What do the names Lou, Kitty, Walter & Anne have in common?

Naming things on the Tube

Since I changed jobs I've not had to face the prospect of the forthcoming Waterloo & City Line closure. The line that I used to use each day will be closed for five months from the 1st April for "much-needed engineering improvements that will deliver increased reliability of services, an increase in capacity and improved journey times." So it was good to learn from SK that Metronet, who are carrying out the improvements, have been having some fun and games with names.


Four new battery locos which will be used to haul materials and plant along the one and half mile line, have been designed and built to deadline - "in just 17 weeks". This in itself appears to have been the cause of much celebration at Metronet and the locos were given names to honour the occasion - Walter, Lou, Anne, Kitty. Can you see what they did there? Just in case you haven't got it yet, if you say the names together quickly they sound a bit like Waterloo & City.

"Metronet's Chief Programmes Officer Stephen Hall said: 'This is the first piece of work to have been completed in the programme; it's fundamental and extremely important to see it delivered on time.

'This sets the pace and says, "This project is under way now," and we are determined to deliver for our customer London Underground - and Londoners.' "

Now that Metronet have christened their "babies", let's hope that little Walter, Lou, Anne & Kitty get on with hauling stuff about as quickly as they can and don't decide they need too many nappy changes or throw unexpected tantrums and stop working!

While we're on the subject of naming, do you have any pet names for trains or other vehicles? My first car - an old Vauxhall Cavalier - was called Vivienne. It's a bit of a shame that Tubes don't have names like some National Rail trains and anonymous numbers instead. I would like to call the trains on the Northern Line "Mary, Mary" - because they're quite contrary!

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, March 01, 2006 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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