More Cab views on YouTube - Waterloo to Bank and return.

[mrg9999]

Two cab videos appeared on YT recently
Bank to Waterloo
and
Waterloo to Bank

Are these officially sanctioned?
Do drain drivers, drive other lines?
2026-03-06
The author might be on this forum and has marked them private or someone at TFL.

 

[CarrotPie]

Do drain drivers drive other lines?

Some years ago, I read that the W&C is driven by Central line drivers on a two-week rotation from one specific depot (Hainault, I think?). Things might have changed since then, but it wouldn't make any sense for W&C drivers not to drive any other lines.

 

[Dstock7080]

Some years ago, I read that the W&C is driven by Central line drivers on a two-week rotation from one specific depot (Hainault, I think?).

Leytonstone

 

[Mojo]

Some years ago, I read that the W&C is driven by Central line drivers on a two-week rotation from one specific depot (Hainault, I think?). Things might have changed since then, but it wouldn't make any sense for W&C drivers not to drive any other lines.

As the poster above mine states, it is driven by T/Ops from Leytonstone depot. There are specific W&C duties (including spare turns) on the roster; this doesn’t include a two week rotation, it could be as little as just one duty.

However, as at most depots that don’t do the link system, the majority of drivers don’t follow the roster but instead are part of the syndicate system of mutual changeovers, and it was historically the case that W&C duties were quite popular, so you tended to get regular drivers on the line.

 

[CarrotPie]

(I had a look through places I might have seen it and I came across this video, so there you go)

As the poster above mine states, it is driven by T/Ops from Leytonstone depot. There are specific W&C duties (including spare turns) on the roster; this doesn’t include a two week rotation, it could be as little as just one duty.

However, as at most depots that don’t do the link system, the majority of drivers don’t follow the roster but instead are part of the syndicate system of mutual changeovers, and it was historically the case that W&C duties were quite popular, so you tended to get regular drivers on the line.

Thank you for enlightening me!

 

[WAB]

It looks quite interesting. I imagine the sight of an oncoming train at Bank might be startling for a newbie. And what does the white light at the buffer stop at Bank represent?

 

[Dstock7080]

And what does the white light at the buffer stop at Bank represent?

Tripcock tester light, the tester is on the right hand side of the track as the train approaches the buffer stop

 

[MaidaVale]

As Mojo said, a lot of drivers on the W&C are still regulars who are down most days, all still Central Line Leytonstone based as mentioned. Waterloo Service Control also comes under the management of the Central Line, although Waterloo has it's own dedicated controllers and don't share between the two.

Quite frequently the T/Ops don't actually follow the duties to the letter but will swap around trips between themselves within the stepback room at the Waterloo end, which usually goes smoothly, doesn't cause any issues and still follows the WTT, just with different duty drivers in different places. Stepping back takes place at both ends for a large portion of the day, especially so during peaks.

 

[announcements]

I assume the T/Op shifts are then recorded with the actual occurrences rather than the the rostered, so there is a record of who operated what train?

 

[Trainfan2019]

I saw these videos about a week ago and now they're not in my history.

The above makes sense seeing as the first post in this thread shows the video unavailable and private. However, whilst trying to find them just now I've found similar videos uploaded a day ago.

On the subject of London Underground cab videos though, I've noticed a few new ones recently on YouTube, possibly training videos?

 

[CarrotPie]

However, whilst trying to find them just now I've found similar videos uploaded a day ago.

They look to be the exact same videos, albeit uploaded on a different channel. Hmm, smells a bit fishy to me.

 

[xtmw]

Some years ago, I read that the W&C is driven by Central line drivers on a two-week rotation from one specific depot (Hainault, I think?). Things might have changed since then, but it wouldn't make any sense for W&C drivers not to drive any other lines.

I don't believe it's a two week rotation. But you need to be down on the line at least every 6 months to keep your license in-date and not risk losing any line knowledge.

 

[Cloud Strife]

However, as at most depots that don’t do the link system, the majority of drivers don’t follow the roster but instead are part of the syndicate system of mutual changeovers,

Can you explain what this means, please?

 

[Dstock7080]

some depots operate on a ‘mafia’ syndicate system, being voluntary, a nominated person coordinates the duties available and distributes them with a wealth of requests from individuals. Could be specific rest day requests, specific start time etc.

The Link system was introduced at certain places some 15+ years ago and involves moving drivers into permanent links, initial eligibility was upon seniority:
dead early
inside early (0700-1100)
dead late
inside late (1200-1400)
middle (0900-1400)
nights (where available)
or those not eligible remain in the mixed or normal link of early, late, nights etc

 

[announcements]

Not sure why they can't just allocate all the earlies to people who prefer earlies and all the latest to earlies to those who prefer earlies. There's enough of each type to make this feasible, so why punish everyone by making everyone do everything?

 

[Dstock7080]

There's enough of each type to make this feasible, so why punish everyone by making everyone do everything?

Never at the depots i knew, plenty wanted earlies but fewer wanted lates, so the rota could never be balanced

 

[Mawkie]

Never at the depots i knew, plenty wanted earlies but fewer wanted lates, so the rota could never be balanced

As it still is today.

Worth mentioning that links are one of the things for the high-jump if LU's 4 Day Week (4DW) scheme is imposed.

 

[trebor79]

and it was historically the case that W&C duties were quite popular, so you tended to get regular drivers on the line.

That surprises me, I'd have thought it must terrifically boring shuttling between 2 stations, and therefore unpopular.
Not saying you're wrong, just find it surprising.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That surprises me, I'd have thought it must terrifically boring shuttling between 2 stations, and therefore unpopular.
Not saying you're wrong, just find it surprising.

I wonder if it's because they aren't sitting in the cab for a prolonged continuous period like they would be on the other lines? It's a pretty even match between actual driving and walking to change ends so probably a bit more varied than elsewhere?

 

[xtmw]

That surprises me, I'd have thought it must terrifically boring shuttling between 2 stations, and therefore unpopular.
Not saying you're wrong, just find it surprising.

Some drivers love it, others hate it

 

[Mojo]

That surprises me, I'd have thought it must terrifically boring shuttling between 2 stations, and therefore unpopular.
Not saying you're wrong, just find it surprising.

l would imagine it to actually be the opposite, with drivers getting off the train every few minutes (including stepping back at Bank during the peaks and at Waterloo depot for most of the day) giving opportunities for a break away from driving. There is also the point that as Leytonstone drivers their duties include travelling time between Leytonstone and Waterloo, which again is more time that they are not driving.

 

[Egg Centric]

I'm surprised how quick it is, for the age of it. Pretty sure most of the pre-Victoria line deep level tubes aren't doing 55 underground most of the time!

General driving question - on the final approach to the crossover at Bank why go at that particular speed?

I'd have thought that the driver would know roughly when the other sservice was going to clear the crossover and I'd have thought he'd want to keep a little bit of momentum which would also make the arrival marginally quicker. Or alternatively if he wanted to drive "sportingly" for whatever reason he could have approached the protecting signal rather quicker than that. The way he did it seemed to combine the disadvantages of both approaches. Not a critcism - I'm in no position to do that - just curious.

Thought came to my head - maybe just to coast?

 

[xtmw]

I'm surprised how quick it is, for the age of it. Pretty sure most of the pre-Victoria line deep level tubes aren't doing 55 underground most of the time!

General driving question - on the final approach to the crossover at Bank why go at that particular speed?

I haven't watched the video yet so I don't know if my answer will be of help but it's 15kph just before the crossover (well that depends what platform the train is routed into) and 10kph into the platform. Any faster and the train will be tripped. There are also "sleeping policemen" in the platform which enforce this speed limit

see below

 

[Egg Centric]

I haven't watched the video yet so I don't know if my answer will be of help but it's 15kph just before the crossover (well that depends what platform the train is routed into) and 10kph into the platform. Any faster and the train will be tripped. There are also "sleeping policemen" in the platform which enforce this speed limit

Oh the speed limits are in kph? I did think it was pretty impressive performance

 

[Kay_M]

Not sure why they can't just allocate all the earlies to people who prefer earlies and all the latest to earlies to those who prefer earlies. There's enough of each type to make this feasible, so why punish everyone by making everyone do everything?

In theory yes but in reality most people love doing the early turns. The late turns at some depots are where there's a big struggle to fill it due to the finishing times. Ask most people on the job and they'll tell you they wouldn't want to finish around near half 1 in the morning. Half 2 if this 4 day week goes through

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Mar 2026 ==

So to put it mildly. There's about 5 depots on the underground that has the links system. They're Acton Town (District), Earls Court (District), Arnos Grove (Piccadilly), Cockfosters (Piccadilly) and Morden (Northern). Leytonstone has one big rota that everyone follows although as stated before they do mutual changeovers with other colleagues.

 

[Dstock7080]

I haven't watched the video yet so I don't know if my answer will be of help but it's 15kph just before the crossover (well that depends what platform the train is routed into) and 10kph into the platform.

After the red protection signal, there is a ‘40’ on the right wall, closely followed by a ‘25’, then at the tunnel mouth there is the final ‘10’ to the left, with the first protection trainstop on the right.