Wanted: Your fantasies

[Root]

Steady on, now.

If you were put in charge of the whole of the London Underground, what would be the first thing you'd try and change or improve, and why?

I think a really good idea would be an Outer Circle line. Something that links the ends of the lines - ideally all of them, thus forming a Circle. It would be particularly easy to link Cockfosters, High Barnet, Edgware, Stanmore, and Harrow & Wealdstone, for example, as they're all quite close geographically. It would save un-necessary trips into and out of Zone 1 to change lines, hopefully cutting journey times and congestion.

Also, there are some places where two Tube lines cross without an interchange - such as the Met & Bakerloo at Kenton, the Hammersmith and City & Central at Shepherds Bush, the Piccadilly & Central at Park Royal. Would save the need to leave & re-enter the network when changing between them.

These changes should also help Tube Challenging somewhat .

I don't want arguments in this thread - you don't need to tell me why my ideas couldn't happen, or why they won't happen - they are just hopes of mine. Now your turn!

[Starkey7]

How about a totally separate pair of tracks for the Circle line, with a train each way every three minutes?
Also, to pay for this, they could shut down a few useless stations, such as Stepney Green, Bow Road, Bromley-By-Bow, Chesham, Goodge Street, Kensington Olympia, Mill Hill East, and also the entire East London line.

[editorsfoot]

I quite fancy an extension of the tube into Kent, the Jubilee line would be fine as the tracks at North Greenwich are aligned for an extension eastwards! A station near my house would no doubt do well for house prices.

If not then just a few more loos that are open and easily accessible from the platform for desperate tube challengers will do me fine.

[Soup Dragon]

Extend the Piccadilly Line with a branch from Hatton X directly to West Worthing station, purely selfish but I could get to work in no time at all.

[Root]

to pay for this, they could shut down a few useless stations, such as... Chesham

I know I'm completely contravening my own rule here, but I have to stick up for the best station on the network! While shutting it would save them money in operating costs, that'd also cost a lot of revenue, as Chesham has a high number of peak-time users who pay the most expensive fares (along with Amersham) on the network. I don't have access to the figures, but I'm pretty sure Chesham station makes a profit.

It's a nice idea though, in theory.

I'd like Aldgate and Aldgate East to be merged, or at least connected in a Bank-Monument way. Then there'd finally be a direct connection between the great District and Metropolitan lines, and it would, again, save un-necessary leaving & re-entering of the network.

[londongirl]

Also I will interject for Goodge Street, it's the nearest station to where the Pilot lives and it's rather useful for after long treks home to get a nearby station when going back to collapse and watch movies.

[Starkey7]

Yes but Warren Street is only 0.23 miles away from Goodge Street - a simple four minute walk!

And I second Root's proposal for a connected Aldgate station. Surely it wouldn't be hard to build?

[Dr Who]

A Piccadilly Line extension to shepperton via Ashford so I can get the tube to school instead of the bus

[K9]

I’m with Dr Who on that one.
The bus is poo

[Garion]

And me.
I hate catching the bus to and from college.
Bring back the double-deckers...or...
build an underground!

[Starkey7]

Or walk.

[Garion]

Walk??

WALK??!!??

I'm not walking 4 miles in the morning to the college and 4 miles in the evening to home. I'm not that crazy.

[Starkey7]

Why? I walk (or cycle) to university, and it's three-and-a-half miles away. It makes me really healthy.

Besides, Shepperton is totally flat, whereas Bath has a lovely 1 in 8, one-mile-long hill that I have to climb, so you're lucky!

[Garion]

I have to walk up a steep hill to get to my college and i walked there once and it took me an hour.

[Soup Dragon]

A Piccadilly Line extension to shepperton via Ashford so I can get the tube to school instead of the bus

This Piccadilly line extension is looking good, if we get LU to build it in a fairly straight line they can have stops at Leatherhead, Box Hill, Dorking & Horsham. I don't want too many stops though otherwise the train will take forever.