@@brigidsingleton1596 You're right but no need to give our friend a lesson in manners by your usage of Quote Marks. You mock his use of "amazing" and "inform" him that it is "polite" all in the same line. I wonder if you can take mild admonishment,as well as give it:)
@@Isleofskye I forget what I said but if I used quotation marks it was intended only as a repeat of a word used by the person of whom I was speaking, rather than as a form of mockery of the word spoken. If you read it another way to how I intended it, that is your 'problem' (or 'issue') rather than mine. Any misreading of intention is not my concern.
I was in London for over a week very recently and the tube trains, platforms and the stations are all spotless. I barely saw one piece of litter the whole time, using the tube every day and travelling all over London. That's impressive.
We had a terrible fire at Kings Cross station in 1987, 31 people died, cigarette went into rubbish and some of escalators were still woodern, they carried the fire! Cigarettes are banned all over now and I think its a sacking offence for any pile of rubbish. 31 people died beacuae people are idiots.
Yes, I remember the booking hall there as it used to be, and in the immediate aftermath pf the fire. One poor chap was recorded on the memorial plaque there as "an unidentified man," his identity was subsequently establish many years later, and the plaque was amended accordingly..
This made me so nostalgic for the years I lived in London. Who knew it was possible to miss going on the Tube? I never even visit London now because I can't walk far, which makes me sad. I was pleased to see how spotlessly clean it is everywhere. Wonderful.
Funny what you say Sue. I was born in W5 , left London in the 80s and had so little time for it, couldn't get away quick enough. 40 years later, I watch tube videos and mudlarking on the Thames vids and I feel I've missed SO much.
This made me very nostalgic too. I lived in London for nearly ten years and this video brought back many fond memories. Like you I was struck by how spotlessly clean everywhere looked and delighted to see London so spick and span.
I presume you realise the Metropolitan / Circle / H&C line you travelled on between Farringdon and Paddington is the oldest Underground railway in the world, dating from 1863. The platforns at Baker St have been restored to as near to original as possible.
Your rat comment reminded me about when |I was at a station with my kids and we were watching dozens of mice scurrying round the track at the tunnel entrance. The station announcer must have seen us on CCTV. An announcement came over saying "please keep away from the platform edge, if you want to watch wildlife, go to London zoo".
Unfortunately, I heard about an incident a little while back in which a tourist was so fascinated by the "clockwork toys" scrambling around down below that she didn't hear the train approaching and got hit badly on the side of the head.
@@NathansWargames So true. Also the delays the London Tube gets is really stressful to say the least, whilst in Japan, delays are hardly ever heard of. I mean the Japanese moan when their train or bus is 30 seconds late.
Unfortunately, there was the fire at King’s Cross, which was caused by a cigarette being dropped on rubbish under a wooden escalator. I believe 31 people died there,and this led to a smoking ban over the entire British transport network.
@@raystewart3648 acknowledge tube delays can be stressful but tbf, notwithstanding strikes, that sadly really mar the service, the level of services is very frequent. Victoria line trains now run every 100 seconds (apparently the second most frequent network in the world after the Moscow metro.
As a Londoner, I would definitely have taken the Jubilee to Baker Street and then a few stops on the Bakerloo. Cross platform interchange - much easier. 😊
In December 2019, I was in NYC for a few days ( I am from London) I stayed near Bed-Stuy and extensively used the subway, traveling to places like Times Square and the Bronx. Personally, I found the NYC metro to be one of the most frustrating, confusing, and run-down metro systems I've ever used! Interestingly, while in Times Square, I bumped into Andy Byford, a Londoner who was then the president of the NYC Transit Authority and a former head of the London Underground. I candidly told him how 'crap' I found the NYC metro, mentioning the difficulty in navigating it, the rats, the lack of guards at stations, and the number of people 'skipping' turnstiles without paying. I told him straight that it was about 'a decade' behind London. He shared a list of challenges he was facing, and I genuinely sympathised with him. About a month later, I heard on the NYC news that he resigned!
Over 30 years since I was in London and I loved it. I even loved the unique smell that resulted from the tube trains rushing into the stations. Despite the fact that the trains were electric, there was a hint of smoke in that air, redolent of times past, an era long gone.
@Mary-mr4jr You are literally breathing in toxic particulate matter in the form of brake dust, particularly on the deep tube lines, made up of iron filings and graphite.
Lovely to see the Northern Line in operation. I joined the Underground in 1995 and worked there for 27 years before being medically retired. I was based at Golders Green and drove the trains there until moving on to the Metropolitan Line for the last four years of my career. Rats: you won’t see many rats on the deep level tube....that’s ruled by the mice! 🤪 Genetically, the mice are localised to a particular Station, with no cross breeding going on....and if you wash them, you’ll find that they’re all white....🤪😂😂 Circle, H&C, District and Met all run the same Stock....S Stock. It was a nice train to operate, a proper sized train but I enjoyed my days in the tunnels of the Northern Line....there’s something about deep level tube that you can’t quite beat. Anyhow, nice bit of film work and thank you! ❤️
@@dianastevenson131 You’re absolutely welcome, my dear but thank you for taking the time out and saying it ❤️ As a general rule of thumb, it was always an enjoyable job. Like many jobs though, it’s the people that make it and that includes the passengers, who were, in their way, another level of Staff who you worked with...since increased levels of automation crept in though, it lost something about it....it wasn’t the same and it became a bit worrisome, increasing age didn’t help either! 😬🤪😂 Keep well and Happy Christmas to you...it’ll soon be here! 😘
Wow the London Tube seems to be Running pretty good still good to see. I am glad you Realize in time that you were on the wrong train and was able to correct yourself. Thanks again for another great video AK.
I remember as a kid visiting my grandparents every Easter we would travel into Central London from Upminster on the District Line. This was in the 50’s and early 60’s and people smoked on the tube and there were cigarette buts all over the floor of the carriages. All the stations and particularly the surface rail stations were filthy. I worked in the City for 13 years from 1990 - 2003. This footage takes me back to that time. It’s good to see that despite all the negativity post Brexit that some British institutions function today as well if not better than ever.
Love the London tube system. Born n raised in London, ever since I started my bachelors in econ at King's College London I've learnt the undergound system inside out
When I had my white cane training, we did a journey into London and I remember travelling on the Jubilee Line from Stratford to London Bridge and then changing to the Northern Line up to Moorgate
The underground system looks much cleaner, compared to the NYC subway system 😊😊 London looks fast paced but people look more relaxed going about their lives 😊😊
Because we have 28 days of holiday (even before we are hired), FREE Health Care and our Cops or just random people do not shoot us dead in the streets. That's why we are more relaxed than say those in NYC and elsewhere in the US.
The colour of the handrails tells you which line you are on. e.g. Yellow for the circle line , Red for the central line , brown for the Bakerloo , blue for the piccadilly etc. The colours match the lines colour on the tube map.
Not quite true, since the Circle, Metropolitan, District and Hammersmith and city lines share a lot of the same track and have the same rolling stock that is most definitely shared among all off them, they all have yellow hand rails.
I have Subscribed and thanks for this Vlog about my wonderful Home Town for my 69 years. The Tube has always been superb and I don't ever remember waiting, for even,10 minutes for a train:)
great vid. your camera work is superb. unlike many vids where the person jerks the camera around so you never get to see much of interest, you just let the camera rest and move with you. on all 4 trips to london, one of my greatest pleasures was traveling on the tube. b/c of the multiplicity of lines, if one was out of service, all you had to do was look at one of the huge london underground maps to find one--or more alternatives.
You did a really great job capturing the feel of the Underground. I covered almost an identical journey yesterday and am a bit surprised at myself doing it again this morning, vicariously on your Oyster!
One thing about the more central stations is because of the nature of them being built so close together with multiple lines converging, and also various basement levels of large buildings (like the Bank of England especially) and other tunnels for sewers and electrical infrastructure, the result is a complex squiggle of connecting tunnels to get under or over the various lines to arrive at the right platform. Some of the more modern stations that had enough space managed to fix this, but in stations like Bank or Moorgate there's little space for any expansion or changing the layout. One benefit of the longer routes and complex tunnels is it does tend to spread out the flow of passengers, since some walk fast and some walk slow, so there's less of a wave each time a train arrives since they filter out into a stream on the way to the next platform or exit. I always like visiting London, I don't think I'd want to live there but being less than an hour away by train it makes for a fun place to visit and I can appreciate the Tube more than if I saw it every day and got bored of it.
Welshman living in S.E Asia now, but used to work in The Smoke, back in the 80s (I was a cameraman). Love how you captured the feel and atmosphere of the Tube. I was looking out for celebrities lol, always could spot Somebody famous every time you use the tube lol.
2:11 I like the escalator etiquette in London, and I've experienced the same in Japan and Korea. 👍 14:08 Oops, wrong train but I'm glad you noticed in time to get onto the right train. 😅😃 The Tube is clean and runs efficiently. Thank you for sharing this informative Tube ride, AK! 🤗
The problem with London escalator Etiquette is when you visit any other UK city that doesn't follow this rule you're fuming at how backwards everyone is haha. London has spoiled me.
You could have taken Thameslink from platform 6 at London Bridge which would cross over the Thames on a bridge at Blackfriars. Change at Farringdon onto the Elizabeth Line to Paddington. If you ride at the rear of the Thameslink train you will be close to the way down to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon, and the interchange there is better than the one at Moorgate.
I rode the Underground November 2023 when I went for my birthday. The seats aren't designed for plus size people. I can't wait to go back to London. It's a breathe of fresh air from New York.
You did well to change at Farringdon, because at Baker Street you would have had to change platforms. This from my going home on Metropolitan line when I lived in London 45 years ago.
Ive seen the occasional mouse on the tracks. I've never seen a rat on the tube. I would recommend you look at the overhead info boards though they tell you what train is coming and when its coming, which is never more than a few minutes
I only recall seeing one rat, which popped its head through a drainage pipe under a platform at Barking Station, at least five years ago, probably longer. They say there are pigeons that have trained themselves to use the network, regularly getting on and off trains at stations that suit them.
Bakerloo line trains are from 1972 and the oldest trains in Britain in ordinary use. They are due for replacement but Piccadilly Line trains have jumped the queue.
Its fascinating to see how much quicker things operate on the Tube, compared to most other UK trains - the station staff announce the train is ready to depart, the doors close immediately and the train sets off as soon as they are closed. Elsewhere (especially on Northern Rail), there is a warning sound that the door is about to close, but nothing happens for a few seconds, then the doors do close, but then nothing happens for anything up to 10 secs, - the guard eventually gives the Right Away, and sometime after that the train moves off! This all takes around 30 secs (and its even slower when you arrive at a station), whilst on the Tube the whole process is done in under 2 secs!
the one thing tht nyc has over the tube is that nyc has automatic platform extenders so that when you get out there is no gap. gaps are more cmmon un london , since for ggraphc and historical reasons, tube latforms are more likely curved and hence has gaps.
The Circle Line used to operate as a full circle in both directions, but it is now (since about 2010, I think) considered to be operationally more convenient to run it as an "a on its side"-shaped spiral line, running also on the Paddington to Hammersmith branch of the Hammersmith and City Line.
Hi friend. No underground line goes over the Thames, except way out in the suburbs. There is an above ground station near where you were at Blackfriars which spans over the entire width of the river, so the platforms being suspended across the river make for a great view to which I take my tourist friends, even though we may not be taking a train. There are numerous different ways of crossing the Thames, including cable car.
I traveled by the London Underground from 1984 to 1988. At that time, there were no yellow lines, no fare gates, very skilled ticket checkers used to check tickets; seats were not so comfortable and trains were not colorful. But I see gaps are still there. Back then there were no mobile/cell phones, no Face book; passengers used to read tabloids or paperbacks. I loved the Tube. Thanks for the video.
The underground first opened on the 10 th January 1863. But some stations are older than that , the Harrow and whetstone station on the Bakerloo line was built in 1837 . JH
One thing to remember about using the Underground at Paddington. It’s effectively two separate stations! The Circle and Hammersmith and City lines stop next to and cross over the far end of the lines from the National Rail platforms, a decent walk from the main station lobby. That’s where the Bakerloo Line station is. There’s no direct link between them without leaving the Underground network. So if you change there, you have to tap out of the one, and tap back into the other. Actually, two things. If you value your sanity, find walking or lots of stairs difficult, or are in a hurry, never, ever, ever change lines at Monument/Bank!!!! The District and Circle lines are ‘Monument’, the Waterloo & City, Northern, and Central lines are ‘Bank’. On the map, you get the impression it’s one station. It’s actually two, joined by an in network underground walkway. And you can change lines without leaving the network and having to tap out then back in, as though it was a regular interchange station. You could walk all the way across a smallish town in less time; the walkway is narrow, twisting, and constantly up and down steps, and gets fiendishly warm. One of the tube’s little peccadilloes! The Circle line isn’t confusing at all. It used to be a spurless circular line, but it was eventually learned that it’d be a whole lot more efficient and reliable WITH the spur to Hammersmith. It also increased the frequency of trains to Hammersmith (actually that reminds me - three things to remember! I’ll come back to number three). The key to working it out is Edgware Road station (oops, four things!). The Circle line starts and stops there and Hammersmith. Anti-clockwise trains start at Edgware Road - they show ‘Circle Line via High St Kensington or Victoria’ on their destination screens. The travel all the way around anti-clockwise and DO eventually get back to the same platforms at Edgware Road that they started from, but then are switched to the line to Hammersmith, where they terminate. At some point after Victoria, their destination screens will show ‘Circle Line via Baker Street’, then just Hammersmith. Clockwise, they start at Hammersmith, and do call at Edgware Road, but as an ordinary stop.They’ll be showing ‘Circle Line via Baker Street’. From Edgware Road they go all the way round until they end up back at Edgware Road, where they terminate. Along the way they’ll show ‘Circle Line via (next main clockwise stop). Once past Victoria, they’ll just show ‘Edgware Road’. From there, they go back on themselves, forming the return anti-clockwise service to Hammersmith. Third point - Hammersmith station, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, is a separate station to Hammersmith, District and Piccadilly lines. They’re across the road from each other, and you have to leave the network to change lines. Fourth point - Edgware Road station, Bakerloo Line, is a completely different station to Edgware Road, Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines. The former is further north up Edgware Road, near Star Street. The latter is not in Edgware Road at all, but nearly 100m along Chapel Street across the junction from Praed Street.
There is plenty of information provided for a passenger to not think that Circle line trains just go round and round 'in circles'. The Tube map indicates that there is an internal interchange, denoted by a dumbbell, between Circle line trains to Edgware Road and those from it. At least once between every two stations, there is an announcement saying 'This is a Circle line train to Hammersmith'. The scrolling text in the carriages regularly says the same. He was paying no attention to the scrolling text in this video either given that at 12:55 it said 'This is an all stations Metropolitan line train to Uxbridge' and yet shortly afterwards he said 'I'll guess we'll find out which one this is'. And if the train that took him to Royal Oak was one that he had waited for, he will then have been able to see 'Hammersmith' on the platform's train describer, on the train's front and on the carriage sides.
Also, another point to add to this, Edgeware Road is not related whatsoever to Edgeware - Edgeware Road is a predominantly wealthy Arabic area and you will find lots of good Middle Eastern restaurants; whereas Edgeware is an area in Northern London (on Northern line) predominantly a Jewish (but also Muslim) area, where you will also find some nice kosher cafes and confectionery shops!
I 100% agree the change between Monument and Bank has to be the most misleading and forced interchanged in a station. The walk is so awful. I always just end up tapping out at Bank and walk to Monument above ground and I’m not charged extra as on 90% of my days I use the tube I’ve already reached the Zones 1-2 daily cap. So it doesn’t hurt to tap out and tap in again. Plus I enjoy a nice (rather short) walk in the city 😅
@@tahiracottam5 Actually, Edgware Road goes all the way to Edgware. It does turn into the A5 along the way, but it's the same road that eventually ends in Edgware. It was part of the Roman road Watling Street.
I love these clips as I am taking a trip without leaving the house. But at the same time building up an appetite to visit London, but too worried about how to get about...I simply bring up a map and then follow every step so that when we do get to visit I will be a pro! Thanks for your clips love every journey...did note that not many people talk and is so different to Australia. Aussie trains easy as...
@@Isleofskye That said I actually watched a video of what not to do...that was the very thing they said not to do. So will be doing what the locals do. Thanks for the reply and heads up.
Fifty plus years ago I used to take parties of Cub Scouts (just Cubs in those days) to see the London sights. About 30 boys between 8 and 11 years old all the way from rural Norfolk, by train, using the underground to get about. We never lost any, although once a boy failed to get off with the rest at a station. Thankfully he remembered the instructions that had been drilled into them, and got off at the next one, and waited to be collected. Would I do it now? NO WAY!
The Circle line used to be a continuous loop. Years ago when I had a pager, I could go for a ride on the Circle line for about an hour to catch up on paperwork without fear of being paged, because the pager didn't work underground. It's a great shame it's not a 'circle' any more.
@18:44 For anyone interested, King's Cross-St Pancras underground station serves two mainline stations. Harry Potter fans might choose to visit King's Cross station, where the Hogwarts Express supposedly left from, and which features a mock-up of Platform 9¾ for a photo opportunity. The announcer mentioned "international services", which referred to the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and connecting services to the rest of the continent. The Harry Potter films used St Pancras for exterior shots as it's considered more photogenic.
The oldest stock on the Tube are on the Picadilly line, due to be replaced in 2025 with new trains from Siemens. Getting AC to work on the deep level tube is a major challenge, where does the heat generated go & where can you fit the equipment on an already cramped structure?
You can take the Jubilee line. In fact it is the fastest way. Take Jubilee line to Baker St. Now swap to Bakerloo line to Paddington. What is brilliant is when swapping at Baker St, there are no stairs to take. Jubilee to Bakerloo is a close horizontal distance
You may be interested in a film called 'Metroland' by the poet John Betjeman which explores the expansion of London to the north and west as a result of the establishment of Metropolitan and other lines.
Paddington was also my home base when I was in London last - someone told me you could follow the river walking path from paddington and walk all the way to Camden market, that's what I'm gonna have to try next time
@@kellyk5946 Last 2 times I was in London, my hotel was literally about 100yds from Paddington Basin! Funny thing, I used to walk to Paddington Station for the tube (and the beautiful station) until I met friends at Edgware Rd and realized how much closer it was to the hotel🤦♂️.
There are plenty of journey planners on the internet to get to and from destinations, I find that helps me a lot when I travel from the north of England. Travelling in non peak times is much cheaper and easier to get about as often platforms and trains are often pretty full.
The only tube line that crosses over the Thames is the District line in 2 places, both in west London. The spur to Wimbledon between Putney Bridge and East Putney stations and the spur to Richmond between Gunnersbury and Kew Gardens stations. All other crossings are subterranean. The Overground and rail aren't classed as tube but as others have suggested you can cross overhead on these modes.
There are many lines in london .. the Elizabeth line is modern fast and cool inside .. you can explore the whole city even suburbs using the tube , bus , etc don't need to drive around .
Until relatively recently the Circle line was just that, round and round in both directions. Because of the several junctions and other services it met on the way it was notoriously unreliable. So the decision was taken to start the trains from Edgware Road in an anticlockwise direction and, when they reached ER again, they carried on to Hammersmith rather than continuing the circle. I agree it is a bit confusing to still call it a Circle Line to Hammersmith.
The Metropolitan Circle District and Hammersmith/City are considered sub surface line and they do use the similar rolling stock called S stock. Circle District and Hammersmith/City are S7 stock because they are 7 cars long. Metropolitan line trains are the S8 stock because they have 8 cars. (Carriages as the Londoners call them). The difference between the S7 and S8 stock are that the S7 stock have bench(longitudinal) seating whereas the S8 stock has some transverse seating.
The subsurface lines are the oldest lines and used "cut and cover" in their construction. They weren't really tunnels but deep trenches which were subsequently covered over.@@ActionKid
The Circle line used to be a real circle, but if they got delayed they could never make the time up and the service would be badly affected. They tried running from Hammersmith then right round the circle and then going off as a Hammersmith & City to Barking, and the same on the way back. But there was also a need to incresse frequency on the Hammersmith section, so we ended up with today's confusing circle line.
The Bakerloo trains arw indeed th3 oldest on the Underground, currently 51 years old. There are no confirmed plans to replace them yet, although it is hoped to be able to.get finance to order some once the Piccadilly Line fleet has been renewed.
The Bakerloo line is one of the oldest lines, ie over 100 years old, hence it’s hot and noisy. People don’t realise how old the tube system is and why you often have to go up and down stairs to join another line. Please walk on the left. Thank you ❤
@@michaelwhite5255 Thanks for your reply, Michael. As a 70 year old Londoner(first 29 years just 2 miles from Central London on the South East side and then a 11 mile move in 1983 to this house on the very edge of S E London and Kent) I am always interested why we lose good people such as yourself. Was it the lure of Oz or disenchantment with London or England, please, Michael?
You began by riding in what used to be the longest tunnel in the world at 17 miles. The Circle Line was indeed a circle until 2009, when it was extended to run on the Metropolitan Line tracks to Hammersmith. Those two lines plus the District Line all have aircon and walk-through, and new tube trains will in the future. The Circle/Metropolitan track you rode was the world's first subway line, operated with steam engines back then. Baker Street Station looks at platform level much as it did in 1863. The door buttons haven't been used for decades and it's strange they are still there on new trains. Good that the doors are all opened by the driver for summer ventilation, maybe not so good in winter when above ground.
If the doors are open for any length of time, such as at the terminus, they will automatically close. That's why the buttons are still needed. Like you say - above ground at the end of the line in winter...
@@garybroadhurst3548 I'll take your word for it that they automatically close, although that has not been my experience when I regularly used a terminus near where I lived. The doors were always open. Interestingly, Geoff Marshall raised the very same question about why they still have the door buttons when he took a recent look at the new Piccadilly Line trains being tested in Germany.
As somebody who takes the Northern Line daily, I would have stayed on the northern until King’s Cross St Pancras , despite the longer walk at the interchange.
These underground / metro rides are interesting where ever they’ve been made 😎So many people , i didn’t saw so many people even in L A wow😯Thank you for sharing this informative and great metro ride A K🙂👍!!!
Use to commute for over 25 years by tube originally from S london - tube from Victoria or Charing cross. and then when i moved to the Kent coast from kings Cross St Pancras. This was all prior to covid and must say it looked quite quiet on the lines although you where travelling at the end of rush hour. Brings it all home and its weird to say I miss it - only slightly. Have to say in all my time I did see mice on the tracks not sure i saw a rat although ims sure there are some.
My first tube ride was in 1960 when I was a young girl of 15 and starting work. Finsbury Park to Goodge Street. It`s good to see that the tube is still going well, and with lots of modern additions. lol
The section you rode from Farringdon (was Farringdon Street) to Paddington (was Bishops Road) is the original !etropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 with steam haulage.
The section of line from Farringdon to Paddington ,was the first cut and cover line ,pulled by steam trains originally, Baker Street station, is 150 years old , only after the introduction of electric trains by the American Charles Tyson Yerkes did deep level trains tunneled through London clay, And enforced by metal line tunnels sections did the train become called the Tube ,
Where possible with the infrastructure, they try to prioritise 'cross-platform interchange' where they think many passengers will change trains. So, at Edgeware Road, that other Circle Line train you saw was the one heading anti-clockwise (sorry, counter-clockwise) round to Westminster. You just hop off one train and onto the other. Anyway, it's great to find out how people from abroad manage using our system. When I'm there I often see foreigners struggling to find their way around but I think it's pretty simple. Generally people in the UK are REALLY keen to help. I was once on an Underground train where two Brazilian tourists with limited English were asking directions. It seemed like nearly the whole carriage were trying to help - phones, maps and eventually someone who even spoke Portugese! It'd be nice if you gave more feedback on the pros and cons of how the Underground compares to the New York Subway.
The narrator commented on the 'bad design' of having to go down stairs only to go up again at Moorgate station but he probably didn't realise just how many tunnels of different types run beneath London's streets. That down & up again dip was almost certainly to pass under another tunnel. As for how hot & stifling some of the tunnels are, as I understand it, they are just too deep underground fot the installation of a/c or even just better ventilation to be possible.
Until a major fire at King's Cross with large loss of life, escalators were not made of metal, nor were the spaces under them cleaned. So until large numbers of people (hopefully including a CEO or so) stifle down there, air transfer will still be done by carrying it inside each train that passes through a station.
Many of the Tube and Underground (there's a difference in size as noted) lines follow the streets above ground and stations are built on curves that match. It related to ownership of the land and the streets were "public".
Remarkable how a video of such an ordinary journey can be so fascinating! I'd have probably used the Elizabeth line but it probably makes no difference.
My cousin is from England and always wanted to visit there! I always wanted to travel on different subway lines around Europe but unfortunately my mom is afraid of flying so maybe in the future I will! I just love their accents but also all of the musicians including my favorite Elton John, The Beatles and George Michael! Is this your first time riding the London subway? Hope you had a nice experience 😊
@MTAFan0585 can you get to New York? You can sail from there to Southampton, 70 miles west of London. But it takes 5 days and is really expensive! But if your mom really can't get over her fear of flying, this is the other way.
@@babyballerina2000 You are absolutely right. I wanted her to get on an airplane to Florida but, she’s afraid something might happen. I personally wanna travel to Europe one day to Italy, London, and Poland
The reason why some of the station have some odd designs, like going up and down. Its due to the original lines were built as private lines. So when all the private companies amalgamated into TFL. The hodgepodge of stations were already built.
If you want to see the River Thames from a train take the ThamesLink line. The platform at Blackfriars art on the bridge, with glass walls affording views along the river. Pricing within London is as for the Tube. Moorgate isn’t really on the Elizabeth Line you have to walk all the way to Farringdon.
The circle line at one time did go round in a big circle going clockwise and anti-clockwise, until some bright spark thought why don’t we make the Hammersmith and city line a part of the circle line which means as you said, you now have to get off at Edgware Road to continue your journey which is ridiculous because sometimes you then have to go up a flight of stairs if the train comes in on the wrong platform, it was so much better when the two lines were totally separate. The Hammersmith and city only ran from Barking in the east to Hammersmith in the west . But hey ho that much to simple 😃
Look at the map of the London Underground, discover by using it, that most of the system is not under the ground, but the inner city parts usually are, much like the New York subway system. London suburban areas are served by a complex set of 'underground', overground, bus lines, National Rail, the docklands light railway, and even a cablecar near the ExCel Centre. There used to be an integrated tram system as well, that sometimes went underground too.
Why is it called the Bakerloo line? A journalist coined the nickname Bakerloo in a newspaper column as a contraction of the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway, shortly after it opened in 1906, and it was quickly adopted by the company.
When I used to still live in London (early 80s) NOTHING made me laugh quite as much as a woman in a pencil skirt and hiiigh heels- trying to catch a train at Victoria.
Great video action kid enjoy London “ my local line is the central line zone 6 for the past 2 years after living my whole life in angel Islington zone 1 . My favourite line is the Hammersmith & city line “ when operating normal schedules “ there’s A/c on there and is brilliant in the summer mths regards Philip
Thank you so much for good video. Brought back so many memories when I lived and worked in central London years ago. All London Transport is brilliant. Alas, public transport in other parts of England very poor. I agree NYC metro awful. ❤
The stock on the District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines is identical. The Metropolitan trains are one coach longer and have a different seating arrangement.
Great video. Calmly done and following proper etiquette. Were you using a DJI pocket? Very good stabilisation. As an aside I remember when the circle line really was a circle, it stopped in 2009 apparently.
The Tube is the quickest way to get around London but if you want to see the interesting parts, the top deck of a London bus is best, although sometimes painfully slow. London is also eminently walkable and travelling on foot can sometimes be the best way.
The deep level tunnel tubes like the Northern line will eventually get air conditioning. It’s been a big problem in the past to install air conditioning but it will happen on all lines. Victoria live was my regular journey.
It's called the Circle Line because once upon a time it was a complete circle but in 2009 it was changed to serve Hammersmith & City route from Edgware Road to Hammersmith🧐
Lived and worked in London all of my life. Got to know what place to stand on a platform for exits and interchanges but you can dow download apps for this. However if I get to a station and trains are cancelled I can calculate faster than any app how to get home because people always forget the overground
Northern line gets hot in the summer and is noisy but the central line is like stepping into the depths of hell with wheels screaming around tight corners and lacking ventilation turning it into an oven
On behalf of TFL,I must apologize for you waiting 14 seconds for your first train and a further 16 seconds for your next train. The tube used to be so reliable.
Everyone is so polite and orderly. When mum and I are on the tube, someone always gives a seat up for her... she's in her 80s.
That’s amazing
@@ActionKid
It's not "amazing" !! It's the _polite_ thing to do.
@@brigidsingleton1596 You're right but no need to give our friend a lesson in manners by your usage of Quote Marks.
You mock his use of "amazing" and "inform" him that it is "polite" all in the same line.
I wonder if you can take mild admonishment,as well as give it:)
@@Isleofskye
I forget what I said but if I used quotation marks it was intended only as a repeat of a word used by the person of whom I was speaking, rather than as a form of mockery of the word spoken. If you read it another way to how I intended it, that is your 'problem' (or 'issue') rather than mine. Any misreading of intention is not my concern.
We were taught that in school you give up your seat to a lady or pregnant woman it’s just good manners
I was in London for over a week very recently and the tube trains, platforms and the stations are all spotless. I barely saw one piece of litter the whole time, using the tube every day and travelling all over London. That's impressive.
It's just common sense to keep things tidy, not rocket science.
We had a terrible fire at Kings Cross station in 1987, 31 people died, cigarette went into rubbish and some of escalators were still woodern, they carried the fire! Cigarettes are banned all over now and I think its a sacking offence for any pile of rubbish. 31 people died beacuae people are idiots.
@@LordHartley remember that like it was yesterday. I just got back from a school trip. When i got home i saw it on the news
Yes, I remember the booking hall there as it used to be, and in the immediate aftermath pf the fire. One poor chap was recorded on the memorial plaque there as "an unidentified man," his identity was subsequently establish many years later, and the plaque was amended accordingly..
I did not know that, that is good/bad closure on the incident @@ianmcclavin
It’s Amazingly civilized there, wow
This made me so nostalgic for the years I lived in London. Who knew it was possible to miss going on the Tube? I never even visit London now because I can't walk far, which makes me sad. I was pleased to see how spotlessly clean it is everywhere. Wonderful.
I am a 69-year-old Londoner and it is still wonderful. Good Luck:)
That’s transport for London!
Made me feel the same, and suddenly made me realise I just couldn't do it any more. sad!
Funny what you say Sue. I was born in W5 , left London in the 80s and had so little time for it, couldn't get away quick enough.
40 years later, I watch tube videos and mudlarking on the Thames vids and I feel I've missed SO much.
This made me very nostalgic too. I lived in London for nearly ten years and this video brought back many fond memories. Like you I was struck by how spotlessly clean everywhere looked and delighted to see London so spick and span.
I presume you realise the Metropolitan / Circle / H&C line you travelled on between Farringdon and Paddington is the oldest Underground railway in the world, dating from 1863. The platforns at Baker St have been restored to as near to original as possible.
My favourite station 100%
@@brianbell4937 yup. The metropolitan was the Very 1st. It's where the word "metro" comes from.
Your rat comment reminded me about when |I was at a station with my kids and we were watching dozens of mice scurrying round the track at the tunnel entrance. The station announcer must have seen us on CCTV. An announcement came over saying "please keep away from the platform edge, if you want to watch wildlife, go to London zoo".
Unfortunately, I heard about an incident a little while back in which a tourist was so fascinated by the "clockwork toys" scrambling around down below that she didn't hear the train approaching and got hit badly on the side of the head.
Lol❤
Shocking how clean the the Tube is these days, the stations, the platforms, the trains, the tunnels and more. NYC You have a long long long way to go.
you think the tube is clean here in the uk now head over to tokyo where you could probs do open heart surgery on the platforms lol
@@NathansWargames So true. Also the delays the London Tube gets is really stressful to say the least, whilst in Japan, delays are hardly ever heard of. I mean the Japanese moan when their train or bus is 30 seconds late.
Unfortunately, there was the fire at King’s Cross, which was caused by a cigarette being dropped on rubbish under a wooden escalator. I believe 31 people died there,and this led to a smoking ban over the entire British transport network.
@@raystewart3648 acknowledge tube delays can be stressful but tbf, notwithstanding strikes, that sadly really mar the service, the level of services is very frequent. Victoria line trains now run every 100 seconds (apparently the second most frequent network in the world after the Moscow metro.
As a Londoner, I would definitely have taken the Jubilee to Baker Street and then a few stops on the Bakerloo. Cross platform interchange - much easier. 😊
The one time I did this journey but in reverse, I took Crossrail to Liverpool Street and then the northern line from Moorgate
@@grassytramtracks I second that. Get o the Lizzie Line and journey time is halved.
Well yes. That's the correct route. I used to commute from Canada Water to Paddington every day.
Yes, Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines changing at Baker Street is definitely preferable.
I literally just said the same thing! Of course he got have got the wizz bang Elizabeth Line but the change is a faff at Moorgate.
The reason you go down and then up agin is to pass underneath another railway line. It's not confusing if you pay attention.
wow,i am very impressed with how clean, litter and graffiti free everything is! well done, London Underground.
Go to south london it's full of graffiti
In December 2019, I was in NYC for a few days ( I am from London) I stayed near Bed-Stuy and extensively used the subway, traveling to places like Times Square and the Bronx. Personally, I found the NYC metro to be one of the most frustrating, confusing, and run-down metro systems I've ever used! Interestingly, while in Times Square, I bumped into Andy Byford, a Londoner who was then the president of the NYC Transit Authority and a former head of the London Underground. I candidly told him how 'crap' I found the NYC metro, mentioning the difficulty in navigating it, the rats, the lack of guards at stations, and the number of people 'skipping' turnstiles without paying. I told him straight that it was about 'a decade' behind London. He shared a list of challenges he was facing, and I genuinely sympathised with him. About a month later, I heard on the NYC news that he resigned!
People are nicely dressed and seem very polite. And subway stations are clean. Impressive.
Over 30 years since I was in London and I loved it. I even loved the unique smell that resulted from the tube trains rushing into the stations. Despite the fact that the trains were electric, there was a hint of smoke in that air, redolent of times past, an era long gone.
I remember that warm air smell. So nostalgic.
That's breaking dust. Bon apetit.
@Mary-mr4jr You are literally breathing in toxic particulate matter in the form of brake dust, particularly on the deep tube lines, made up of iron filings and graphite.
Seems very efficient and Clean .
Lovely to see the Northern Line in operation. I joined the Underground in 1995 and worked there for 27 years before being medically retired. I was based at Golders Green and drove the trains there until moving on to the Metropolitan Line for the last four years of my career.
Rats: you won’t see many rats on the deep level tube....that’s ruled by the mice! 🤪 Genetically, the mice are localised to a particular Station, with no cross breeding going on....and if you wash them, you’ll find that they’re all white....🤪😂😂
Circle, H&C, District and Met all run the same Stock....S Stock. It was a nice train to operate, a proper sized train but I enjoyed my days in the tunnels of the Northern Line....there’s something about deep level tube that you can’t quite beat.
Anyhow, nice bit of film work and thank you! ❤️
Thanks you for driving the trains for all those years, keeping us all on the move around London!
@@dianastevenson131 You’re absolutely welcome, my dear but thank you for taking the time out and saying it ❤️
As a general rule of thumb, it was always an enjoyable job. Like many jobs though, it’s the people that make it and that includes the passengers, who were, in their way, another level of Staff who you worked with...since increased levels of automation crept in though, it lost something about it....it wasn’t the same and it became a bit worrisome, increasing age didn’t help either! 😬🤪😂
Keep well and Happy Christmas to you...it’ll soon be here! 😘
@@richardbaxter2057 Thank you - Happy Christmas to you too 🙂
@11.44 The reason why you have to go down then climb up when changing trains is that you are likely crossing over another tube line.
Wow the London Tube seems to be Running pretty good still good to see. I am glad you Realize in time that you were on the wrong train and was able to correct yourself. Thanks again for another great video AK.
I remember as a kid visiting my grandparents every Easter we would travel into Central London from Upminster on the District Line. This was in the 50’s and early 60’s and people smoked on the tube and there were cigarette buts all over the floor of the carriages. All the stations and particularly the surface rail stations were filthy.
I worked in the City for 13 years from 1990 - 2003. This footage takes me back to that time. It’s good to see that despite all the negativity post Brexit that some British institutions function today as well if not better than ever.
Smoking was banned on London transport services after the Moorgate escalator fire which cost 20+ lives
In England ...we walk on the left!
That's _Daisy Cooper_ from 'This Country' (11:33)
Love the London tube system. Born n raised in London, ever since I started my bachelors in econ at King's College London I've learnt the undergound system inside out
When I had my white cane training, we did a journey into London and I remember travelling on the Jubilee Line from Stratford to London Bridge and then changing to the Northern Line up to Moorgate
The underground system looks much cleaner, compared to the NYC subway system 😊😊 London looks fast paced but people look more relaxed going about their lives 😊😊
It really is much cleaner than the NYC Subway
I agree
you moved to london?????@@ActionKid
@@TD101n-xs3ld, no, he did not; he was _visiting_ there.
Because we have 28 days of holiday (even before we are hired), FREE Health Care and our Cops or just random people do not shoot us dead in the streets. That's why we are more relaxed than say those in NYC and elsewhere in the US.
The colour of the handrails tells you which line you are on. e.g. Yellow for the circle line , Red for the central line , brown for the Bakerloo , blue for the piccadilly etc. The colours match the lines colour on the tube map.
Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never noticed that - I must have a look next time!
Wtf ive lived here 6 years and never noticed that!
Not quite true, since the Circle, Metropolitan, District and Hammersmith and city lines share a lot of the same track and have the same rolling stock that is most definitely shared among all off them, they all have yellow hand rails.
Victoria line: you forgot about me? I too am blue
Yeah, piccadilly is dark blue while Victoria is light blue
@@HammerheadEagle-iThrust YEs, as I said it matches the colour from the Underground map.
I have Subscribed and thanks for this Vlog about my wonderful Home Town for my 69 years.
The Tube has always been superb and I don't ever remember waiting, for even,10 minutes for a train:)
@clarecorcoran8585 lol. That's Dads for you:)
great vid. your camera work is superb. unlike many vids where the person jerks the camera around so you never get to see much of interest, you just let the camera rest and move with you. on all 4 trips to london, one of my greatest pleasures was traveling on the tube. b/c of the multiplicity of lines, if one was out of service, all you had to do was look at one of the huge london underground maps to find one--or more alternatives.
You did a really great job capturing the feel of the Underground. I covered almost an identical journey yesterday and am a bit surprised at myself doing it again this morning, vicariously on your Oyster!
Oh, and I'm wondering how on earth this video appeared on my feed out of nowhere!!!!!
One thing about the more central stations is because of the nature of them being built so close together with multiple lines converging, and also various basement levels of large buildings (like the Bank of England especially) and other tunnels for sewers and electrical infrastructure, the result is a complex squiggle of connecting tunnels to get under or over the various lines to arrive at the right platform.
Some of the more modern stations that had enough space managed to fix this, but in stations like Bank or Moorgate there's little space for any expansion or changing the layout.
One benefit of the longer routes and complex tunnels is it does tend to spread out the flow of passengers, since some walk fast and some walk slow, so there's less of a wave each time a train arrives since they filter out into a stream on the way to the next platform or exit.
I always like visiting London, I don't think I'd want to live there but being less than an hour away by train it makes for a fun place to visit and I can appreciate the Tube more than if I saw it every day and got bored of it.
Welshman living in S.E Asia now, but used to work in The Smoke, back in the 80s (I was a cameraman). Love how you captured the feel and atmosphere of the Tube. I was looking out for celebrities lol, always could spot Somebody famous every time you use the tube lol.
On several occasions, a pigeon would hop onto my District Line train at Westminster and get off at Embankment.
Probably had business there.😂😂
2:11 I like the escalator etiquette in London, and I've experienced the same in Japan and Korea. 👍 14:08 Oops, wrong train but I'm glad you noticed in time to get onto the right train. 😅😃 The Tube is clean and runs efficiently. Thank you for sharing this informative Tube ride, AK! 🤗
You’re welcome! Glad I was able to catch the correct train after I realized my mistake
Is very easy to do so when 2 trains use the same track
The problem with London escalator Etiquette is when you visit any other UK city that doesn't follow this rule you're fuming at how backwards everyone is haha. London has spoiled me.
You could have taken Thameslink from platform 6 at London Bridge which would cross over the Thames on a bridge at Blackfriars. Change at Farringdon onto the Elizabeth Line to Paddington. If you ride at the rear of the Thameslink train you will be close to the way down to the Elizabeth Line at Farringdon, and the interchange there is better than the one at Moorgate.
That’s a great idea
Nice route, but slower.
Why am I watching someone riding the tube, when it is something I do nearly every day? 🤔
Same, I can even smell what he smelt and yet I can’t stop watching.
I rode the Underground November 2023 when I went for my birthday. The seats aren't designed for plus size people. I can't wait to go back to London. It's a breathe of fresh air from New York.
@@nativenewlondonerwhat does it smell like there ? Lol
@@SharlenesJourney it smells like escalator grease
@@mdhbh it does put plus size in America is another level
You did well to change at Farringdon, because at Baker Street you would have had to change platforms. This from my going home on Metropolitan line when I lived in London 45 years ago.
Ive seen the occasional mouse on the tracks. I've never seen a rat on the tube. I would recommend you look at the overhead info boards though they tell you what train is coming and when its coming, which is never more than a few minutes
I only recall seeing one rat, which popped its head through a drainage pipe under a platform at Barking Station, at least five years ago, probably longer. They say there are pigeons that have trained themselves to use the network, regularly getting on and off trains at stations that suit them.
The name Bakerloo originated soon after the line was built. The reason being the line connected Baker Street with the Waterloo Railway
Bakerloo line trains are from 1972 and the oldest trains in Britain in ordinary use. They are due for replacement but Piccadilly Line trains have jumped the queue.
Its fascinating to see how much quicker things operate on the Tube, compared to most other UK trains - the station staff announce the train is ready to depart, the doors close immediately and the train sets off as soon as they are closed. Elsewhere (especially on Northern Rail), there is a warning sound that the door is about to close, but nothing happens for a few seconds, then the doors do close, but then nothing happens for anything up to 10 secs, - the guard eventually gives the Right Away, and sometime after that the train moves off! This all takes around 30 secs (and its even slower when you arrive at a station), whilst on the Tube the whole process is done in under 2 secs!
An interesting thought, The Tube would really struggle with such a slow process.
Yeah well the North is defunded by London anyways
the one thing tht nyc has over the tube is that nyc has automatic platform extenders so that when you get out there is no gap. gaps are more cmmon un london , since for ggraphc and historical reasons, tube latforms are more likely curved and hence has gaps.
10:00 Aww, I remember that ramp on my way to work in the morning.
The Circle Line used to operate as a full circle in both directions, but it is now (since about 2010, I think) considered to be operationally more convenient to run it as an "a on its side"-shaped spiral line, running also on the Paddington to Hammersmith branch of the Hammersmith and City Line.
Hi friend.
No underground line goes over the Thames, except way out in the suburbs.
There is an above ground station near where you were at Blackfriars which spans over the entire width of the river, so the platforms being suspended across the river make for a great view to which I take my tourist friends, even though we may not be taking a train.
There are numerous different ways of crossing the Thames, including cable car.
Thanks so much for doing these videos, it feels like we are right there with you 😊 I love London ❤
I'm so glad!
I traveled by the London Underground from 1984 to 1988. At that time, there were no yellow lines, no fare gates, very skilled ticket checkers used to check tickets; seats were not so comfortable and trains were not colorful. But I see gaps are still there. Back then there were no mobile/cell phones, no Face book; passengers used to read tabloids or paperbacks. I loved the Tube. Thanks for the video.
The underground first opened on the 10 th January 1863. But some stations are older than that , the Harrow and whetstone station on the Bakerloo line was built in 1837 . JH
One thing to remember about using the Underground at Paddington. It’s effectively two separate stations! The Circle and Hammersmith and City lines stop next to and cross over the far end of the lines from the National Rail platforms, a decent walk from the main station lobby. That’s where the Bakerloo Line station is. There’s no direct link between them without leaving the Underground network. So if you change there, you have to tap out of the one, and tap back into the other.
Actually, two things. If you value your sanity, find walking or lots of stairs difficult, or are in a hurry, never, ever, ever change lines at Monument/Bank!!!! The District and Circle lines are ‘Monument’, the Waterloo & City, Northern, and Central lines are ‘Bank’. On the map, you get the impression it’s one station. It’s actually two, joined by an in network underground walkway. And you can change lines without leaving the network and having to tap out then back in, as though it was a regular interchange station. You could walk all the way across a smallish town in less time; the walkway is narrow, twisting, and constantly up and down steps, and gets fiendishly warm.
One of the tube’s little peccadilloes!
The Circle line isn’t confusing at all. It used to be a spurless circular line, but it was eventually learned that it’d be a whole lot more efficient and reliable WITH the spur to Hammersmith. It also increased the frequency of trains to Hammersmith (actually that reminds me - three things to remember! I’ll come back to number three).
The key to working it out is Edgware Road station (oops, four things!). The Circle line starts and stops there and Hammersmith.
Anti-clockwise trains start at Edgware Road - they show ‘Circle Line via High St Kensington or Victoria’ on their destination screens. The travel all the way around anti-clockwise and DO eventually get back to the same platforms at Edgware Road that they started from, but then are switched to the line to Hammersmith, where they terminate. At some point after Victoria, their destination screens will show ‘Circle Line via Baker Street’, then just Hammersmith.
Clockwise, they start at Hammersmith, and do call at Edgware Road, but as an ordinary stop.They’ll be showing ‘Circle Line via Baker Street’. From Edgware Road they go all the way round until they end up back at Edgware Road, where they terminate. Along the way they’ll show ‘Circle Line via (next main clockwise stop). Once past Victoria, they’ll just show ‘Edgware Road’. From there, they go back on themselves, forming the return anti-clockwise service to Hammersmith.
Third point - Hammersmith station, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines, is a separate station to Hammersmith, District and Piccadilly lines. They’re across the road from each other, and you have to leave the network to change lines.
Fourth point - Edgware Road station, Bakerloo Line, is a completely different station to Edgware Road, Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines. The former is further north up Edgware Road, near Star Street. The latter is not in Edgware Road at all, but nearly 100m along Chapel Street across the junction from Praed Street.
There is plenty of information provided for a passenger to not think that Circle line trains just go round and round 'in circles'.
The Tube map indicates that there is an internal interchange, denoted by a dumbbell, between Circle line trains to Edgware Road and those from it.
At least once between every two stations, there is an announcement saying 'This is a Circle line train to Hammersmith'. The scrolling text in the carriages regularly says the same. He was paying no attention to the scrolling text in this video either given that at 12:55 it said 'This is an all stations Metropolitan line train to Uxbridge' and yet shortly afterwards he said 'I'll guess we'll find out which one this is'.
And if the train that took him to Royal Oak was one that he had waited for, he will then have been able to see 'Hammersmith' on the platform's train describer, on the train's front and on the carriage sides.
Also, another point to add to this, Edgeware Road is not related whatsoever to Edgeware - Edgeware Road is a predominantly wealthy Arabic area and you will find lots of good Middle Eastern restaurants; whereas Edgeware is an area in Northern London (on Northern line) predominantly a Jewish (but also Muslim) area, where you will also find some nice kosher cafes and confectionery shops!
I 100% agree the change between Monument and Bank has to be the most misleading and forced interchanged in a station. The walk is so awful. I always just end up tapping out at Bank and walk to Monument above ground and I’m not charged extra as on 90% of my days I use the tube I’ve already reached the Zones 1-2 daily cap. So it doesn’t hurt to tap out and tap in again. Plus I enjoy a nice (rather short) walk in the city 😅
Learned the Monument/Bank thing the hard way, as I'm sure millions of others have.
@@tahiracottam5 Actually, Edgware Road goes all the way to Edgware. It does turn into the A5 along the way, but it's the same road that eventually ends in Edgware. It was part of the Roman road Watling Street.
I love these clips as I am taking a trip without leaving the house. But at the same time building up an appetite to visit London, but too worried about how to get about...I simply bring up a map and then follow every step so that when we do get to visit I will be a pro! Thanks for your clips love every journey...did note that not many people talk and is so different to Australia. Aussie trains easy as...
One Guy from the less busy abd friendlier North Of England came down and started saying "Hello" to passengers on the Tube, It caused chaos...
@@Isleofskye That said I actually watched a video of what not to do...that was the very thing they said not to do. So will be doing what the locals do. Thanks for the reply and heads up.
London is the greatest city in the world with out a doubt I really miss it
Fifty plus years ago I used to take parties of Cub Scouts (just Cubs in those days) to see the London sights. About 30 boys between 8 and 11 years old all the way from rural Norfolk, by train, using the underground to get about.
We never lost any, although once a boy failed to get off with the rest at a station. Thankfully he remembered the instructions that had been drilled into them, and got off at the next one, and waited to be collected.
Would I do it now? NO WAY!
The Circle line used to be a continuous loop. Years ago when I had a pager, I could go for a ride on the Circle line for about an hour to catch up on paperwork without fear of being paged, because the pager didn't work underground. It's a great shame it's not a 'circle' any more.
@18:44 For anyone interested, King's Cross-St Pancras underground station serves two mainline stations. Harry Potter fans might choose to visit King's Cross station, where the Hogwarts Express supposedly left from, and which features a mock-up of Platform 9¾ for a photo opportunity. The announcer mentioned "international services", which referred to the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and connecting services to the rest of the continent. The Harry Potter films used St Pancras for exterior shots as it's considered more photogenic.
The oldest stock on the Tube are on the Picadilly line, due to be replaced in 2025 with new trains from Siemens. Getting AC to work on the deep level tube is a major challenge, where does the heat generated go & where can you fit the equipment on an already cramped structure?
Incorrect. Bakerloo Line stock is older.
Bakerloo line trains are very much the older trains!
You can take the Jubilee line. In fact it is the fastest way.
Take Jubilee line to Baker St. Now swap to Bakerloo line to Paddington. What is brilliant is when swapping at Baker St, there are no stairs to take. Jubilee to Bakerloo is a close horizontal distance
You may be interested in a film called 'Metroland' by the poet John Betjeman which explores the expansion of London to the north and west as a result of the establishment of Metropolitan and other lines.
I loved this, brought back lots of memories. Thank you.
Paddington was also my home base when I was in London last - someone told me you could follow the river walking path from paddington and walk all the way to Camden market, that's what I'm gonna have to try next time
Yes, you can follow the path to Camden from Paddington
It’s called the Regents canal it passes through Little Venice,st Johns Wood,London Zoo and Primrose Hill. Lovely walk.
@@kellyk5946 Last 2 times I was in London, my hotel was literally about 100yds from Paddington Basin! Funny thing, I used to walk to Paddington Station for the tube (and the beautiful station) until I met friends at Edgware Rd and realized how much closer it was to the hotel🤦♂️.
You certainly can! I did it from Ladbroke Grove all the way to Camden on a lovely summer day.
There are plenty of journey planners on the internet to get to and from destinations, I find that helps me a lot when I travel from the north of England. Travelling in non peak times is much cheaper and easier to get about as often platforms and trains are often pretty full.
The only tube line that crosses over the Thames is the District line in 2 places, both in west London. The spur to Wimbledon between Putney Bridge and East Putney stations and the spur to Richmond between Gunnersbury and Kew Gardens stations. All other crossings are subterranean.
The Overground and rail aren't classed as tube but as others have suggested you can cross overhead on these modes.
There are many lines in london .. the Elizabeth line is modern fast and cool inside .. you can explore the whole city even suburbs using the tube , bus , etc don't need to drive around .
Until relatively recently the Circle line was just that, round and round in both directions. Because of the several junctions and other services it met on the way it was notoriously unreliable. So the decision was taken to start the trains from Edgware Road in an anticlockwise direction and, when they reached ER again, they carried on to Hammersmith rather than continuing the circle. I agree it is a bit confusing to still call it a Circle Line to Hammersmith.
There are mice on the Northern Line. Interestingly, they tend to come out more in the evenings and seem to have short tails.
There are also mosquitos
The Metropolitan Circle District and Hammersmith/City are considered sub surface line and they do use the similar rolling stock called S stock. Circle District and Hammersmith/City are S7 stock because they are 7 cars long. Metropolitan line trains are the S8 stock because they have 8 cars. (Carriages as the Londoners call them). The difference between the S7 and S8 stock are that the S7 stock have bench(longitudinal) seating whereas the S8 stock has some transverse seating.
Thanks for the explanation
The subsurface lines are the oldest lines and used "cut and cover" in their construction. They weren't really tunnels but deep trenches which were subsequently covered over.@@ActionKid
The Circle line used to be a real circle, but if they got delayed they could never make the time up and the service would be badly affected. They tried running from Hammersmith then right round the circle and then going off as a Hammersmith & City to Barking, and the same on the way back. But there was also a need to incresse frequency on the Hammersmith section, so we ended up with today's confusing circle line.
The Bakerloo trains arw indeed th3 oldest on the Underground, currently 51 years old. There are no confirmed plans to replace them yet, although it is hoped to be able to.get finance to order some once the Piccadilly Line fleet has been renewed.
The Bakerloo line is one of the oldest lines, ie over 100 years old, hence it’s hot and noisy. People don’t realise how old the tube system is and why you often have to go up and down stairs to join another line. Please walk on the left. Thank you ❤
Thanks for the video I enjoyed it very much. Being an ex Londoner it brought back many memories of travelling on the tube. Hope you make more.
Where are you now,please,Michael?
@@Isleofskye
Thanks for asking. In Australia.
@@michaelwhite5255 Thanks for your reply, Michael.
As a 70 year old Londoner(first 29 years just 2 miles from Central London on the South East side and then a 11 mile move in 1983 to this house on the very edge of S E London and Kent) I am always interested why we lose good people such as yourself. Was it the lure of Oz or disenchantment with London or England, please, Michael?
You began by riding in what used to be the longest tunnel in the world at 17 miles. The Circle Line was indeed a circle until 2009, when it was extended to run on the Metropolitan Line tracks to Hammersmith. Those two lines plus the District Line all have aircon and walk-through, and new tube trains will in the future. The Circle/Metropolitan track you rode was the world's first subway line, operated with steam engines back then. Baker Street Station looks at platform level much as it did in 1863. The door buttons haven't been used for decades and it's strange they are still there on new trains. Good that the doors are all opened by the driver for summer ventilation, maybe not so good in winter when above ground.
If the doors are open for any length of time, such as at the terminus, they will automatically close. That's why the buttons are still needed. Like you say - above ground at the end of the line in winter...
@@garybroadhurst3548 I'll take your word for it that they automatically close, although that has not been my experience when I regularly used a terminus near where I lived. The doors were always open. Interestingly, Geoff Marshall raised the very same question about why they still have the door buttons when he took a recent look at the new Piccadilly Line trains being tested in Germany.
@@barrywood2806, aren't subway trains being made in the UK any more?
@@Neville60001 The trains I mention above are made by Bombardier in Derby. The new Piccadilly Line trains are being built in Germany by Siemens.
@@barrywood2806, the first half is being built in Austria and tested in Germany. The second half will be built in the UK.
As somebody who takes the Northern Line daily, I would have stayed on the northern until King’s Cross St Pancras , despite the longer walk at the interchange.
These underground / metro rides are interesting where ever they’ve been made 😎So many people , i didn’t saw so many people even in L A wow😯Thank you for sharing this informative and great metro ride A K🙂👍!!!
Use to commute for over 25 years by tube originally from S london - tube from Victoria or Charing cross. and then when i moved to the Kent coast from kings Cross St Pancras. This was all prior to covid and must say it looked quite quiet on the lines although you where travelling at the end of rush hour. Brings it all home and its weird to say I miss it - only slightly. Have to say in all my time I did see mice on the tracks not sure i saw a rat although ims sure there are some.
My first tube ride was in 1960 when I was a young girl of 15 and starting work. Finsbury Park to Goodge Street. It`s good to see that the tube is still going well, and with lots of modern additions. lol
How did you get from Finsbury Park to Goodge Street? Change at Leicester Square?
The section you rode from Farringdon (was Farringdon Street) to Paddington (was Bishops Road) is the original !etropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 with steam haulage.
Crazy hearing those constant non stop beeps at the gate! That’s a LOT of people. lol
Indeed!
The section of line from Farringdon to Paddington ,was the first cut and cover line ,pulled by steam trains originally, Baker Street station, is 150 years old , only after the introduction of electric trains by the American Charles Tyson Yerkes did deep level trains tunneled through London clay, And enforced by metal line tunnels sections did the train become called the Tube ,
Where possible with the infrastructure, they try to prioritise 'cross-platform interchange' where they think many passengers will change trains. So, at Edgeware Road, that other Circle Line train you saw was the one heading anti-clockwise (sorry, counter-clockwise) round to Westminster. You just hop off one train and onto the other.
Anyway, it's great to find out how people from abroad manage using our system. When I'm there I often see foreigners struggling to find their way around but I think it's pretty simple. Generally people in the UK are REALLY keen to help. I was once on an Underground train where two Brazilian tourists with limited English were asking directions. It seemed like nearly the whole carriage were trying to help - phones, maps and eventually someone who even spoke Portugese!
It'd be nice if you gave more feedback on the pros and cons of how the Underground compares to the New York Subway.
@garybroadhurst3548, he already did when he commented on how clean it was compared to the New York subway system.
'Pros and cons', plural.? The New York Subway fare structure is a lot simpler and much cheaper than the London Underground.@@Neville60001
The narrator commented on the 'bad design' of having to go down stairs only to go up again at Moorgate station but he probably didn't realise just how many tunnels of different types run beneath London's streets. That down & up again dip was almost certainly to pass under another tunnel.
As for how hot & stifling some of the tunnels are, as I understand it, they are just too deep underground fot the installation of a/c or even just better ventilation to be possible.
Until a major fire at King's Cross with large loss of life, escalators were not made of metal, nor were the spaces under them cleaned.
So until large numbers of people (hopefully including a CEO or so) stifle down there, air transfer will still be done by carrying it inside each train that passes through a station.
The down and up dip was to pass under the running lines to the platform on the other side (like an inverted footbridge over the tracks).
@@johnfromengland2620 Thank you for that👍
Many of the Tube and Underground (there's a difference in size as noted) lines follow the streets above ground and stations are built on curves that match. It related to ownership of the land and the streets were "public".
Yes, that is why the journey is punctuated by screeches. Guide rails help the carriage wheels round each curve, to avoid any chance of derailment.
Remarkable how a video of such an ordinary journey can be so fascinating! I'd have probably used the Elizabeth line but it probably makes no difference.
My cousin is from England and always wanted to visit there! I always wanted to travel on different subway lines around Europe but unfortunately my mom is afraid of flying so maybe in the future I will! I just love their accents but also all of the musicians including my favorite Elton John, The Beatles and George Michael! Is this your first time riding the London subway? Hope you had a nice experience 😊
@MTAFan0585 can you get to New York? You can sail from there to Southampton, 70 miles west of London. But it takes 5 days and is really expensive! But if your mom really can't get over her fear of flying, this is the other way.
@@babyballerina2000 You are absolutely right. I wanted her to get on an airplane to Florida but, she’s afraid something might happen. I personally wanna travel to Europe one day to Italy, London, and Poland
@@babyballerina2000
All you need is money.
@@Mary-mr4jr ...doo-doo-do-do-doo all you need is....
It's underground not subway. Subway is what you get in America.
The reason why some of the station have some odd designs, like going up and down. Its due to the original lines were built as private lines. So when all the private companies amalgamated into TFL. The hodgepodge of stations were already built.
If you want to see the River Thames from a train take the ThamesLink line. The platform at Blackfriars art on the bridge, with glass walls affording views along the river. Pricing within London is as for the Tube.
Moorgate isn’t really on the Elizabeth Line you have to walk all the way to Farringdon.
Thank you Action Kid. Fun to watch
The circle line at one time did go round in a big circle going clockwise and anti-clockwise, until some bright spark thought why don’t we make the Hammersmith and city line a part of the circle line which means as you said, you now have to get off at Edgware Road to continue your journey which is ridiculous because sometimes you then have to go up a flight of stairs if the train comes in on the wrong platform, it was so much better when the two lines were totally separate. The Hammersmith and city only ran from Barking in the east to Hammersmith in the west . But hey ho that much to simple 😃
Look at the map of the London Underground, discover by using it, that most of the system is not under the ground, but the inner city parts usually are, much like the New York subway system.
London suburban areas are served by a complex set of 'underground', overground, bus lines, National Rail, the docklands light railway, and even a cablecar near the ExCel Centre.
There used to be an integrated tram system as well, that sometimes went underground too.
Why is it called the Bakerloo line? A journalist coined the nickname Bakerloo in a newspaper column as a contraction of the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway, shortly after it opened in 1906, and it was quickly adopted by the company.
The Jubilee line is me favourite.
One of the quietest rush hours ever.
Those SHOES! 👉 6:07 👠
How does she do it?!
When I used to still live in London (early 80s) NOTHING made me laugh quite as much as a woman in a pencil skirt and hiiigh heels- trying to catch a train at Victoria.
Great video action kid enjoy London “ my local line is the central line zone 6 for the past 2 years after living my whole life in angel Islington zone 1 . My favourite line is the Hammersmith & city line “ when operating normal schedules “ there’s A/c on there and is brilliant in the summer mths regards Philip
Thank you so much for good video. Brought back so many memories when I lived and worked in central London years ago. All London Transport is brilliant. Alas, public transport in other parts of England very poor. I agree NYC metro awful. ❤
The stock on the District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines is identical. The Metropolitan trains are one coach longer and have a different seating arrangement.
11:50 it is because they didn’t want the passageway to go through the actual tracks! A radical idea I know 😂
Great video. Calmly done and following proper etiquette. Were you using a DJI pocket? Very good stabilisation. As an aside I remember when the circle line really was a circle, it stopped in 2009 apparently.
The Tube is the quickest way to get around London but if you want to see the interesting parts, the top deck of a London bus is best, although sometimes painfully slow. London is also eminently walkable and travelling on foot can sometimes be the best way.
Have you been on the Jubilee line? The train makes a great sound from motor.
The deep level tunnel tubes like the Northern line will eventually get air conditioning. It’s been a big problem in the past to install air conditioning but it will happen on all lines. Victoria live was my regular journey.
London Bridge is a lot more modern than when I used to go there in the '60's !
You’d think so
It recently had a huge improvement upgrade and is now very impressive.
It's called the Circle Line because once upon a time it was a complete circle but in 2009 it was changed to serve Hammersmith & City route from Edgware Road to Hammersmith🧐
Lived and worked in London all of my life. Got to know what place to stand on a platform for exits and interchanges but you can dow download apps for this. However if I get to a station and trains are cancelled I can calculate faster than any app how to get home because people always forget the overground
So clean well done London underground.
Northern line gets hot in the summer and is noisy but the central line is like stepping into the depths of hell with wheels screaming around tight corners and lacking ventilation turning it into an oven
On behalf of TFL,I must apologize for you waiting 14 seconds for your first train and a further 16 seconds for your next train.
The tube used to be so reliable.
This makes me very nostalgic.