Santas on the London Underground

Once again there's many Santas (or should that be Santae) having fun on the Tube in the annual London Santacon on Saturday. Where hoards of Santae zoom around central London and give parents nightmares trying to explain how "there's really only one true Santa Claus and the people taking pictures of each other on escalators, getting stared at by policemen and cramming themselves into phone boxes, are only pretend Santas"






Thanks to by the light divided for letting me use his great pictures from his Santacon set!

Many more London Santae on the Flickr stream for the event.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, December 13, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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ASLEF vote for Boxing Day Strike

London Underground drivers have voted by 9-1 to go on strike on Boxing Day in a management disagreement over Boxing Day pay. London Underground claim 26th December is an normal working day and a longstanding agreement has been in place with trade unions over pay and drivers would get a day off in lieu or work reduced hours.


Photo by Tom Roper
Terry Wilkinson, the EC member for District 8 from the union said: "It used to be almost guaranteed that if you worked one bank holiday, you would not work the next. But the increase in service levels (and that Boxing Day is a Sunday this year) has meant this is now no longer possible."

The union is claiming triple pay and a day off in lieu for its members for working on December 26, saying LU is refusing to offer any extra pay.

ASLEF general secretary Keith Norman said: "It is painfully obvious to any reasonable person that Boxing Day is not an ordinary working day and therefore it is no surprise that Aslef members have reacted in the way they have."

The vote was 1,025 for strike action, with 127 against, a 9-1 majority in favour of taking action on Boxing Day.

As yet there's nothing on ASLEF's site to confirm when the strike action will actually take place and no statement from London Underground on the impact this will have on the Tube service.

Update from ASLEF's site: ASLEF members employed by London Underground Ltd will be withdrawing their labour for all turns commencing between 00:01 and 23:59 on Sunday 26 December 2010.

‘I am prepared to discuss this with the company but if they want a meeting they are going to have to have something to put on the table,’ says Keith Norman.

Update from London - 16th December - a statement was issued on their site "We have a long-standing agreement which all of trade unions are signed up to and which we have published today, which covers staff working arrangements on bank holidays, and Boxing Day is included in that agreement. To tear that agreement up and seek to disrupt the festive period for Londoners in this way is just cynical.

"We have made every effort to resolve this issue with the Aslef leadership, which has refused to attend talks at ACAS to discuss its claim for triple time and a day in lieu for its members."

Update - 22nd December 2010 - TfL emailed Oyster card holders with the following today:

Note "there is likely to be significant disruption to Tube services throughout Boxing Day".

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, December 13, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Dog plays Mornington Crescent

Where do dogs go when they get lost on the Tube?



Samuel Powell spotted this neatly penned notice at Kentish Town London Underground station this morning.

Wonder if it was using the Rexley-Ruff rules to get there?

Update - Here's what happened to the dog. He was found by Rosy who said in the comments "My boyfriend and I were in fact holding the dog! We ended up taking him to work with us as Mornington Crescent station would have had to close its doors if it took on the responsibility of looking after a dog for a couple of hours due to staff shortages. We named the dog Frank, fed him sausages and gave him lots of attention! He was reunited with his rightful owner a few hours later. Frank had an eventful morning and everyone misses him at the office!"

What a lovely ending!

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, December 10, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Minority vote for Tube strike, yet Crow says down tools

RMT union leaders have called for Northern line drivers at the Morden depot to strike for 24 hours from Friday 17 December until Saturday 18 December 2010, in a row over staff dismissals. However, the ballots which took place earlier this week showed Northern line staff rejected the strike call.

Of the 192 staff balloted over the dispute, only 80 voted, with less than 20 per cent voting for strike action - 38 people. The driver in question has not even been dismissed.


A similar low ballot turnout occurred over the dismissal of a Bakerloo Line driver. Just 42 people voted for strike action out of a total of 119 balloted - that's a third of the total members.

Howard Collins, LU's chief operating officer, said: 'The RMT leadership has utterly failed in its attempt to gain support from staff on the Northern line for a driver being dealt with over allegations of totally unacceptable and abusive behaviour towards colleagues.

"It is also utterly outrageous for the RMT to threaten strike action in support of someone dismissed for a serious breach of safety rules on the Bakerloo line.

'The facts speak for themselves. Yet again, the RMT leadership shows utter contempt for Londoners and the integrity of their own strike ballot process.

'They should end these pointless strike threats and get on with working with us to deliver an upgraded Tube system for London.'

Bakerloo Line London Underground tube drivers based at Elephant & Castle and Queens Park, have also been asked by the union to stop working at the same time.

Bob Crow makes no mention of the low turnout and the low numbers of people voting for strike action and says "Instead of harassing our members and activists on trumped up charges the London Underground management should be directing their energies into reaching a settlement to the on-going disputes over tube safety and safe staffing levels."

Instead of striking when the majority of people who voted clearly didn't want to strike, I'd suggest the RMT leaders should be directing their energies into proving exactly what safety issues are at stake in the wider Tube strikes.

On a practical level, I'd imagine these calls to "down tools" will have little impact on the Northern & Bakerloo Lines. London Underground (& I'm guessing all the people who didn't vote to strike) fully intends to run services on these and all other lines. But check the Tube's website before you leave for the latest information.

Related Posts

Tube Strikes could escalate in the New Year
Tube Drivers may strike over Boxing Day pay

Update 17th December 2010 - According to Harrow Observer Bakerloo line services will be suspended between Harrow and Wealdstone and Queens Park stations on 18th December due to the above action.

Members of the RMT union will walk out at 9pm 17th December for 24 hours and while tonight London Underground (LU) said the service will be 'largely unaffected', tomorrow only a partial service will be in operation south from Queens Park south to Elephant and Castle.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, December 10, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Signs of Christmas on the Tube

A giant Santa balloon floating above heads at Hammersmith London Underground.


It's been there for a few days now - wonder how long it will take to come down?

If you spot any other Xmassy Tube sights (it's just coming up to office party season) send them my way and I'll feature the best here.

If you're looking for TfL's plans for Christmas & New Year opening hours on the Tube - visit their site.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, December 08, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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London Transport Museum visit Delhi's Metro

A guest post from Jane Findlay & Michelle Brown - Community Curators from London Transport Museum on their recent visit to Delhi and a fascinating look at the underground system there.


"Space to sit down, spotless carriages and air conditioning. We could definitely get used to this. Delhi Metro is not all like this of course; being female we’re privileged to get a space in the quieter ladies carriage…but it’s not far off. Like any Tube train at rush hour, things can get pretty packed in the general cars, but with sleek and shiny new trains and regular service you can see why Delhi Metro has become a popular way for Delhiites to traverse their city.



Delhi Metro is one of the world’s newest underground systems and is expanding rapidly. Run by the private company Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, it has the ambitious goal of building a Metro station within 500 metres of every home by 2021. The Metro received a real boost by the Commonwealth Games, which saw more people using it through giving travel tickets away with admission to the Games, and just this month ridership crossed the 1.6 million mark. It's soon to open high-speed airport connection which will no doubt add to its appeal, providing a fast and efficient way to enter the city.



As London Transport Museum’s Community Curators we’ve been busy exploring how New Delhi’s new Metro network is affecting people’s journeys, experiences and understandings of this bustling and ever-changing city. The project was funded by a British Council Connections through Culture programme and London Museums Hub 2012 Cultural Olympiad project, Stories of the World: London (SOTW) a major focus of which is engaging with young people.

With congestion choking the roads and causing heavy pollution, the Metro is a boon to the people of Delhi, who are really starting to embrace this new mode of transport. Craving not only the increased comfort and speed, the key to its success is its reliability. Interviews with commuters exploring the impact on the city highlighted that knowing you will reach your destination in 40 minutes as opposed to relying on traffic conditions on the roads is a huge advantage to passengers.

Delhiites are rightly very proud of their new transport system. The Metro’s ‘Delhi Metro Citizens Forum’, a 500 strong group of volunteers trained to guide and assist passengers in travel ettiquette, are proof of the public’s dedication to the system.

Linking up with Delhi Metro during our recent trip to Delhi we were fortunate to join some of the forum members out and about on the network as they went about their day, ensuring people gave up their seats for the elderly and helping people use the map to navigate.

Across the world people use diverse means to travel throughout their cities, however a common thread of all major cities is the influence of public transport on a city’s growth, in both a physical and a social sense. London Underground is the world’s oldest underground system, nearing 150 years old – now a London icon, it has played a major role in shaping the Capital’s identity. The project undertaken in New Delhi provided a fascinating insight into how one of the world’s newest rail networks is impacting on the city. London Transport Museum looks forward to strengthening the partnerships that were created during the project and will continue to keep watch on how New Delhi develops in response to its new transport links.

Thanks to Jane & Michelle for a great post and you can see more pictures from their visit here.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, December 07, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Subway Bingo iPhone App

Someone needs to build one of these for the London Underground & call it Tubingo. You've probably played "Lingo Bingo" in meetings at work, marking off buzzwords each time they're mentioned. Now there's a free subway app based on ticking off the people you see on a Metro commute in New York.


The designers describe the app: "Have fun riding the subway while finding and checking off all of the characters that subway commuters know and love. When you get five in a row, BINGO!

Created by New Yorkers, this game features beautiful artwork and an insider's attention to detail. Subway BINGO is a totally fun way to pass the time on the train or subway platform....Dozens and dozens of real-life characters, moving subway doors, and more!


It would need to be Tubecized / anglicized  to cover London but I reckon it would be popular.

In fact it reminded me of the spoof video of teenagers playing "Tube Poker" - supposedly "an illegal gambling craze played on the London Underground".


Hat tip to S N Barnes for the link!

You might also like
Location based Tube game - Chromaroma
What's the best London Underground iPhone app

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, December 06, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Swipe Kate & Wills with Royal Wedding Oyster card

TfL look set to cash in on the Royal Wedding by producing a special edition Oyster card. In what I hope is just a mock up (because it looks awful), the Evening Standard have a design on their website.



TfL commissioner Peter Hendy wanted to follow the Hong Kong example of selling limited edition cards, some of which are apparently worth a fortune. He said "We will do one for the royal wedding and it will be extremely tasteful. It will be the first-ever one we have put on general release."

The card doesn't come with any royal privileges and acts like a normal Oyster.  But it  may come with a specially embossed card-holder. Mike Brown, London Underground's MD helpfully said: “You can use it forever, you can use it for a day, or you can never use it at all.”

Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor’s transport adviser, added "It’s early days but it's an exciting opportunity. We want to help celebrate the fantastic occasion that will be the royal wedding. It's a good way to bring a level of excitement and ingenuity to something we rely on every day."

Can't you feel the excitement of swiping Kate and Prince William on your daily commute? I can hardly wait!

Update - Jon Justice has sent in a mock up for the card that could be more interesting!



Perhaps TfL can get some ideas from it!

Update - 29th March 2011 - TfL have unveiled the official Limited Edition Royal Wedding Oyster Card

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, December 03, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Snow on the Tube

Amazingly the London Underground is holding up in the snow. Apart from the severe delays on the District, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. And the severe delays on the DLR. And the minor delays on the the Jubilee and reports of rain inside carriages on the Northern Line (Thanks antiquote - that's a new one).


Here's one of the few District Line trains that were running between Richmond & Turnham Green this morning. Seriously, I suppose things could have been worse, at least the London Underground was running - unlike Southeastern trains.


Also looks like fewer people were risking coming in on Boris Bikes as the docks around the corner from my work were much fuller than normal.

Good luck getting home!

Related Post
Snow hits London Transport

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Thursday, December 02, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Balloon Animals on the Tube

To break up the gloom over Tube strikes, someone appears to be trying to brighten up the London Underground with an outbreak of balloon animals:


Aslefshrugged spotted these on the Central Line on Sunday "Are they deer or dogs? No idea but when I changed ends at WER today there was a whole car full of them. I love this city." There's more pictures on his blog.

It's not an isolated outbreak though. Lee Sankey said: "I was greeted by the following scene as I entered the last carriage on the Northern Line at Waterloo."


Like Aslefshrugged there's more pictures on Lee's post.

"How fantastic! Whoever you are, more please", Lee concluded.  Yep more please!

Update - They've also been spotted on the District Line last week by James Weaver aka @Liquid City




He said "No one seems to be amused by the balloon animals in the carriage. There is no pleasing some people." It pleases me & all the other people who RT'd the post on Twitter. If you've seen any more let me know. Cheers!

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 30, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Tube Strikes could escalate in the New Year

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Thankfully unions RMT & TSSA will not be recommending further walkouts this side of Christmas. However, strikes in the New Year could be for two or three days.


Tube Strike -- The Roundel Caged by C. G. P. Grey
RMT leader Bob Crow told a news conference "I will not be recommending any action this side of January 2, but come 2011 we will have to consider escalating strikes to more than one day." He also accused London Underground for misleading the public on the impact of today's strike.


Xmas cards on sale from RMT's website 
"If you believe what is on the TfL website then you believe in Father Christmas" he said. "They are using propaganda to mislead the public. They said Liverpool Street was open when it was closed and they said the Waterloo and City line was running when it wasn't."

Crow claims that TfL are running empty "ghost trains" as part of a "PR stunt". He added "Once again RMT and TSSA members have stood rock solid in this dispute over Tube safety. TfL and LU have been reduced to their usual well-rehearsed lies over services that they claim are running but it is pure fantasy and simply misleads Londoners. The capital is locked down this morning across the board."

TfL say that "The Northern line is running a service across the full length of the line, and the majority of the Victoria, Jubilee, District lines are also being served". How did you manage to get into work today? Did you see any empty "ghost trains"?

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, November 29, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Fourth Tube Strike on for 28th - 29th November

In spite of talks and the RMT & TSSA unions offering to suspend the industrial action, if London Underground agreed to a 12 week suspension of cuts, the next Tube strike remains on. Some services will stop from as early as 6.30pm on Sunday night, 28th November and then disruption is likely all day on Monday 29th November.


TfL's home page this morning has details, as before, of the services they expect to run.

TfL take to YouTube with a message about the Tube strikes

Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: 'London Underground has been ready and willing to discuss any safety concerns which the RMT and TSSA leaderships may have had since these proposals were announced at the start of March.

'We remain willing to discuss these at any time.

'The fact is that the TSSA and RMT leaderships are not facing reality, and are determined to inconvenience Londoners by striking over post reductions, many of which have already happened.'

There's no mention as to why they didn't accept the offer to suspend cuts for 12 weeks in return for "a thorough station-by-station safety evaluation to take place" in that period.

No doubt we'll hear more from Bob Crow on this in the coming days. But for now prepare for a more manic Monday than normal. Keep an eye on the sadly all to familiar strike page on TfL's site for your travel on Sunday evening & Monday.

Update - So yesterday London Underground offered to continue the review for a further six weeks (having been consulting for six months already) and the union leaders, said no and wanted 12. Howard Collins, Chief operating officer of LU said 'Despite this offer, the leaders of the TSSA and RMT have demonstrated once again that their only interest is in disrupting Londoners - despite the fact that over half of the post reductions have already been achieved through voluntary redundancy and natural wastage.

'If they are serious about resolving this issue, they should call off their totally unnecessary strike immediately.  We will talk to them right now on any genuine safety issues they have.

'We want an end to this dispute and believe that a resolution will be only achieved through talks, not by further threats to disrupt London.'

PS - Adam Bienkov looks at Boris's No Strike Deal election pledge, which now makes excellent reading. London Assembly member Val Shawcross shares the same view "I have leaflets Boris Johnson handed out when he was trying to get elected two years ago saying he had a plan to end strikes once and for all but it seems things are just getting worse. He needs to end his stubborn, childish attitude of not talking to the unions, get around the table and sort this out".

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Friday, November 26, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Olympics chiefs say avoid Tube

The Olympic Delivery Authority yesterday urged commuters to avoid the London Underground during the 2012 Olympics. They anticipate an extra 20  million journeys on public transport, with trips expected to be 6.5 million on the busiest day (that's almost double the normal amount)

Image by Jon Justice

They warn of delays of up to one hour on key Tube routes. The Central and Jubilee lines will be worst hit as these are will used to take spectators eastwards to the Olympic Park in Stratford.

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "There will be inevitable pressures on the transport system and it is crucial that all companies are aware of any impact on their own firm. Affected businesses will need to think ahead and should start considering plans as early as possible.

"This might include implementing travel plans or flexible working for employees, reducing non-essential journeys and making adjustments to delivery schedules to ensure they can remain open for business as normal."  (possible solutions for employers to help "staff understand the transport challenges they will face" outlined here)

They've also launched a "Travel Hotspots" map which shows how bad areas will get. It's not just limited to areas directly around the venues and includes "areas around major interchange stations, such as King’s Cross St. Pancras, London Bridge and Bank, and routes that link central London with venues."


Hotspots in the central London - pink dots show public transport hotspots

Each map has a section outlined in bold pink lettering "The following summarises what is currently predicted to happen without action by businesses to reduce the number of journeys."

What about the amazing travel plan that the same Olympic Delivery Authority announced in 2007 to cope with the extra people?   It says:

"The implementation of the Transport Plan will ensure that increased demand for transport services during the Games has a minimal impact on existing transport networks and commuters’ regular journeys within London. It will also ensure that spectators can easily get to and from London from across the UK, and to competition venues that are located outside of London, such as the venues for the Football competition."

"As part of the transport strategy, an Olympic Transport Operations Centre (OTOC) will be established to manage all modes of transport for the Games Family, spectators, workforce, and for all those travelling for reasons unconnected with the Games. This will help Transport for London, other transport operators, the police, local authorities and those running the Games to keep London and the UK moving."

Surely managing all modes of transport - means more than telling people to not use it and getting companies to make staff work from home? Why is it up to businesses to resolve the anticipated problems?  I know  it's early days, but yesterday's announcement sounds like the ODA are already giving up!

Related post:

Can the Tube cope with the Olympics?

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Thursday, November 25, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Interview with Christopher Fowler - Tube crime & horror writer

After last week's launch of The End of the Line - collection of subway themed horror short stories, I got in touch with one of the authors - Christopher Fowler. He very kindly answered a bunch of questions about his writing and fascination with the London Underground, which features strongly in his novels, short stories and even on his blog!

You've obviously carried out tons of research about the history of London Underground & its secrets for Off the Rails. Do any real hidden stations appear in the story?
A few but not as many as I'd have liked - I tend to get carried away with research and had to stop somewhere..

Your story in 'End Of The Line' is the final one. According to an Amazon reviewer "it explores the ghosts of some major events that have happened in the history of London's Tube up the recent past.  It once again shows Fowler as a writer in tune with the spirit of this great city". Why do you think we're all so fascinated with London and the Tube's past?

It's an atmospheric city with constantly changing moods. Sometimes I think I'd like to live in a sunny country again, but after a while it's so boring. I miss 'cafe society' though, and the winter months are a killer. And there are lots of great stories about the Tube - I like two in 'Bryant & May Off The Rails' especially - the one about the walking sticks and the wood chips used to deaden the tracks under the law Courts, the fact that the magic shop is still there in the old Trafalgar Square Station tunnel (I visited it a few weeks ago) and Bumper Harris of course.

What is or was the scariest place on the London Underground for you?
This is a funny thing. I'm genuinely not scared in the underground. I feel safe and happy down there, which I know will horrify any country people up for the day. But the old narrow station platform at Angel which used to have a train on either side used to bother me a little when it was very crowded - it felt like walking a tightrope.

Do you have a favourite Tube station - if so what is it? (I hate it when people ask me this!!!)
I'm rather fond of Aldwych (sadly shut now). I like Mornington Crescent, and any other station that still has its tiles. I like Farringdon for some odd reason, coming out into the night there, and lots going on in an old-fashioned part of London. I hate the crummy makeover Tottenham Court Road was given in the 80s, with all the coloured tiles that were falling out even before it was finished. A shoddy, ugly bit of cosmetic improvement designed to cover up the collapsing infrastructure.


You live in King's Cross and right from the start the station is the focus of a lot of the action in Off the Rails - what do you most like and most dislike about the station there?
At the moment the constant shifting of the ticket hall and tunnels is driving me nuts. I know the work has to be done, but if you make a wrong turn you can walk for literally 20 minutes. I use the 'Tube Pro' app on my phone to find the nearest exits but it can't keep pace with the changes there. I love the night kiosk outside, though, as you can get your Sunday papers on a Saturday night from 10pm onwards.

Your detectives Bryant and May have an office above Mornington Crescent Tube station - did you consider any other London Underground homes for them?
Yes, the one on York Way which is now a TfL contract cleaning company's headquarters. Those nice maroon tiles!


There's a story about two people carrying a tired looking woman on the London Underground. She was propped up between them on seats for a number of stops and legend has it, she was dead and the guys were using the Tube to get rid of her body. What's your favourite urban legend about the Tube?
I like the one I put in the book about the ghost of the woman who can be seen in the tunnels at night, and of course 'Death Line', with its tale of workers trapped below ground who become cannibals. And the urban stories in the film 'Kontroll', about the Hungarian underground staff. There's the thing about fluffers having to sweep up flakes of human skin from the lines. And I have a great painting of a woman pushing a man under a train in the 1950s.

What's the strangest thing you've personally seen on the Tube?
A dozen pink rubber nurses (we get a lot of hen nights on the underground at KX) and the huge cross-London drinks party that took place the night Boris banned booze on the LU.


London is often described as another "character" in your novels. If you saw the Tube as a character how would you describe it & would you like to take it down the pub for a drink?
As a sooty, grimy character actor who could tell lots of scurrulous stories. I'd take it to the Salisbury for a beer.

Two of my favourite fantasy & crime authors have written novels featuring the Tube - Neil Gaiman (with Neverwhere) and Barbara Vine (with King Solomon's Carpet). Do you have any other writers of Tube fiction you'd recommend?
Geoff Ryman wrote a book called 253, with one page for every passenger on a tube train. And of course the anthology 'End Of The Line'.


Strangely enough, there have only been two horror films based on the Tube - Death Line and Creep - which is your favourite and why?
As mentioned, I love 'Kontroll' (Hungary) - that's the best one - and 'Subway' (France), also brilliant, but also 'An American Werewolf In London' and 'Death Line' is so fabulusly sleazy, and you can learn a lot about awful 70s fashion from it (mmm - afghan coats!) Another great one is 'Bulldog Jack', set in the 1930s, with Bulldog Drummond going down a circular tube staircase in a top hat, on a teatray!

It looks like Bryant and May will appear on TV in the future - if budget were no option, which actors do you think would best play them?
I'd like Timothy Dalton and Derek Jacobi.

You have a fantastic blog and lot of interaction with your readers through it, have any of your blog commentators directly influenced your writing or do you ever ask for their help when writing?
I often ask for help, ideas and criticism. Although I don't need to - they give it to me whether I want it or not! I've described the blog before as a cross between an erudite chat in a pub and a fight in a barn.

Speaking of blogs, I love the way that Bryant and May are elderly but live and work in a very contemporary London. Do you think they'd ever get a handle on Twitter or blogging?
I think John May would, but Arthur Bryant managed to almost collapse the internet when he tried. He damages all technology.


You have a play that's just come out the Phoenix Artist's Club, called Celebrity. Who's the most famous person you've seen on the Tube?
No Americans ever, but lots of great British actors from Michael Gambon to Alison Steadman, happily going to the theatre by tube.

You're clearly a bit of a Tube geek and you've very kindly referenced my blog a number of times on yours. Do you have any other favourite sites about the London Underground?
I like 'Abandoned Tubes', 'Sub-Urban', 'Tube Prune', 'GeoffTech', 'Subterranea Britannica' and 'Going Underground' among others...

Finally (and with apologies to Londonist who always ask this question of London bloggers) have you ever thrown up on the Tube?
No, but the morning after my very glamorous wedding I threw up in a litter bin on the Cally Road, the least attractive thing I've ever done!


Thanks so much to Christopher for taking the time to answer all of these questions. His blog is a great way to keep updated with his work (and lots of interesting stuff in general about London) and he's also on Twitter as @peculiar

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Wednesday, November 24, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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You know it's cold on the Tube when

..even the Help Points need jackets.


Perhaps if we get snow on the London Underground, in the coming weeks we might see trains parked in depots with covers over them!

However, let's hope TfL will be able to cope with the snow forecast this winter. TfL's weather section of their site (I was surprised they had one) predicts some snow for this Thursday. Last year London's buses were taken off the road and the Tube had a massively reduced service in early February due to the heavy snow.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 23, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Tube Train Cake

Discovered this lovely cake in the Flickr London Underground group. It's retirement cake made by Emma White from SheLovesCake.


Tube train cake by She Loves Cake
Emma said "This cake was actually made as a freebie for my Dad, Keith, who had worked for London Underground for over 40 years and who has recently retired. The cake was a surprise for him, and obviously it couldn't have been anything else but a Tube train! I even researched (as much as I could) the front design of the District line trains to make it accurate for him."


I bet he loved it! Thanks to Emma for letting me share the pictures and story with you.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Monday, November 22, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
Tweet http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2010/11/tube-train-cake.html

Union claims TfL lying over unmanned Tube stations

The RMT has accused TfL of "total lies" as a leaked document revealed a number of London Underground stations could be left unstaffed following staff job cuts plans. RMT leader Bob Crow said: "The management claim that they have no plans for unstaffed stations as a result of the cuts is a total lie..... They have repeatedly told the public that they have no plans to run unstaffed stations and yet this communications report shows that that is exactly what they are planning for."

TfL admitted the document existed but denied lying and said stations would only be unmanned on "rare occasions".


Here's the offending part of the leaked document "There are a number of stations across the network which is (sic) left unstaffed from time to time. Where this is the case without LLPA ("long line PA" system) there is no audible means of providing service disruption information to customers on platforms. With the OSP (station staff job cuts programme) and future station staffing changes it may become more of an issue at more locations more frequently."

As you know members of the RMT and TSSA have staged three 24-hour strikes in the last two months over plans to cut ticket office jobs. The next Tube strike is planned for 28th and 29th November. This current document leak obviously isn't going to help talks to stop the strike.

Bob Crow said "With just over a week before the next phase of strike action on the tube by TSSA and RMT members the time has now come for London Underground/TfL to pull back from these cuts plans, which would have a disastrous impact on tube safety and services, and to start talking with the unions about a long-term, secure future for the Underground network."

TfL said "London Underground has staff at all stations and staff rostered for shifts covering all hours that a station operates. This will not change.

"On rare occasions, at small above-ground stations, when staff are not available for short periods due to sickness or other unplanned circumstances, a station maybe left unstaffed temporarily while another member of staff is found. This is preferable to closing the station and causing inconvenience to passengers."

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Thursday, November 18, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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Typographic Tube Map

Another day, another London Underground Map mash up. I noticed a map behind the speakers at Foyles' launch of The End of the Line tube horror story anthology and initially thought is was just a normal map. Zooming in on some of the pictures I took during the talks, I realised the names weren't Tube stations. Although Gloucester Old Style, Bank Gothic, Caledonia and Kindersley Street sound like they'd make good station names.


It's a lovely Typographic Tube Map by Eiichi Kono. Kono was commissioned by London Underground in 1979 to develop a new version of Edward Johnston's classic type. His version, New Johnston, is still in use today. Eiichi's typographic Tube map shows all* of the stations replaced with typeface and font names. (*Updated - oops - two are missing as West Hampstead Life notes).

Eiichi was from Japan and came to study graphic design in London in the early seventies. Of Johnston's original font he said "This elegant display type became known as the first humanistic sans serif, in direct contrast to the ubiquitous, over-weight, heavy-handed, tortured-looking Victorian grotesque sans. With ‘Johnston Sans’ and the Roundel symbol, London Transport’s corporate identity had achieved world fame by the 1930's."

You can see a larger version of Eiichi's map here. However, the whole thing is on display in Foyles Gallery (Charing Cross Road branch) until 19th November.


Kono-web by eyemagazine
It's part of a collection of typographic posters to coincide with the launch of Just My Type, a book of ‘stories about fonts’ by writer Simon Garfield. More information and images from Eye Magazine's blog post.

You might also like:

Where do Tube font designers go for inspiration
Underground Film Map
Daily Mail as a Tube Map

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The End of the Line - Subway horror story anthology

Last night I went to the launch of a collection of short chilling stories set on the London Underground and other subway systems around the world - The End of the Line.


The anthology's editor, Jonathan Oliver, felt that the Underground was a fertile place for Gothic and horror and wanted to rectify what he thought was a lack of stories that covered the darker side of subways. So he commissioned some of his favourite horror writers to create new short stories based in and around the Underground. Initially he was worried that he'd get the same story twenty times, but was pleased this didn't happen. Probably because the focus wasn't solely the London Underground (although I believe the majority of the stories do cover the Tube).

When the guest panellists were asked what it was about subway systems that inspired them to write, they gave the following responses:


Adam Nevill felt the underground reflected a collection of fears, anxieties and frustrations, essential to good horror stories, but put them on a much simpler, everyday level. He said "It's a pressure cooker of discomfort that brings out the worst in people – lack of consideration, invasion of privacy".

Pat Cadigan believed what made the underground potentially scary was the feeling of "premature burial. Also on less packed trains, I become a magnet for crazy people", she said. "It's a fertile ground for horror".

Of the three, Christopher Fowler, was the only one who didn't naturally feel the frustration & anxiety on the Tube. He found it quite familiar and comforting as he used it to go to school.

We didn't learn too much about each of the writers' stories, but there was enough to whet the appetite. Adam's was based on a real experience he had on the Tube. "It was one of those days. A momentum of clusterfucks, that are quite common on the London Underground – delay after delay. I just wanted to get out of the station, but it was so packed with people not knowing what to do, I couldn't make my way out. I got the inspiration for a story where everyone was zombified, dead or slightly inanimate, but the announcements about delays continued one after the other".

Pat was originally going to write a story based on a TV drama she'd seen, where a man was trapped by a subway train, and it was only the train on his body that was keeping him alive. The minute it was moved he would die. She did some research on the internet, to see if something like that could really happen, but urban legend sites like Snopes, debunked the story.

So she had another idea in that somehow you could travel from one subway system to another. She liked the thought that there were parallel systems joined together, all running on the same tracks. (That reminded me of Mark Ovenden's subway system of the world map below).


Christopher had studied the London Underground a lot for his previous novels. You may of heard of his fictional detectives Bryant and May who most recently had to solve a mysterious murder on the Tube in "Off The Rails". He'd heard stories about the 'Blitz spirit' on the Tube, when during the war, other disasters & terrorist attacks. He'd always thought it was slightly cliched or 'over egged' until he experienced it himself how people behaved around the July the 7th bombings. "There was an orderly calm. I suppose that's why my story is at the end of the collection. It's kind of like a closure".


The authors also spoke of the horror films about the Tube which they enjoyed (or didn't) including Death Line, Creep, Kontroll, American Werewolf in London and surprisingly Sliding Doors "That so should have been a horror film", said Pat.

Thanks to Foyles for hosting the event and I'll certainly give a review of The End of the Line when I've had the chance to read it. It sounds like a great addition to the London Underground fiction on my bookshelf.

You might also like:

Neverwhere & Neil Gaiman

Meeting Julian Barnes - author of Metroland

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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New Tube stations planned with new Battersea Power Station

Last week a proposal to revamp Battersea Power Station was given approval by Wandsworth Council. Two new London Underground stations were also part of the package. Planning application Committee Chairman, Councillor Nick Cuff said: "The two Northern Line stations will spur on the regeneration of Nine Elms and bring a huge economic windfall to this part of south London."


From Stefen Cz's post on Albert Square and Saint Stephen's Association blog
A couple of years ago, I went along to a walking tour Battersea Power Station and at the time only one new station was proposed.




The estimate for building completion, at the time, was 2015 and the proposed extension would carry 24,000 people per hour, with a journey time of around 11 minutes to Bank and Leicester Square.

Further information from Battersea Power Station's September factsheet said "The NLE (Northern Line Extension) is currently proposed to be delivered in two phases, with the first phase to tunnel from Kennington to Battersea and creation of the new Battersea station, for an estimated cost of around £400m. The construction of the mid station at Nine Elms is planned to be the second phase, for an estimated cost of around £160m." However last week's pledge from Treasury Holdings put around £203 million towards the extension of the Northern Line (via Build.co.uk).

So where's the other £357 million (or whatever is actually needed) going to come from? At time of writing there's nothing from TfL or the Mayor to confirm any spend on a Northern Line extension, but it's probably too early to expect that.

As Nick Cuff said "There is still a great deal of work to be done but this is an important step forward". Watch this space for further news.

London Underground; Tube Posted by annie mole Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Permalink COMMENT HERE
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