the height of the viaduct, would be heard over half of
Watford”.
15.10.12 METRO – Text from Hungry Tube Passenger – “The refurbished Blackfriars Underground
station smells like roast chicken. Can anyone explain why?”
16.10.12 METRO – Text from Anon (see above) – “Blackfriars smells like roast chicken because the
construction workers’ canteen is right above the platforms”.
January 2012
193
17.10.12 THE TIMES – by columnist Laura Craik – “In an effort to do more high-quality parenting,
like good mothers who don’t have jobs, I volunteered to accompany my daughters Year 2 class on a
school trip. Shepherding 30 six-year-olds on to the Northern Line is a life skill that everyone should
acquire, though possibly not without liberal access to Valium”.
19.10.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – (see 12/10/12 above) – At the Croxley Rail Link public inquiry, a
local businessman, the director of Cinnamond of Croxley Green stated he will be unable to maintain
his business if a planned viaduct pier is built on the access to his property. He had commissioned a
traffic study which indicated the replacement entrance would present problems to traffic. In addition,
a sea cadets club also used by a pre-school located opposite Cinnamond, would be adversely
effected by construction noise as well as restricted access.
19.10.12 WATFORD OBSERVER – A rare 100 year old LU poster, by Edward McKnight Kauffer,
advertising Watford was sold at auction at Christies for £2,750 – £750 more than estimate.
19.10.12 THE TIMES – The planned extension of LU’s Northern Line will be the key to the Battersea
transformation. Plans include the creation of two new Underground stations at Nine Elms and
Battersea which would cut journeys into the City and the West End to just under 15 minutes, and is
planned to open by 2019. Until then the nearest Underground station is Vauxhall. Overground (sic!)
trains go to Vauxhall, Battersea Park and Queenstown Road. Buses go from Vauxhall’s shiny
terminus.
24.10.12 THE TIMES – The writer and academic Judith Chernaik founded Poems on the
Underground 26 years ago. It now has imitators across the world. She is publishing her latest
collection to celebrate the 160th (sic!) anniversary of the Underground.
24.10.12 THE TIMES – LU has a dirty secret – fresh soot on the tunnel roofs near Baker Street.
One night last January, a steam locomotive ran underground for the first time in more than a century
in a test for an event to mark the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first
underground line, on 13 January 2013. The anniversary train from Paddington to Farringdon will be
headed by 1989 Metropolitan Railway E Class 0-4-4T No.1, which served until 1963 when it took part
in the Centenary celebrations that year, hauling 5 carriages from the 1890s.
25.10.12 THE TIMES – Letter from Professor Tony Atkins(see above) – “It is incorrect to state that
the preserved Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive that ran underground in January was the first
to do so for more than a century. The GWR had a depot beneath Smithfield meat market and ran as
many as 15 steam-hauled goods trains per day, from Paddington to Farringdon/Aldersgate. The last
was in 1962”.
25.10.12 METRO – Look out for special liveries across the capital’s transport network ahead of
London Poppy Day on 1 November. A Circle Line train, an Overground train and two London buses
have been wrapped in an eye-catching poppy design. The distinctive red flowers will also be
displayed on the front and back of all Underground, DLR and Overground trains.
26.10.12 EVENING STANDARD – People over 60 may be able to enjoy free public transport
outside London with council taxpayers picking up the multi-million-pound bill when Crossrail opens in
2018. The free travel zone for Freedom Pass holders will be extended beyond central London to
Berkshire and Essex. London boroughs are legally obliged to offer the benefit on all trains and
buses operated by TfL. As TfL will operate Crossrail, the boroughs will have no alternative but cover
the costs.
30.10.12 CITY A.M. – During the expected five years disruption caused by the regeneration of
London Bridge NR station, Southern’s services between the station and Victoria via Denmark Hill will
be withdrawn on 9 December and passengers could use the London Overground connection
between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays.
30.10.12 TIME OUT LONDON – Tram Power has put in a planning application to Southwark Council
to introduce a tramline running from London Bridge via Elephant & Castle to Denmark Hill. There are
concerns that the Southwark Supertram could cause more congestion on this already busy route. It
could also cost as much as £50M. But surely it’s well worth the price tag if it means south Londoners
get to glide about like their tram-endowed Croydonite neighbours?
30.10.12 THE TIMES – Which is the Underground station where James Bond chased the baddie,
Silva in Skyfall? The old Jubilee Line platforms at Charing Cross. A disused platform with still-
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useable line, it is popular with film crews and was also used on The Bourne Ultimatum. Look even
more carefully, say TfL, and you can see entrances to the old platform in Charing Cross. Though,
ever conscious of real baddies, they refuse to be drawn on precisely where these are. “Can I ask why
you are asking?” says the TfL press office, somewhat suspiciously – “We do have security
concerns!”
31.10.12 METRO – More than 450 cast and crew filmed scenes in disused platforms at Charing
Cross over several weeks earlier this year, taking advantage of a site that mirrors a busy
Underground station without disrupting the running of the railway. LU said the Underground has
been a much-used movie location for more than 80 years. It is not the first time the Underground
has featured in a James Bond film. In the 2002’s Die Another Day, Q’s gadget laboratory is attached
to a fictional “Vauxhall Cross” station. Other films featuring the Underground include:- Passport to
Pimlico (1949); An American Werewolf in London (1981); Sliding Doors (1998); Billy Elliot (2000);
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001); Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (2007); Atonement (2007);
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).
January 2012
195
UNDERGROUND DIARY
OCTOBER 2012
The only operational incident of note on Monday 1 October was a multiple signal failure on the
southbound between King’s Cross and Angel at 19.00 which suspended the southbound City branch
of the Northern Line until 19.30.
Tuesday 2 October was as follows:
 Signal failure at Lambeth North from 06.05 resulted in trains from London Road depot being
unable to enter service, with a suspension south of Piccadilly Circus from 07.00 to 07.20.
 Victoria Line suspended south of Victoria 08.35 to 10.30 – person under a southbound arriving
train at Brixton.
 20-minute delay Canning Town westbound from 16.40 – passenger ill on a train.
On Wednesday 3 October the District and Circle lines started up late at 06.00 because of a broken
rail at Sloane Square. The only other problems of note were two defective Piccadilly Line trains
which caused extended intervals and a handful of cancellations during the afternoon.
Thursday 4 October began with an intermittent points failure at Queen’s Park from 06.15, reducing
the reversing tracks in the North Shed from two to one throughout the morning peak. The service
was ‘thinned’ to reduce blocking back with five trains cancelled for the morning peak. Both reversing
sidings were available from 11.00. Points failing at Stratford at 15.10 suspended the Jubilee Line
east of North Greenwich for 20 minutes, with platform 15 taken out of use. All three platforms were
in use again from 16.15 after the fault had been fixed. Angel station closed from 15.35 to 16.10
because of escalator defects. Colliers Wood station closed from 22.20 to 23.10 because of
insufficient staff numbers.
A signal track circuit failure at High Barnet from 05.15 prevented trains from entering service from the
sidings on Friday 5 October with the service suspended north of Finchley Central until 05.55 in
consequence. A signal failure on the northbound approach to Watford at 18.05 suspended the
Metropolitan Line between there and Moor Park. One train stalled approaching Watford was
authorised to return to Croxley, arriving there at 18.30. The failure proved problematical to fix and
from 21.45 the service resumed to Croxley, with trains running empty to reverse via the two sidings
at Watford until the end of traffic, with a taxi service being provided between Croxley and Watford.
On Saturday 6 October points failing at Aldgate East (which were being used to reverse the service
east to west because of weekend engineering work) suspended the District Line additionally between
there and Tower Hill from 05.35 until 06.50. A person on the track at Seven Sisters suspended the
Victoria Line from 05.50. One train north of Finsbury Park was stalled for the duration, with services
resuming at 06.35. With the Metropolitan Line suspended south of Harrow-on-the-Hill for weekend
engineering work, points failing at Harrow extended the area of suspension to Northwood and
Uxbridge from 10.15 until 10.45.
Sunday 7 October belonged to the Piccadilly Line, beginning with a points failure at Arnos Grove
from 08.45, suspending services east of Wood Green. Three westbound trains were stalled between
Southgate and Arnos Grove, the last reaching Arnos Grove at 09.25, from when services resumed.
Later in the day, a signal failure at Hanger Lane Junction suspended services between Acton Town
and Uxbridge from 18.35 to 19.10, while from 19.30 a person under an eastbound train at
Hammersmith suspended the service between Acton Town and Hyde Park Corner. It wasn’t
possible to divert eastbound trains via the eastbound District Line because the traction current
section reached Barons Court. One train was stalled east of Ravenscourt Park (unfortunately on the
discharged section of current) until 20.30 with services resuming at 20.40.
On Monday 8 October, the Piccadilly Line was suspended between Hammersmith and Hyde Park
Corner from 14.40 to 15.35 because of a person under an eastbound train at Earl’s Court. One train
was stalled on the eastbound approach to Earl’s Court until 15.30 while the station, initially closed,
reopened to the District Line from 15.15. Paddington (Bakerloo, District and Circle) station closed
from 21.50 to 22.40 because of smoke from the escalator machine room.
There was nothing to note for Tuesday 9 October.
Soon after start-up, the Waterloo & City Line was suspended from 06.40 to 08.05 on Wednesday 10
October because of a signal failure at Waterloo. Two trains were stalled, the last of which reached
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Waterloo at 07.10. A passenger on the track at Victoria caused a 15-minute delay to the Victoria
Line service from 15.00, while a passenger ill on eastbound Piccadilly Line train at Holborn resulted
in a 20-minute stand from 18.15.
On Thursday 11 October a signal failure on the northbound Jubilee Line between Finchley Road
and West Hampstead delayed the service from 06.00, with trains having to pass through the area
under failure conditions, the first train taking some 20 minutes. Although there was no suspension
as such, nine trains were cancelled for the morning peak, although progress through the area was
slow until the fault was fixed at 08.10. At 09.35 a points failure at Watford South Junction brought
‘main’, ‘local’ and Chiltern Railways services to a stand. Two stalled trains reached platforms at
Moor Park and Rickmansworth just after 10.00, the latter after a Chiltern Railways train had been
moved to Rickmansworth sidings. Services resumed at 10.30. Chalk Farm station closed from
22.50 until the end of traffic after a passenger spilt cooking oil in the ticket hall and then in the lift!
The day ended with a northbound train becoming gapped off current at Neasden whilst heading for
depot at 23.10. The Jubilee Line was suspended north of Willesden Green (amended from 23.50 to
be West Hampstead – Stanmore) and the Metropolitan Line south of Wembley Park. Four trains
were stalled between stations, three of them being clear by 23.45. However, one Metropolitan Line
train was authorised to return wrong line to Wembley Park after points had been secured, and were
released at 00.55. In the meanwhile an assisting Jubilee Line train coupled and pushed the incident
train onto current, enabling it to move into depot. What little remained of the service in the early
hours resumed at 01.05.
Friday 12 October was as follows:
 Victoria Line started up late at 06.00 between Seven Sisters and Walthamstow Central – rail
defect at Tottenham Hale.
 District Line suspended west of Putney Bridge 11.55 to 12.45 – loss of traction current and signal
main on the (NR) Wimbledon branch. One train was stalled on the approach to East Putney for
the duration.
 Waterloo & City Line suspended 20.50 to end of traffic (21.50) – points failure at Waterloo.
On Saturday 13 October, the Hammersmith & City Line, only operating west of Aldgate/Liverpool
Street, was unable to start up at its intended operational end because of problems with points at
Edgware Road associated with overnight work. Once the problem had been resolved, services
began at 06.05. The Jubilee Line had two consecutive delays mid-morning, first with an unattended
item at Canary Wharf, which suspended the service and closed the station from 10.15 to 10.35. As
that incident concluded, an eastbound train at Canary Wharf was unable to move, continuing the
suspension (London Bridge – North Greenwich) until 11.05.
The Piccadilly Line was suspended between Acton Town and Uxbridge from 12.35 to 13.50 on
Sunday 14 October because of a person under a westbound train at South Harrow. The only other
problem was Gunnersbury station closing from 22.45 until the end of traffic because of a local power
failure which affected all station services.
At 11.25 on Monday 15 October an eastbound Metropolitan Line train overran Ickenham station by
seven cars. A correspondent on the train reports that the Train Operator announced “brake failure”
as the problem, with the train being authorised to continue to Ruislip for detrainment. The same train
was then involved with a points failure at Rayners Lane, which suspended both the Metropolitan and
Piccadilly lines through the area from 11.45. One stalled eastbound Piccadilly Line train was
authorised to return to Eastcote. Services resumed at 12.20. King’s Cross LU station closed from
17.35 to 18.00 because of fire alarms activated.
On Tuesday 16 October a signal failure at Aldgate suspended the outer rail Circle Line from 10.20
to 11.15. A person ill on a westbound Central Line train at Bank at 18.30 resulted in a 25-minute
suspension. Two trains were stalled, one approaching Bethnal Green and one approaching Leyton,
both of which reached platforms within 15 minutes.
Both the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines were unable to start up through Willesden Green from the
start of traffic until 06.00 on Wednesday 17 October because of a cracked rail found during
overnight inspection. Metropolitan Line service recovery was then hampered by a SPAD on the
northbound approach to Harrow-on-the-Hill at 08.10, resulting in a 25-minute northbound stand and
very little heading southbound. Quite how this constitutes a ‘minor delay’ is beyond the wit of your
reporter, who was on one of the northbound trains stalled approaching Harrow.
January 2012
197
On Thursday 18 October, points failing on the westbound at Woodford suspended the Central Line
between there and Leytonstone in that direction only until 15.00. Canary Wharf LU station closed
from 15.15 to 15.50 because of a smell of smoke on the station, which was subsequently discovered
to be smoke drifting in from outside.
Points failing at Watford suspended the Metropolitan Line between there and Moor Park from 06.40
to 07.30 on Friday 19 October, with one train approaching Watford stalled until it was authorised to
return to Croxley where it arrived at 07.10. Later in the evening there was a 20-minute delay at
Victoria from 21.15 whilst police dealt with a suspect on an inner rail Circle Line train.
Apart from a late start (06.25) to services north of Moor Park, caused by points failing at Watford
North Junction, Saturday 20 October was uneventful, despite the number of weekend closures and
the TUC march in central London. Sunday 21 October was the same.
Incident-wise, Monday 22 October began after midday with points failing at West Hampstead at
12.50, suspending the Jubilee Line between Finchley Road and Wembley Park, but with a growing
queue of northbound trains (in platforms) back from Swiss Cottage. Although the service resumed at
13.30, a person on the track at Canons Park followed which resulted in another 15-minute delay.
Another person on the track at Finchley Central resulted in a 25-minute suspension through the area
from 17.45. Eastbound Jubilee Line trains non-stopped Westminster from 18.30 to 19.50 because of
a problem with the platform edge doors. A signal track circuit failure at Charing Cross caused the
Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line to be suspended from 19.35 until 20.10.
Tuesday 23 October was thus:
 Metropolitan Line suspended south of Harrow-on-the-Hill 05.50 to 06.35 because of an engineer’s
train not fully berthed in Neasden depot. The southbound Jubilee Line was also affected, but to a
lesser extent.
 Central Line suspended Leytonstone – Liverpool Street 08.45 to 09.10 – passenger ill on a
westbound train.
 District and Circle lines suspended through South Kensington 14.45 to 15.05 – obstruction on the
eastbound track.
 20-minute delay to both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines through Rayners Lane from 18.30
because of a signal that returned to danger as an eastbound train approached.
 Jubilee Line suspended Canons Park – Stanmore 21.20 to 21.45 – points failing at Stanmore.
Trains detrained at Canons Park and reversed on the reception road to Stanmore sidings.
Points failing in Highgate sidings from 05.40 on Wednesday 24 October meant that no trains could
enter service and in consequence the northbound service between East Finchley and High Barnet
was suspended until northbound trains filtered through from the central area. Points failing at
Barking from 05.55 suspended the District Line east of Plaistow and the Hammersmith & City Line
east of Moorgate. One eastbound District Line train stalled approaching was authorised to return to
East Ham, arriving at 06.35. Services resumed at 07.05. Later in the evening, with the Hainault
Blockade in operation, it proved difficult to reverse trains via the Grange Hill end of Hainault depot as
well as using that end for stabling trains after the evening peak – all trains have to run direct to the
reception wash road and then either to the inner rail (if returning to service) or ‘north’ shunting necks
(if stabling). As a result some lengthy delays to the service between Grange Hill and Woodford, on
one occasion at least an hour, with some eastbound trains being turned short at Woodford or
diverted to Debden to alleviate the growing queue of trains – the quart into the pint pot syndrome!
On Thursday 25 October, lift defects at Hampstead restricted the station to operate in ‘exit only’
mode from 09.50 to 11.30, while at 12.05 the eastbound Central Line was delayed for 20 minutes
because of a person ill on a train at Liverpool Street.
Friday 26 October was thus:
 Hampstead station closed to incoming passengers from 08.00 to 08.35 – further lift defects.
 25-minute southbound Victoria Line delay from 07.15 – defective train leaving Seven Sisters
southbound. The train detrained at Highbury and returned to depot.
 25-minute SSR delay through Moorgate from 08.40 – passenger ill on an eastbound train.
 Wood Green station closed 13.45 to 14.50 – local power failure.
 Central Line suspended through North Acton 19.00 to 19.20 – passenger on track.
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Underground News
 Metropolitan Line’s Chesham branch suspended from 18.40 to the end of traffic – points failing
at Chalfont & Latimer. A replacement taxi service was implemented Chesham – Amersham.
However, a report has been received that at some time that evening, the A Stock Rail
Adhesion Train may have carried passengers to Chesham, but despite extensive enquiries,
this cannot be confirmed at present, so therefore remains a mystery.
And on Saturday 27 October –
 Bakerloo suspended Queen’s Park – Paddington 06.05 to 07.00 – points failure at Paddington.
(The line was already suspended south of Paddington for engineering work). One stalled
southbound train was authorised to return to Warwick Avenue, arriving at 06.25.
 Metropolitan Line suspended Harrow – Uxbridge 06.05 to 06.40 – points failure at Rayners
Lane. (The Piccadilly Line was already suspended for weekend engineering work).
 District Line suspended Whitechapel – Bromley-by-Bow from 07.20 – points failing at
Whitechapel. The line was already suspended between Mansion House and Whitechapel for
weekend engineering work. One stalled train was authorised to return to Stepney Green.
Services resumed at 09.15.
 Piccadilly Line trains non-stopped Gloucester Road from 09.55 to 11.10 – lift defects.
On Sunday 28 October a Network Rail points failure at Wimbledon suspended the District Line west
of Putney Bridge from 08.50 to 09.55. Borough station closed from 17.15 to 18.05 because of lift
defects. An engineer’s train returning from the Hainault Blockade working site stalled at Woodford
Junction just after 22.30. Once made mobile, it then returned wrong line to the engineering work
area in so doing delayed the service between Woodford and Grange Hill.
A SPAD by a train entering the ‘north’ end of Hainault depot at Grange Hill at 09.45 suspended the
Central Line between Woodford and Grange Hill until 10.20 on Monday 29 October. Points failing
at Watford South Junction suspended the Metropolitan Line through the area from 11.35 until 12.15.
Further lift defects at Gloucester Road caused Piccadilly Line trains to non-stop again from 14.50 to
16.10. The day ended with a 20-minute delay on the southbound Bakerloo Line at Paddington at
23.30 because of ‘passenger action’.
Tuesday 30 October began with the Waterloo & City Line being suspended from 06.25, just after its
start-up, because of a person trackside at Waterloo. One train was stalled between Bank and
Waterloo on the westbound until 07.15, with servicers resuming at 07.40. The Central Line had a
troubled beginning to the evening peak with a 25-minute westbound delay at Bethnal Green because
of a defective train that was moved in restricted manual to Liverpool Street sidings.
Wednesday 31 October was a troublesome day, with the Central Line occupying much of it until
after the evening peak. It began with a train becoming gapped off current at Loughton just after
05.30, reportedly because of four negative shoes missing, one from each of the four different units.
This suspended the service between Woodford and Epping until 07.20. In the meantime at 06.00,
the first westbound train through the road stalled after striking an object on the track west of Holland
Park, which turned out to be a dropped shoebeam from a preceding engineer’s train that had
originated from the Hainault Blockade. The service was suspended between Marble Arch and White
City, and a second westbound train was stalled approaching Holland Park, which arrived into the
station by 07.00. This was then sent forward to rescue the passengers on the first train, arriving
back at Holland Park at 07.50. The upshot was that some 250 yards of current rail had been
overturned and 15 ‘shoes’ from both trains had been found on the track. The fact that the second
(rescue) train went forward to collect the passengers from the first was not without problems because
this train also lost some shoes in the process. It managed to return to Holland Park – just. Following
track repairs, the shoes on the two trains replaced and the trains moved out of the way to Ruislip
depot, the service resumed at 14.15. The combination of both incidents, as well as the engineering
work suspension, resulted in just 21 trains in service in the morning peak over the remaining
operational sections of the Central Line. Other incidents included the District Line suspended Putney
Bridge – Wimbledon from 05.50 to 06.45 because of a signal failure at East Putney and the Bakerloo
Line suspended south of Piccadilly Circus from 08.25 to 10.50 with a person under a southbound
train at Waterloo. Because of the number of trains in the area, the passengers on a stalled
southbound train approaching Elephant & Castle had to be detrained and walked forward to the
station, which was completed by 09.15.