[Rferguson2]

As someone who lived in london for a long time I think the way I heard the various lines referred to by the people that needed to newly navigate them most (visitors) by colour. I also found when asked for directions, this was the best way to get the information across – ‘take the blue line to Victoria, then change onto the purple line’.

I guess the most common sense in the ‘name vs number’ debate is just have both. The Victoria Line, also known as the 2 line for example.

[MartynSinclair]

How do you explain the London train system to a visitor?

To get a complete picture of travelling in London, should the Heathrow and Express along with the Thames Link, also show on one London train map?

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ASK1945

[DavidSmith2]

I guess one of the problems now is the proliferation of lines. It worked ok at least until the 1960s when there were 9 lines and there were enough colours to go round. Then the Victoria line opened and it was necessary to differentiate between ‘dark blue’ and ‘light blue’. Then we had the DLR, which is essentially the same basic colour as the Waterloo & City line, just with a different logo. Now we have all the overground lines in separate colours, many of which are repetitions of the same basic colours as the underground lines.

So I do wonder whether the colours have had their day? The original underground map was a masterpiece of making a complex system more understandable. But is the system now just too complex for that? Names and colours are definitely helpful, but maybe some numbering as well? Although that would probably cause even more confusion for a while as I am sure that the current generation will continue to use the colours and names and probably won’t learn the numbers.

And once we have decided how to resolve that conundrum, we can start working on the north/south/east/west problem!

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ASK1945

[transtraxman]

“…the north/south/east/west problem!”
To what do you refer? Please explain to the less savvy.

[DannyBoy]

London (as with the rest of the UK) is becoming a hell hole and I avoid going there at all costs.

Kahn within the last month has now wasted a total of approx £36m on TFL. £6m on this woke project and £30m in TFL pay rises for drivers. Forget crime, housing, healthcare, local authority issues etc….

[DavidSmith2]

“…the north/south/east/west problem!”
To what do you refer? Please explain to the less savvy.

Most of the tube lines adopt a single directional indicator. So, for instance, the Northern line is defined as running from north to south. The district line, on the other hand, is defined as running from east to west. You need to know this, or you might get on the right line, but heading in the opposite direction.

The problem is that, adopting a single directional indicator for any particular lline, does not always fit with the geographic reality because no lines are completely linear – they meander along their route. So you may, for example, be faced with a choice of ‘east or ‘west’ on the Piccadilly line, while the actual direction of your particular journey is north. Also, recognising compass points when you are underground is challenging in any case.

I hope that helps?

[cwoodward]

Another costly solution to a non existent problem. Madness!

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stevescoots

[ASK1945]

“Another costly solution to a non existent problem.”

cwoodward – the current jumble of lines on the TfL map is a problem, especially for visitors. But, I do agree with you that the imposed solution is costly and, in fact, makes the problem worse.

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cwoodward

[sparkyflier]

I use the London tube network on a very regular basis and generally its works very well indeed and with helpful and friendly staff.
But to be honest the Overland system has confused me and speaking with friends in the last days it seems I am not alone! And these friends are both people living here from overseas and Londoners or people British people living in London for decades..

And as a result many are less inclined to use it.

So I think these new names are helpful and will aid understanding of those networks and routes more, And as a friend said the names might spark a bit of curiosity about about the history of London and its heritage.

[ASK1945]

sparkyflier wrote: “So I think these new names are helpful and will aid understanding of those networks and routes more, And as a friend said the names might spark a bit of curiosity about about the history of London and its heritage”.

As a London resident I must beg to differ on these two points. The purpose of the TfL Overground is to transport people around not to teach people about London in the past. Naming the lines and using a different kind of line indicator (colours and double lines) was a good idea; but what has been imposed is both inaccurate (for many of the names), difficult to remember and “woke”, shamefully playing to the forthcoming mayoral election.

For example, what could be better than naming the new double yellow line “The Watford line”? Or, the double blue “The Olympia line” or “Olympic line”?

Many others, in different forums, have suggested other ideas which (in my opinion) were more helpful.

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stevescoots

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