Trivia: Favourite Underground line

[yorkie]

I voted the Metropolitan line because Chesham is my closest Tube station.

You won't see many tube trains at Chesham

Another reason the Met & Bakerloo are best: they have proper seating arrangements. Longitudinal seating isn't good for groups, or seeing out the windows. The Metropolitan 8-car S8 stock has a very sensible internal layout.

 

[Mikey C]

A vote for the Northern Line, is it's interesting and much improved since the new signalling (which was a very smooth process unlike the interminable Jubilee Line installation)

Decent trains, I like the 95 stock which are better than the 96 (more modern traction and top up seats instead of perches), and light years ahead of the horrid 92s. I don't get the love for the 72 stock, to be they're old, rather than classic (which the A stock was), and incredibly noisy

The Northern Line has good variety too, with 2 rival tube line at its core, all the LNER bits plus the new extension to Battersea will give it the most modern section of the Underground proper, and likely to stay that way for a long time!

 

[Muzer]

For a likely-failed attempt at humour on this subject, have a look at my post here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2977717&postcount=606

 

[MotCO]

Having looked at the results so far, one line scores really low - I don't think that it is much of a surprise!

 

[D365]

Having looked at the results so far, one line scores really low - I don't think that it is much of a surprise!

I do genuinely wonder why.

(It's a colour I like, mind)

 

[LiftFan]

The problem with the circle is that it doesn't go anywhere that the other lines do - it just sits in zone 1 and 2, at least the H+C goes to Barking and the District and Met go further out and faster. The circle also has a reputation for delays and it certainly feels like you've stopped in the tunnel most of the time. Not sure why this happens a lot more on the sub surface than the deep level lines, given the Northern was constructed not that long after...

 

[507021]

Mine is the Central line, mainly because I like the 1992 Stock. It's also the London Underground line that I've covered the most of, too.

 

[Mikey C]

The problem with the circle is that it doesn't go anywhere that the other lines do - it just sits in zone 1 and 2, at least the H+C goes to Barking and the District and Met go further out and faster. The circle also has a reputation for delays and it certainly feels like you've stopped in the tunnel most of the time. Not sure why this happens a lot more on the sub surface than the deep level lines, given the Northern was constructed not that long after...

Too many flat junctions is the main reason for delays I assume

Old signalling doesn't help either

The Northern Line is a lot younger, most of it is of a similar age to the original parts of the Bakerloo or Piccadilly

 

[urbophile]

I thought I would help out the Hammersmith and City with my vote. Not the bit of it which is shared with the Circle, of course, but the Edgware Road to Hammersmith section which is very redolent of the old GWR. The Hammersmith terminus is a gem: it could be a country town station somewhere in Wiltshire were it not for the crowds and Starbucks (or whatever bland coffee chain has colonised it). Having visited Birmingham Moor Street this week I can see an affinity.

 

[me123]

For a likely-failed attempt at humour on this subject, have a look at my post here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2977717&postcount=606

In a similar vein, here's a video I found quite entertaining.

[youtube]P4e-Al90tSs[/youtube]

 

[Techniquest]

I do genuinely wonder why.

(It's a colour I like, mind)

SSL annoy me in particular because of (in certain places at least) the world-famous "Westbound Circle/District lines" message on the PIS we're all familiar with. So friggin' frustrating...

 

[MikeWh]

I thought I would help out the Hammersmith and City with my vote. Not the bit of it which is shared with the Circle, of course, but the Edgware Road to Hammersmith section which is very redolent of the old GWR. The Hammersmith terminus is a gem: it could be a country town station somewhere in Wiltshire were it not for the crowds and Starbucks (or whatever bland coffee chain has colonised it). Having visited Birmingham Moor Street this week I can see an affinity.

Edgware Road to Hammersmith is shared with the new "teapot" Circle line. The bit which isn't shared is from Aldgate to Barking.

 

[bluegoblin7]

SSL annoy me in particular because of (in certain places at least) the world-famous "Westbound Circle/District lines" message on the PIS we're all familiar with. So friggin' frustrating...

It's slowly being resolved, initially with a fancy interface between the legacy signalling, TD, timetable, Connect Radio and TrackerNet systems. The describers on the westbound Hammersmith branch are working more often than not, now, with the eastbound also regularly showing accurate times, albeit with 'Check front of train' rather than the actual description (Hammersmith cabin doesn't send TDs to Edgware Road).

 

[sk688]

Bakerloo. Only line left with guaranteed bench transverse seating. Also has a unique musky smell which is very nostalgic.

There's an unacceptably high number of votes for the Vic, a line completely devoid of any character.

What about the s8 sets on the Met ?

 

[class303]

Whilst it's easy to make the case for nostalgic & almost romantic lines like the Bakerloo and Picadilly, my vote has to go for the Victoria.

The Victoria is reliable, fast, frequent, conveys truckloads of passengers & with the exception of Pimlico it only calls at major interchanges. I live on the line so might be a wee bit biased, but I'm sure if i lived elsewhere it'd still get my vote.

 

[yorksrob]

Another plus point for the Victoria line are the distinctive themed tile murals symbolising each location. A small thing perhaps, but we'll thought out and a feature which has stood the test of time.

 

[urbophile]

Another plus point for the Victoria line are the distinctive themed tile murals symbolising each location. A small thing perhaps, but we'll thought out and a feature which has stood the test of time.

Pity about the Euston one though (well, not the feature itself, but what it signifies)

 

[yorksrob]

Pity about the Euston one though (well, not the feature itself, but what it signifies)

Indeed, although they are a nice memorial to it.

 

[bILLOO]

Central line, as when I'm travelling east it means I'm going to stay with my girlfriend.

 

[swt_passenger]

Waterloo and City, but only because it has been forgotten about...

 

[Camden]

Bakerloo. It's as close to the "original" Underground experience as you can get these days.

The trains, the stations, and especially some of the escalators like at Marylebone (and St Johns Wood although that's now on the Jubilee), love them. Such a different experience descending and ascending. Smooth, quiet, and that vibe of quality that you sadly only get with classic engineering.

 

[Mikey C]

I don't get the Bakerloo love!

Old grubby trains (and yes they're old, rather than some sort of design classic), poor frequencies, pokey stations, no great scenery on the overground sections, dreary terminus at Elephant, while at the other end it doesn't even have its own line to itself, and instead piggy backs until it gives up at Harrow and Wealdstone

 

[LiftFan]

The Bakerloo is the one line where you can ride and feel the age of the entire line coming through with its comfortable old seats and the proper "tube" feel to it. The Piccadilly has old trains and some amazing stations but just feels very touristy and slow for the most part...

 

[Mikey C]

The Bakerloo is the one line where you can ride and feel the age of the entire line coming through with its comfortable old seats and the proper "tube" feel to it. The Piccadilly has old trains and some amazing stations but just feels very touristy and slow for the most part...

I've never found those seats comfortable though, they're just bouncy

No armrests either!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Central line, as when I'm travelling east it means I'm going to stay with my girlfriend.

Do we sense "anticipation" here ...?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I've never found those seats comfortable though, they're just bouncy

No armrests either!

Try dropping onto a Jubilee line seat - np oadding , just moquette over hard plastic ...

what other line allows you to sit on a transverse seat and monitor the brake applications on a handily placed (and protected) gauge. Very soft spot for the line - especially the north end ..

 

[Lrd]

Try dropping onto a Jubilee line seat - np oadding , just moquette over hard plastic ...

what other line allows you to sit on a transverse seat and monitor the brake applications on a handily placed (and protected) gauge. Very soft spot for the line - especially the north end ..

The S stock also have brake gauges on display throughout the train.

 

[sk688]

The Bakerloo is the one line where you can ride and feel the age of the entire line coming through with its comfortable old seats and the proper "tube" feel to it. The Piccadilly has old trains and some amazing stations but just feels very touristy and slow for the most part...

If anything , Imo deep level lines with modern stock feel more " tubey " . The Victoria , Jubilee , Central and Northern feel more " tubey " , whereas the Bakerloo , for me , feels neglected . It runs through some pretty rough areas , in the Northern part of the line , and the 1972 stock are in a pretty poor state , ( full credit to Stonebridge Park depot , they do try ) . For me , the Bakerloo feels like the equivalent of Line 6 of the Paris Metro

 

[LiftFan]

If anything , Imo deep level lines with modern stock feel more " tubey " . The Victoria , Jubilee , Central and Northern feel more " tubey " , whereas the Bakerloo , for me , feels neglected . It runs through some pretty rough areas , in the Northern part of the line , and the 1972 stock are in a pretty poor state , ( full credit to Stonebridge Park depot , they do try ) . For me , the Bakerloo feels like the equivalent of Line 6 of the Paris Metro

After the Bakerloo the other line which feels like it has character to it is the Jubilee - A huge mix of stations with the JLE, the original 70's bit and the old Bakerloo branch plus the sheer racket those sets make always makes me feel good.

To me, the Victoria is the least "tubey" deep level line because it has the wide, modern stock but the stations just seem more bland. Don't get me wrong, it runs the best service on the Underground network with frequency and speed but it just feels less characterful.

 

[Techniquest]

It's all so much better than MTA's Subway in New York though. Jeepers that network is so unloved and the whole lot looks like it's been trapped in the 20th Century. It needs a thorough clean up and made more friendly on the eyes, especially at platform level. Then of course those trains are just not nice...

Trust me, I'm not rushing back to travel on that lot. Even the Bakerloo line feels modern in comparison...