Secrets Of The London Underground.

[Royston Vasey]

Is there an episode 3? My Sky EPG will show me S4E4 scheduled to record tonight but S4E3 did not record on the series link and I can't see it available for download. Sometimes the Sky EPG does mess up series and episode numbers and descriptions, but the most recent available download is S4E2 (Paddington)

Am I missing something??

 

[Ashley Hill]

Is there an episode 3? My Sky EPG will show me S4E4 scheduled to record tonight but S4E3 did not record on the series link and I can't see it available for download. Sometimes the Sky EPG does mess up series and episode numbers and descriptions, but the most recent available download is S4E2 (Paddington)

Am I missing something??

Episode 3 was about Waterloo and Marble Arch.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Episode 3 was about Waterloo and Marble Arch.

I am missing something! I'll try the "U" app

Yes available there. Buggy EPG strikes again.

Hate the new branding btw, and I wonder what ITV Ulster (UTV) think of U TV

 

[SLC001]

Episode recorded for me but it was not under Series 4 IIRC. For some reason it was under another series, series 3 I think..... Series 3 4 rather than series 4 3....
Enjoyable series although my lack of familiarity with the underground and the various intersections doesn't help me!

 

[Royston Vasey]

Episode recorded for me but it was not under Series 4 IIRC. For some reason it was under another series, series 3 I think..... Series 3 4 rather than series 4 3....
Enjoyable series although my lack of familiarity with the underground and the various intersections doesn't help me!

Aha it is there, "Waterloo", confusingly listed as S2:E2 in the thumbnail but S4 Ep3 in the description! Thanks!

 

[yorksrob]

Goodness - I had no idea that the Earls Court subway was out of use (or that the exhibition centre had been flattened).

 

[jfollows]

Goodness - I had no idea that the Earls Court subway was out of use (or that the exhibition centre had been flattened).

I may have used it when I got a free ticket to the Ideal Home in 1982, I think, although I probably walked from South Kensington rather than pay for a couple of stops on the tube.

 

[yorksrob]

I may have used it when I got a free ticket to the Ideal Home in 1982, I think, although I probably walked from South Kensington rather than pay for a couple of stops on the tube.

I visited that with my parents in the 1990's, so I think that would have been when I used it.

 

[Wolfie]

Goodness - I had no idea that the Earls Court subway was out of use (or that the exhibition centre had been flattened).

The exhibition centre was closed around 2012-2013 and fully demolished by 2016-17. I assume that the subway was closed as a consequence?

 

[yorksrob]

The exhibition centre was closed around 2012-2013 and fully demolished by 2016-17. I assume that the subway was closed as a consequence?

According to the programme it closed in 2003. I think it was due to dwindling numbers.

 

[Wolfie]

According to the programme it closed in 2003. I think it was due to dwindling numbers.

Missed that, TY.

 

[REVUpminster]

When I was 17 I worked in the ticket office in the exhibition subway. They had the narrow passimeter. I think there was only one. The only tickets we had were from two ultimatic machines offering 10 different tickets from each window. Being under 18 as a booking office apprentice there had to be an older clerk with us even though we qualified after our initial 5 weeks training as booking clerks; myself as being 16 and three months. I left school on Wednesday in July and was at the RTC White City the following Monday.

My father was a Station Inspector previously a Station Foreman. He had also been a train driver.
He came with me to the recruitment office at Edgware Road which must have been on the day after I left school.

I never took the Railway Operating Apprentice route. On that side they didn't enter the pension scheme until 21 whereas they had me in the salaried scheme at 17. The TSSA, though never militant in those days, were quite effective and sponsored three MPs.

 

[Wolfie]

When I was 17 I worked in the ticket office in the exhibition subway. They had the narrow passimeter. I think there was only one. The only tickets we had were from two ultimatic machines offering 10 different tickets from each window. Being under 18 as a booking office apprentice there had to be an older clerk with us even though we qualified after our initial 5 weeks training as booking clerks; myself as being 16 and three months. I left school on Wednesday in July and was at the RTC White City the following Monday.

My father was a Station Inspector previously a Station Foreman. He had also been a train driver.
He came with me to the recruitment office at Edgware Road which must have been on the day after I left school.

I never took the Railway Operating Apprentice route. On that side they didn't enter the pension scheme until 21 whereas they had me in the salaried scheme at 17. The TSSA though never militant in those days were quite effective and sponsored three MPs.

Interesting, TY. Do you mind me asking when that was?

 

[REVUpminster]

Interesting, TY. Do you mind me asking when that was?

I joined in 1967, took early retirement at 50 losing half the pension in going early but it was worth it as I am still here.

The salaried pension scheme allowed a lot of flexibility.

 

[Wolfie]

I joined in 1967, took early retirement at 50 losing half the pension in going early but it was worth it as I am still here.

The salaried pension scheme allowed a lot of flexibility.

I was in the Civil Service which had a similar scheme.

 

[Snow1964]

According to the programme it closed in 2003. I think it was due to dwindling numbers.

Earls Court was used for Volleyball during 2012 Olympics (although security checks everyone had to enter at West Brompton end), that was last time I went there.

I had previously used subway for a motor show (probably late 1990s or early 2000s), I think it still had wooden escalators then which I hadn't seen for few years.

 

[Falcon1200]

Having been a Controller myself I was particularly interested in the section on last night's programme about the (top-secret!) Central Control. Several times a desk with Network Rail signage was shown but no mention of its function; Presumably liaison with TfL regarding shared lines, in an operational and maintenance sense, with Underground routes, but not the Overground?

 

[75A]

In my opinion, the programe just gets better and better.

 

[Crisso]

Like some others, I hadn’t realised that the Earls Court Exhibition Centre had been demolished. I can remember using the direct linking subway from the Underground Station, in my formative years in the 1960-70’s, to visit the National Motor Show also, the Royal Tournament, both on more than one occasion. Alas, both lost to the modern generation!

 

[Trainguy34]

the (top-secret!) Central Control.

I'm unsure of the level of secrecy considering they might have shown the address on the show in about 2 shots. Could just be a decoy however.

 

[Wolfie]

I'm unsure of the level of secrecy considering they might have shown the address on the show in about 2 shots. Could just be a decoy however.

Having previously worked for the MOD for thirty years l would say that the control centre is definitely "critical national infrastructure" but "top secret" within the actual definition of the term? Hell no! Journalistic hyperbole.

"Information marked as TOP SECRET is that whose release is liable to cause considerable loss of life, international diplomatic incidents, or severely impact ongoing intelligence operations. Disclosure of such information is assumed to be above the threshold for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act 1989."

 

[Trainguy34]

Having previously worked for the MOD for thirty years l would say that the control centre definitely "critical national infrastructure" but "top secret" within the actual definition of the term? Hell no! Journalistic hyperbole.

"Information marked as TOP SECRET is that whose release is liable to cause considerable loss of life, international diplomatic incidents, or severely impact ongoing intelligence operations. Disclosure of such information is assumed to be above the threshold for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act 1989."

You learn something new everyday then, thanks!

 

[edwin_m]

I'm unsure of the level of secrecy considering they might have shown the address on the show in about 2 shots. Could just be a decoy however.

There were several shots in that part of the programme where there was a view out of a window in the background, which was likely to recognisable (including by people on here, since at least one had a station on it). But I assume those were from other buildings, not the "top secret" control room.

I imagine person or person with malicious intent getting into the control room could make a wider attack much more effective, but it's probably easy enough for someone that determined to find out where it is. The defence is more about building security (something more than a swipecard on a glass door I hope) to prevent access.

 

[Trainguy34]

There were several shots in that part of the programme where there was a view out of a window in the background, which was likely to recognisable (including by people on here, since at least one had a station on it). But I assume those were from other buildings, not the "top secret" control room.

I imagine person or person with malicious intent getting into the control room could make a wider attack much more effective, but it's probably easy enough for someone that determined to find out where it is. The defence is more about building security (something more than a swipecard on a glass door I hope) to prevent access.

The address they showed and the shots out of the window match up near perfectly but who knows?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The address they showed and the shots out of the window match up near perfectly but who knows?

It would be pretty much certain that this would have been deliberate editing to throw people off the scent of where the place actually is. It's certainly what I'd have done if I was making the episode...


Edited to add: Actually it's not a secret at all; the address of the control centre is openly available...

 

[bluegoblin7]

The location of LUCC is easily findable, it’s very much journalistic hyperbole. Access is quite heavily restricted, though, although as someone who spends a fair amount of time there I can assure you it isn’t that exiting - I prefer the line control rooms.

There is an amount of co-location of other organisations in the room to allow for any response to transport-related incidents in London to be co-ordinated, although it isn’t appropriate to go into all the details in public.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Goodness - I had no idea that the Earls Court subway was out of use (or that the exhibition centre had been flattened).

I lived just off West Brompton 2000-2005,.so I missed out on using the exhibition subway (but often peered down the closed wicket-gates on Earls Court District platforms).
I too was flabbergasted when I discovered, only recently, that the exhibition centre has gone. Many fond memories of Boat Show and Motor Show events there; and walking beside the EC1 hall - a quicker way (than Warwick Road) to reach Earls Court station entrance.

 

[davews]

I am pretty sure from Mr Google that I know where that top secret location is, it is even marked as TFL on OpenStreetMap. And a bit later they briefly showed the tube station across the road from it. A bit like the equally secret National Grid Control Centre near Wokingham which is very public on Google. Having visited that the only thing secret is that it is down a quite hidden lane and easy to overshoot.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I am pretty sure from Mr Google that I know where that top secret location is

Some of TfL's own press releases contain the exact location and pictures of the building...

 

[Mojo]

Having been a Controller myself I was particularly interested in the section on last night's programme about the (top-secret!) Central Control. Several times a desk with Network Rail signage was shown but no mention of its function; Presumably liaison with TfL regarding shared lines, in an operational and maintenance sense, with Underground routes, but not the Overground?

The Network Rail NOC (National Operations Centre) has an experienced controller based in the London Underground Control Centre for two reasons. As stated in the programme, on the same floor as the LUCC is one of BTP’s force control rooms. Therefore any serious incidents anywhere across the country, the NR controller will liaise with BTP to ensure the incident is being managed effectively.

Secondly, as you allude to, this allows LUL staff to liaise with Network Rail for incidents where LU trains run over NR infrastructure, NR controlled infrastructure, or alongside NR lines.