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0 pointsdavb11y ago0 comments

I was surprised on my first visit to London to see posters advising passengers to carry a bottle of water and not travel when sick due to the heat and humidity on the underground.

We'd get on at one station freshly showered and hydrated then get off at another drenched in sweat and ready to pass out. We used the tube extensively on our visit and it was by far the most uncomfortable (from an environmental perspective) public transport system we've used.

I'm not sure what makes the London underground so different from the systems in Glasgow (admittedly very small), Munich, Barcelona or LA. Perhaps it really is so much deeper under ground.

That said, the contactless payment system was fantastic. Being able to use my credit card to move around the city without buying a separate ticket was very convenient.

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7 comments · 3 top-level

omonra11y ago· 2 in thread

First mover disadvantage - London tube system is the first in the world. So many design choices from the 19th century made still haunt the system today.

For example I read that they only have one track in each direction - so repairs can only be done at night. That is the reason why the tube is closed overnight - as opposed to NYC which is 24/7.

davbOP11y ago

> That is the reason why the tube is closed overnight - as opposed to NYC which is 24/7.

AFAIK, this is changing and a number of lines are planning to go 24/7.

> So many design choices from the 19th century made still haunt the system today.

You're right but the expansion since the 19th century has been enormous. It's not only decisions back then that are affecting service today, but decisions in the intervening years not to modernise the system and make it more comfortable. (I'm not discounting the upgrades which have taken place, just pointing out that there have been opportunities over the last century to make it even better).

As an aside, the Glasgow Subway was also constructed in the 19th century (opening 1896). It was a good 40-something years after London, and is much smaller in scale (most rail - which is extensive in Glasgow - is overground). Living in NE Scotland right now I miss a having modern, reliable public transport system and realise how much I took it for granted.

quarterto11y ago

> AFAIK, this is changing and a number of lines are planning to go 24/7.

Only 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, actually. And lines often close partially or fully on weekends to allow for maintenance. 24/7 running wouldn't stop that.

gsnedders11y ago· 1 in thread

It really is deeper than the others you list — only Barcelona comes at all close. The other issue is it has a few lines that are really crowded, which means what cooling ability it has is pushed to its limits. The fact the subsurface lines have had many of their historic vents closed off for above-ground development now steam trains are a thing of the past doesn't help there, either.

At least Glasgow has other environmental factors keeping it cool — the fact it's a short circle with two underground crossings of the Clyde (which keeps the surrounding tunnels cool) really helps it in the summer, as well as moderating the temperature in the winter. It does get pretty ridiculously humid in the winter compared with outdoors — I have many memories of walking into the stations just to have my glasses steam up and be unable to see anything! It's also much, much shallower than the deep level lines in London (the deepest station in Glasgow is something like half the depth of the deepest in London).

davbOP11y ago

I didn't realise passing under the Clyde had such an affect, that's quite interesting. I would have thought, however, that being mixed overground/underground (on many London lines) would make air circulation an easier problem to tackle.

Ah, I do have similar memories of my (possibly rose tinted) glasses steaming up, but it was always so much cooler and I never felt that I couldn't catch a breath of clean air.

k-mcgrady11y ago· 1 in thread

>> "We'd get on at one station freshly showered and hydrated then get off at another drenched in sweat and ready to pass out."

Imagine the tens of thousands of people turning up to work like that every morning.

davbOP11y ago

I did have this thought. I figured people must just accept it (like people living in humid countries might), or shower at work (if they have those facilities). Or perhaps it's only that bad during some months of the year.

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0 comments

7 comments · 3 top-level

omonra11y ago· 2 in thread

First mover disadvantage - London tube system is the first in the world. So many design choices from the 19th century made still haunt the system today.

For example I read that they only have one track in each direction - so repairs can only be done at night. That is the reason why the tube is closed overnight - as opposed to NYC which is 24/7.

davbOP11y ago

> That is the reason why the tube is closed overnight - as opposed to NYC which is 24/7.

AFAIK, this is changing and a number of lines are planning to go 24/7.

> So many design choices from the 19th century made still haunt the system today.

quarterto11y ago

> AFAIK, this is changing and a number of lines are planning to go 24/7.

Only 24 hours on Friday and Saturday, actually. And lines often close partially or fully on weekends to allow for maintenance. 24/7 running wouldn't stop that.

gsnedders11y ago· 1 in thread

davbOP11y ago

Ah, I do have similar memories of my (possibly rose tinted) glasses steaming up, but it was always so much cooler and I never felt that I couldn't catch a breath of clean air.

k-mcgrady11y ago· 1 in thread

>> "We'd get on at one station freshly showered and hydrated then get off at another drenched in sweat and ready to pass out."

Imagine the tens of thousands of people turning up to work like that every morning.

davbOP11y ago

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