What would you do to improve the London Underground?

[Wolfie]

l'd like to see some new platforms built, or at least some 'paid side' connection walkways built such as the one at Hackney Wick/Central, to facilitate better journeys avoiding central London.

Examples of such:

• Where the Central and Met lines cross near West Ruislip
• Where the Central and Picc lines cross near Hanger Lane / Park Royal
• Where the Central line, Elizabeth line and North London line meet near North Acton / Old Oak Common [l believe HS2 were supposed to be funding an OSI through their current construction site, not sure what's going on with this but it'll still be a fairly long walk]
• at West Hampstead for the Met line
• Where the Central line and Goblin cross in Leytonstone
• Where the Northern line and MML cross in Hendon

I agree your general point but its Hackney Downs/Central. Hackney Wick is two stations away from Central on the Mildmay line.

 

[BrianW]

Nope it's twin track unfortunately. That's also the reason the platforms have to be compromise height (step up into Lioness trains, step down into Bakerloo trains), which pretty much permanently prevents step-free access on any of those stations unless either service is re-routed or curtailed.

This is a common problem. What is the difference in height above rail level? If it were halved, could that difference be accommodated sufficiently to allow 'level boarding'? I imagine an amount of work would also be needed to give step-free access to the platforms.

Was there not agreement to a 'standard' height of platform and of trains? This was certainly exacerbated when the Elizabeth Line came, reduciing scope for level boarding, eg at Ealing Broadway where there have been boarding accidents. Are there any suggestions from government on this looking ahead? I note a number of contributors suggesting this as a priority.

 

[Mr. SW]

How about a motif/logo/graphic/badge/pictogram for each line?
Here are some suggestions:

Line Name	Branch	Graphic	Comments
Bakerloo	-	Lord Nelson	Graphic is from Trafalgar Square
Central	-	Marble Arch	-
Circle	-	Tower Bridge	-
District	Main	Queen Elizabeth Tower	Graphic is from Westminster.
District	Edgware Rd	Ferris Wheel	Graphic for Earls Court.
Hammersmith & City	-	Dragon	Graphic from the Coat of Arms of the City of London.
Jubilee	-	Large Sailing Ship	Graphic for Dockland.
Metropolitan	-	“A” Class Loco Profile	-
Northern	Edgware, West End and Battersea	Aumonier Archer*, Battersea Power Stn	Graphic is statue at East Finchley Station. This is for all the Northern Line (Pre Split). Battersea Power Station is to be used post split.
Northern	High Barnet, City and Morden	Aumonier Archer*, Old Loco Profile	Graphic is statue at East Finchley Station. See above. Old Loco Profile is to be used post split.
Piccadilly	-	Eros* or Theatrical Masks	Eros only to be used if the Aumonier Statue is not used otherwise use the masks for Theatreland.
Victoria	-	Queen Victoria Profile	-
Waterloo & City	-	Britannia	Graphic is badge of Bank of England

These can be added to signs and even displayed on trains. There were graphics for the old London Buses areas way back.

 

[BrianW]

l'd like to see some new platforms built, or at least some 'paid side' connection walkways built such as the one at Hackney Wick/Central, to facilitate better journeys avoiding central London.

Examples of such:

• Where the Central and Met lines cross near West Ruislip
• Where the Central and Picc lines cross near Hanger Lane / Park Royal
• Where the Central line, Elizabeth line and North London line meet near North Acton / Old Oak Common [l believe HS2 were supposed to be funding an OSI through their current construction site, not sure what's going on with this but it'll still be a fairly long walk]
• at West Hampstead for the Met line
• Where the Central line and Goblin cross in Leytonstone
• Where the Northern line and MML cross in Hendon

Reformed crayonista here. I wonder whether the fact that lines cross or come close together is sufficient rationale? I appreciate that it opens up additional journey opportunities, or amended routings, but at what cost? Proportionate, or a priority. I don't imagine we are the first to think of these- and they haven't happened yet. I posted a suggestion regarding West Hampstead etc ages back and received a very prompt response from a Vetern Member, which I found rather dismissive, not knowing this is a 'regular' crayoning- indeed I was unfamiliar with that term then. It was suggested I pay account to the knowledge of those of longer standing, so I'm meaning to be gentle. I am certainly loth to leave the 'paid side' to interchange.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

6tph Euston - Tring (skip patterns south of Watford Junction - but each pattern to include 2-3 of QP, WiJ, WC, H&W, Bushey)

What would the capacity hit be of reinstating platforms on the main slows to facilitate the Queen's Park and Willesden Junction stops?

 

[Nippy]

I think with 10 trains per hour on the Slow Lines between Wembley and Watford you’d struggle to run much, if any, freight. And while I’d love to see 8 trains an hour at Tring heading to Euston there really is no need for that Off Peak.

 

[Metrider]

Perhaps someone referencing themselves as Metrider, located in Pinner, might get out a little more, maybe to Hatch End or Headstone Lane and gain greater familiarity as a Bakerloorider, or DCrider ...
Keep posting; every day a learning day. BW

Well, I have done the change at Northwick Park and taken the Bakerloo into town from Kenton - once! Precisely because there are sooo many stops on that stretch of the Bakerloo, it seems to take forever.

I also did notice the issue that others are pointing out - one of the biggest gaps I've seen on the tube at the platform level.

But anyway, I've been told. If it's going to require new tracks and a lot of money then forget it - even as a fantasy improvement, I was after an "easy win" with my idea. I would rather money (even imaginary money) be spent on building new routes, extending routes, etc.

Maybe some kind of orbital route would be nice? For example, from where I am I have to go into zone 1 and back out again to get to the airport. It makes Heathrow roughly as convenient as Gatwick, even though I live a lot closer to the former! Maybe this is true for a lot of other people, as the centre "sucks in" a lot of lines?

 

[ATS3]

On the Bakerloo/DC line - I could see in future that the WCML slows become much more of a stopping line, to Tring - once HS2 opens and the WCML fasts see most trains call at Watford, MKC and Rugby. And many more at Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley (by then a thriving interchange).

That same speculative and optimistic future might see a new Bakerloo (new trains, extended to Hayes, many more TPH) - which could see services call at Queens Park again (a very busy station) - possibly Willesden Junction (I would not do fast line platforms though) - and more at Wembley Central with works to enable it to be open and safe all day without manual access.

On those lines, it would go something like:
2tph Clapham Junction - Watford Junction
6tph Euston - Tring (skip patterns south of Watford Junction - but each pattern to include 2-3 of QP, WiJ, WC, H&W, Bushey)
2tph Euston - Bletchley/MKC (Harrow, Watford, all stations)

(Hemel and Berko removed from outer services to Northampton/Brum and to go more metro in nature)

I'd do it differently. Once HS2 opens, I'd move the Overground onto the current semi-fast tracks, reopening the stops at Queens Park + stops at Wembley Central/Harrow & Weldstone with add additional platforms at Willesden Jct then run NWR trains on the furthest fast tracks to tring and onwards non stop with first stop after Euston at Watford Jct, leaving the current Bakerloo/Overground shared tracks to be exclusively used by Bakerloo Line trains. I'd also extend the Bakerloo back up to Watford so it can serve all the stops the Overground would no longer stop. This would allow the stations on the Bakerloo to be upgraded to full step free and to get rid of the very unaccessible gaps which currently plauge this line.

So TDLR
Bakerloo -> With Hayes extention, all stops from Hayes to Watford
LO -> Calls at Euston, Queens Park, Willesden Jct (for connections to Old Oak Common HS2), Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone, (Bushey?), Watford Junction~
NWR and other National Rail services -> Calls at Euston, Watford Junction and onwards.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Feb 2026 ==

Basically any possible improvements to the Underground to make it better, more frequent, more reliable, and just better!

On the wider case I'd introduce a "Grand Paris Express" scheme to build subsurface esque lines, particularly focusing on a east-west connection to/from South East London to other parts of South London, linking with current tube services/national rail stations. A good first line could be Abbey Wood - Croydon via Bromley and Bexley in new bore tunnels for example. It'd come with expected devolution and a cheaper per mile construction cost.