# What's the tube like in London now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183 "2003-02-06T13:11:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/1 "2003-02-06T13:11:39Z")
After the crash the other week is it just the central line closed or more? I’m in London (Heathrow) on a course and will be going into the city at the wkend. How much hassle will I have getting around? I’ll be generally moving around on Sat. with no set plan and have no clue about buses as I’ve always just used the tube. ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/2 "2003-02-06T13:52:02Z")
The Central line is still down with replacement bus services. The Congestion Charge starts in a couple of weeks and it will be true chaos then! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/3 "2003-02-06T14:00:48Z")
The mind boggles at how that’s going to work. I’d say it’s the end of Ken’s tenure as mayor, whatever happens. Still, it’ll be hard to beat Dublin for inadequate transport. I stood at a bus stop in Stoke Newington a couple of months ago, and people were complaining because there was more than 6 minutes between the buses. 6 minutes! Bwa ha haaa! Try 45 when it’s meant to be 10. **jjimm** (who’s been relying on Dublin Bus all week and has had his balls officially frozen off). ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/4 "2003-02-06T14:23:23Z")
For the record the Waterloo & City is closed too. It probably won’t affect you too much - heathrow is on the picadilly anyway and you can pretty much get anywhere by using that, the northern, bakerloo, jubilee and victoria - you just have to change a bit more frequently than usual. Hell, get off at Hounslow East before you head home and i’ll buy you a drink! 😃 I tell you what though, say what you like about London Transport but God bless Night Buses. Don’t know what i’d do without 'em… ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/5 "2003-02-06T14:55:53Z")
So not that bad then. I can handle changing lines more as it’s such a brilliantly put together system, well apart from some of the actual trains 😃 Hey **jjimm** why do you hate the Irish. You’re always complaining about something in Ireland you must really hate us all. You’re either with us or against us you know! \* Cheers all. - 😛 😉 😃 🙂 just in case somebody (not jjimm btw) takes me seriously ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/6 "2003-02-06T15:09:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > \*\*Hey **jjimm** why do you hate the Irish. You’re always complaining about something in Ireland you must really hate us all. You’re either with us or against us you know! \*\* What’s your name? **O’Gobear**? ---
**Author:** ![Reuben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/54ee81/32.png) [@Reuben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reuben)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/7 "2003-02-06T15:22:48Z")
Or **Declan McEmber**? After 13 years working in central London, I changed jobs to an office out of town because the daily overcrowding was so bad. Far far worse than I remember it in the 80s/90s. But you should be OK at the weekend… it’s just about tolerable then. (Leicester Square excepted - that’s always horrible). Get an A-Z and go walkabout! Much better way to get around. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/8 "2003-02-06T15:30:10Z")
The White Lion pub next to Covent Garden station used to do the best lunch around. Now its been taken over by a £$%£$ pub-chain. ☹ so if you find anywhere decent please let me know… ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/9 "2003-02-06T15:46:16Z")
As someone who needs to get to the area around the Lloyd’s building (which is in Bank) and who works in Epsom (which is on a direct line to Waterloo) and as someone who is working in a time period during which meetings in town are exceedingly regular, I can certainly say that having the Waterloo and City line closed is not merely a minor irritation but INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. The only way round is via the Nothern or Bakerloo lines. Of course EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD also needs to do this, resulting in platforms being closed for countless aeons and IMMENSE DELAYS! ARRRGHH! pan ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/10 "2003-02-06T15:51:40Z")
You could jog - its only a few miles… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/11 "2003-02-06T15:51:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Get an A-Z and go walkabout! Much better way to get around. I did this the last time I was over without a A-Z. Had a great time. Was amazed how close a lot of the famous places where. Parliament, Buckhouse etc. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/12 "2003-02-06T16:08:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > \*\*I did this the last time I was over without a A-Z. Had a great time. Was amazed how close a lot of the famous places where. Parliament, Buckhouse etc. \*\* Actually they used to all be a lot further apart, but during the Labour government under Callaghan in the 70s the decision was made to move them all closer together. It cost an absolute bomb (the British Museum, for example, was originally located in Clapham and there is now a growing campaign to have it moved back.) but it was reckoned to be the only way to boost Britain’s flagging tourist trade and prevent the collapse of the Callaghan government. Interestingly it actually worked - although the Labour government fell before this was to become apparent. Tourist figures in London were boosted by 34% in the first year alone. In fact it was this combined with the Falklands War that was to help Thatcher stay in power during the critical initial years of office. Strang But True… ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/13 "2003-02-06T17:37:20Z")
I’ve got a quick question about the London tube, might as well ask it while all the experts are gathered here. Does it run from Gatwick - Heathrow? And how long does that run take? ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/14 "2003-02-06T18:43:57Z")
There is a coach that runs from Gatwick to Heathrow. As long as you aren’t planning the trip during rush hour, this is probably your best bet. Average time will be about 1 hour using this method. If you _are_ going during rush hour then you’re screwed any which way. The coach may or may not get stuck in a 2 hour jam on the M25. But the trains (which will take a good 90mins anyway including waiting time) will be ab-so-lute-ly PACKED. G’luck. pan - living almost exactly half way between Gatwick and Heathrow… ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/15 "2003-02-06T18:55:29Z")
Thanks Kabbes. Is Friday morning, 9:30ish, considered rush hour there? Or are things pretty cleared out that late? ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/16 "2003-02-06T22:35:40Z")
pot luck really at 9:30. You’ll probably just catch the end of the rush hour. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/17 "2003-02-07T11:29:22Z")
Junction 8 to junction 14 starting at about 9:45am? I’d say that you’ll _probably_ be OK. As **garius** said you might just catch the end of it. The health warning: if there is a multi-vehicle accident/jackknifed lorry at about 8:30 then the fallout of that will still well and truly be in force at 9:30. I used to do that journey in reverse and this would happen occassionally. Sometimes something happens at 9am and it still has 10 mile tailbacks at 5pm. But I don’t want to scare you - this kind of serious accident is rare enough and on a par with airport closures, rail strikes and all the other zillion and one things that could go wrong anyway. I wouldn’t sweat it. Certainly the coach would be my personal preferred option to the train. There is no obvious direct train link really (although I can think of about 7 ways of doing it by train off the top of my head, they all involve several changes) and lugging luggage is not fun whether it be on the under _or_ overground. pan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/18 "2003-02-07T11:38:19Z")
Gatwick - Heathrow? Get a chopper. Someone I know (US Major-General) did. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/19 "2003-02-07T12:32:43Z")
This may sound obvious to UK Dopers (but i’m not sure all of you funny foreign types know this)… Despite being called **London Gatwick** its not actually in London. Its about 30 miles outside London in West Sussex - which explains why the tube doesn’t connect to it etc. etc. For the record if you were desperate to use the train: 1. Gatwick Express (Overland Train to Victoria) 2. Victoria Line to Hammersmith (Underground) 3. Picadilly Line to Heathrow (Underground) Personnally i’d say stick with the Chopper 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-tube-like-in-london-now/153183/20 "2003-02-07T12:36:05Z")
Who’s helicopter is that? It’s a chopper, baby.