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Annie Mole's, webmaster of Going Underground, daily web log (blog).
If you like this you'll LURVE One Stop Short of Barking, THE fun and informative BOOK about travelling
on the London Underground.

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Mind the Gap - Guess Where Tube 15 - Win a Mind the Gap Keyring

On the back of the Channel 4 documentary "
Confessions from the Underground", regular reader of the blog shell_uk took a picture of one of the hundreds of Mind the Gap markings on London Underground platforms.  She said "Don't know if this one is a bit too obscure for your Guess Where Tube series?" It's not obscure, just pretty hard, which is why I've decided to include it!

I wonder how many commuters today saw Channel 4's 'Confessions from the underground'
Photo by Shell_uk

For new visitors unfamiliar with the "Guess Where Tube" game it's where I ask you to guess from exactly where on the London Underground, certain pictures from the London Tube Flickr group were taken from.

I don't normally offer prizes, but because this one is very hard I'm going to give a prize

mind the gap key ring by KeYmA78

It's a lovely rubbery Mind The Gap Key Ring. You have until UK time 11.59pm on Sunday 12th February 2012 to make guesses. Try not to look at the comments before you when making your guess.

Make your guesses in the comments below and either leave your blog or twitter name or email address so I can get in touch with you if you're the lucky winner. Anyone who just enters as "Guest" with no means of identifying how to contact them, won't be included in the contest. The person who is the most exact will win & if there's more than one person who guesses the same most correct place, I'll put names into a randomizer & select from there.  Good luck.

You might also like

Guess Where Tube 14
Guess Where Tube 13
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Guess Where Tube 10
Guess Where Tube 9
Guess Where Tube 8
Guess Where Tube 7
Guess Where Tube 6
Guess Where Tube 5
Guess Where Tube 4
Guess Where Tube 3
Guess Where Tube 2
Guess Where Tube 1
Guess Where Tube Quiz
Guess Where Tube Quiz Round Two


; Posted by Annie Mole Saturday, February 04, 2012 Permalink

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Friday, February 03, 2012

Time Out London feature my 5 favourite Tube Station Clocks

Forget digital clocks,
Time Out London kindly asked me to select my five favourite London Underground station clocks. There are actually quite a lot to choose from.

Bethnal Green Tube Clock by Annie Mole

I see this one every day as our office recently moved to Bethnal Green. There are quite a number of clocks on the Tube with roundels instead of numbers. As far as I know the one at Bethnal Green is the only one where the roundels are gold. Dated from around the 1940′s it was restored in 2009 and you can find it on the Eastbound and Westbound platforms.

Check out TimeOut's post for my four other favourites.

Let me know your favourite Tube station clocks as there are number of lovely ones to choose from.

You might also like
Jubilee Line not the cause of Big Ben's Lean
Unusual London Underground Clocks
Time Travel on the Central Line 


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Thursday, February 02, 2012

Tube Accessibility one of "10 Key Passenger Priorities" from London TravelWatch ahead of Mayoral elections

London TravelWatch, the watchdog for transport users, published
10 key policies yesterday including one on accessibility, which it believes will improve the passenger experience for London's public transport users.

Making the Tube more Accessible - ‘10 policies to keep Londoners moving’

Produced ahead of the forthcoming Mayoral elections, the 10 key points are published in a series of C6 postcards. The watchdog has met  prospective mayoral candidates from the major parties in advance of finalising their manifestos, and the aim of these postcards is to help to focus us, when we will be undoubtably getting visits from representatives to our homes. We can use them to grill reps on where they stand on important transport issues.

Priority Seat Moquette

Key policies in the postcards & publication include ensuring frequent and comprehensive public transport such as providing longer trains more often, improved information, especially at times of disruption; a fair deal for customers; making it easier for passengers to join up their journeys and ensuring transport services have suitable access for the elderly, disabled, people tranporting buggies and from the looks of the picture above, those struggling to get luggage on the London Underground.

Sharon Grant, Chair of London TravelWatch said: “The 10 policies that we are urging mayoral candidates to consider will help to make public transport in London more customer-focused. They reflect the challenges experienced by the travelling public who are all too often faced with unclear and inconsistent information, when they deserve a joined up service. Londoners also want frequent and comprehensive public transport which is attractively priced.”

Children & Luggage use large gate

Accessiblity on the London Underground will be a strong one. Obviously it's essential for the elderly, disabled & people with kids in buggies (although I can't say I sympathise hugely with the large luggage approach as I use Piccadlilly line trains coming from Heathrow a lot & huge suitcases take up so much space in the rush hour, it's a pain in the butt).

2011! We need more lookup tables
We need more lookup tables by Nick Ludlam

I also like their points on fair deals for fares & Oyster card over charges "Oyster has revolutionised the journey experience. However, where its complexities mean passengers lose money by not ‘touching in or out’, they should be able to resolve the problem quickly via a free phone number. It is unacceptable that passengers are overcharged and then asked to ring a high-priced phone line to get redress."

Corrupted Oysters by Martin Deutsch
Corrupted Oysters by Martin Deutsch

Their point on providing reliable & timely information is also a priority in my opinion. "Technology must be harnessed to deliver up-tothe- minute travel information at all journey stages. Internet and text messaging initiatives are welcome, but provide limited help for passengers at bus stops."

Quite a few delays then

"Passengers are most in need of information during times of disruption. All transport providers must work together at times of disruption to minimise the impact on passengers, and the Mayor should take the lead in facilitating this".

What do you think of the policies (available here on pdf) and which are the most important for you?

Related Posts
Are DLR 'scamming' passengers with Penalty Fines
Tube Toilet & Step Free Tube Maps Launched 
Review of Guide Dog ban on Tube escalators
Oyster Card top up double charges


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VIDEO - Victoria Line Closed all Weekend

This weekend (4th -5th February 2012) signalling work is taking place on the Victoria line, meaning no journeys can be made on that London Underground Line for a full 48 hours. TfL have released a
video attempting to illustrate how the old signals are slowing down speed on Tube trains on the Victoria Line and the new signals will increase speed resulting in shorter journey times.


A Transport for London (TfL) spokeswoman said that work was progressing well.

“All of the state-of-the-art equipment has now been installed and engineers have been moving south unplugging the old system and plugging in the new one.

“Engineers will be making the most of the full closure with 2,500 man hours being put in on worksites across the line with a particular focus on the Euston to Green Park area. Once all the work is done trains will be able to run faster and closer together increasing capacity on the line by 20 percent.”

Faster Journeys Faster Journeys by Bluey-Birdy
Faster Journeys by Bluey-Birdy

More details about the Victoria Line upgrade plan can be found on TfL's site.


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Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Tube Invaded by Alien Mutants - Tube Photo of The Week

Say alien mutants invade London. After all the inevitable fighting & power struggle, they integrate into our society. Despite their mutant changes, they're not intelligent enough to devise a better way of travelling around London. What would commuting on the London Underground look like? Possibly something like this

biennale by Roberto Trm
biennale by Roberto Trm

Love this photo taken by Roberto Trm from the last La Biennale art exhibiton in Venice and added to the Flickr London Tube pool. I have no idea who the artist is and what it was supposed to represent but think the sculpture rocks.

The designer bags carrried by the mutant turtle & wasp is a lovely touch.  

If anyone knows anything about the artist, please let me know in the comments. Or if you have your own interpretation of what the artist was trying to say, I'd love to hear.

Update - The artist is Allesandro Gallo & there's a whole Tube carriage of them on the Northern Line More photos here.  Thanks Roberto & Pirripozz for that info - I'm still none the wiser as to what they're sposed to represent though!

You might also like
Lost Collection: Art left on Public Transport
Miniature Tube Commuters - Tube Photos of the Week
Balloon Animals on the Tube
More cows on the Tube  


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Monday, January 30, 2012

Tube Union RMT reject Olympics Pay Offer as Mayor Launches Get Ahead of the Games Campaign

The RMT has rejected the latest Olympics pay offer from London Underground and are now stepping up the pressure for what they believe to be a fair deal for all staff rewarding the additional work load their members will need to do throughout the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012 Games.

Get Ahead of The Games - New TfL Campaign
Not best timing for Get Ahead of The Games - New TfL Campaign launches today

The "slightly improved" offer  from London Underground  was rejected because it didn't address most of the union’s reasons for rejecting the earlier offer. RMT stated the money on the table was not enough, they weren't happy with the shift payment increases and believe the offer doesn't reward staff for their work during the run-up to the Games.

Pole vault at Westminster Tube - mock up by Jon Justice
Pole vault at Westminster Tube - mock up by Jon Justice

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: "RMT is rejecting this latest Olympics and Paralympics pay offer from LUL and we will be meeting with the company again to press our case for a flat rate, across the board payment which recognises the contribution of all staff throughout the high pressure extended Olympics and Paralympics period and which is free from a whole barrage of strings and caveats.

“Other employers, notably London Overground, Network Rail and most recently DLR, have come up with serious offers and agreements and we expect London Underground to do the same.

“It is well documented that transport will be the biggest logistical challenge throughout the Olympics period with massive pressure on staff and services from moving millions of extra passenger journeys around Greater London and the South East.

“All we are calling for is a fair deal for all the staff involved in delivering the colossal transport challenge that we will be facing this summer and the negotiations to achieve that are on-going.”


This news is pretty bad timing for London Underground as TfL have just launched a campaign called ‘Get Ahead of the Games’ to ensure that tourists, Londoners & commuters can effectively plan their journeys during the Olympic Games.

Sharon Grant, Chair, London TravelWatch who support the campaign said: ‘The Games will inevitably place a huge strain on the transport system and we all want to minimise the impact on ordinary Londoners so that they can avoid unnecessary disruption and enjoy the entertainment that is taking place on their doorstep. At certain times and in certain locations, London and the UK’s road and rail networks will be much busier than usual and the new website will help people to plan their journeys accordingly.’

Let's hope a potential Tube strike is one of the things taken into account in helping people plan their journeys.
 
Related Posts
Can the Tube cope with the Olympics?
£2.5 million to show Tube Staff Olympic Park 
30 minute wait for Tube trains during 2012 Olympics
Olympics chiefs say avoid Tube 


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Channel 4 - Confessions from the Underground - New Tube Documentary

This Thursday 2nd February 2012 at 10pm, Channel 4 are airing a new documentary of inside stories from London Underground staff -
Confesssions from the Underground.


I'm really looking forward to seeing this as I was (kind of) involved in its development. Back in March last year I received an email from the producers of the documentary, Rare Day, part of it said:

"I am working on a drama-documentary for Channel 4 which is looking to investigate the stresses and strains on the transport sector, in particular, the London Underground and the capital's railways. I was very interested to read your blog Going Underground and, in particular the correspondence you have with some Tube drivers themselves.

Our initial focus will be on case studies of the workers themselves, and I would appreciate any help you can give me in locating such individuals who can speak about their experiences working on the Underground. All conversations will be completely confidential and just for background research at the moment
."

D*n't t@ke !t out by Mags


I was asked not to blog about this at the time, so fired off some emails to some Tube staff I know and asked if they could help. I also pointed the production company in the direction of some forums and other Tube blogs who may have been able to help.

The documentary gives the inside story about parts of the Tube network we don't see. "workers reveal the dilemmas and pressures that they must reconcile to keep this hugely complex and strained system running.

Mark Benton in Three and Out from Preview Press Pack
Mark Benton from Tube film Three and Out about suicides on the Tube

Actors voice the precise words of the workers: train drivers, maintenance workers, station staff and controllers. They negotiate the difficulties of storing dead bodies after suicides and the hazards of fixing signal failures within an ageing infrastructure.

One Under - Channel 4 film by Lucy Bennett

They confront aggressive passengers and emergency incidents and try to make sense of a bewildering array of procedures and targets."

I'd like to thank the Tube staff that helped out. You know who you are. It was interesting that Rare Day & Channel 4 chose this approach of using actors to voice the thoughts rather than real staff themselves. I also got a few responses back to my initial email where I really had to reassure the staff that their real names would not be used.

Tube Announcer

I'm intrigued as to what we will discover. Looks like there will also be an answer to that age old question "Ever wondered why you've heard a 'good service' announcement over the tannoy even when you've been stuck on a train for the past 10 minutes?"

Update: 1st February - TfL's press office have been in touch with me and have said that they will be watching with interest as the producers seem to have taken a highly selective and partisan approach. They say that the film-makers and Channel 4 were given numerous opportunities to put their claims to London Underground’s Managing Director Mike Brown directly, including an interview on camera but flatly declined, "preferring to base their programme on claims that they were either unwilling or simply unable to substantiate."

Update - 2nd February 9am - One of the first national dailies to review tonight's show is The Daily Telegraph who did give TfL the opportunity to respond. They focus on the dead bodies stored in cupboards story.  "One male member of the Tube’s Emergency Response Unit said leaving bodies in cupboards was very disrespectful. He told Channel 4’s Confessions from the Underground: “As far as I understand it, London Ambulance services have limited resources and a few years back they stopped taking anybody who’s deceased into their ambulances back to hospitals".

A spokesman for London Underground explained workers were offered support and counselling should they need it and said: “Following agreed procedures, a body may be moved to a secure room within the station to await collection by undertakers. We believe our staff do a fantastic job in responding to such difficult circumstances and they are offered counselling support, if necessary.

Related posts
Down in the Tube Station after Midnight
Three and Out - Preview Screening - The Verdict
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One Under - Channel 4 Documentary
Arena: Underground On The Box
SPAD Alert 


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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Dogs on Trains - Find of the Week

Dogs on the London Underground. I'm a big fan of dogs and love how they travel on the Tube, they're curious but usually quite calm. The polar opposite of how a cat would be when travelling by train. So I was delighted to discover a new Tumblr blog simply called
Dogs on Trains. The premise is simple, if you've seen a dog, whilst on a train, take a photo, send it to Ellen Munro or Tweet her the link at @dogsontrains & she'll put it on her site with a suitable caption.

I tweeted a her a couple of pictures of dogs I'd recently seen on my travels & after a wait in the queue (she's getting tons of submissions so it could take a few days before you see your picture), the following appeared on the site

Pug on the Tube
Worried pug. Do you think it’s those shoes that are bothering him? Seen by @Anniemole on the London Underground - December 2011


I loved this little creature though and couldn't stop giggling at its expression. The pug looked up at me as if to say "Why are you laughing at my face?"

This one was not on the  Tube but  huge husky type dog I saw on the London Overground.

Husky on the London Overground
A lot of huskies out there enjoy train travel, who’d want to pull a sled?! Seen by @Anniemole on the London Overground - November 2011


Here's a couple of others I liked


Och ay the noo! Scottie dog seen by @KyiBoomer on the Hammersmith and City line, London - January 2012



Ready for this one? A DOG IN A PRAM. No, really. Seen by Ann-Marie James on the Victoria Line, London.


The whole site is strangely compelling & if you like dogs (and trains I spose) Dogs on Trains is a lovely place to visit.

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Dog confused by Tube Escalator
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Review of Guide Dog ban on Tube escalators
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Dogs riding the subway  


; Posted by Annie Mole Saturday, January 28, 2012 Permalink

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Cheer up the Tube stickers in the Wild

Make sure you're polite on the London Underground otherwise the Tube mice will getya. So says a sticker spotted by
@Chipwood09 on the Circle Line yesterday:

Rudeness Attracts Tube Mice by @Chipwood09

He asked if there were any more like this. I thought there were. Certainly reminded me of some stickers I saw in "Look Mum No Hands" and a quick(ish) Google search revealed they do indeed have them.

As well as "Danger! Rudeness attracts Tube Mice", there's also Cheer Up Tube stickers for "Frowning on a Friday - Strictly Forbidden", "Fixed Penalty, All Sweeties must be shared & Chocolate" and "Loud music prohibited - Unless you sing along too".

Cheer up The Tube Stickersfrom Look Mum No Hands
Cheer up The Tube Stickers from Look Mum No Hands


For £2 for a pack of five they're a bobby bargain!

You might also like
Spoof Stickers on the Central Line
Emergency Margaritas on the Tube
Subway Advisory Notices
A Wish for the Tube
Sitting not allowed - Penalty £200
Guess Where Tube 13 - Tube Mouse 
Mice on the Tube 


; Posted by Annie Mole Friday, January 27, 2012 Permalink

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

"Your New Met" Tube Poster from London Transport Museum

Not exactly an infographic but interesting historical
new poster of the 1960's Metropolitan Line extension from London Transport Museum.

Your new Met poster from London Transport Musuem

It's a reproduction of a 1960's poster that introduced the newly modernised Metropolitan Line 50 years ago, with the "new" extension.  It's £9.95 and available online here.

And for those who are old enough, you might remember the iconic Metropolitan line trains with their high back seats and commodious luggage racks. London Transport Museum have rescued a limited number of these original 1960's luggage racks from decommissioned Metropolitan Line trains. You can buy them online from £150 or at the Museum’s Covent Garden shop from March 2012.

Related posts
Making Sense of Tube Statistics - London Transport Museum Infographic Posters
Guided Tours of Tube Poster Artists at Museum Depot Acton
More Old Posters found at Richmond Station
Ghost Tube Station Infographics


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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Miniature Tube Commuters - Tube Photos of the Week

During
Michal Dziera's visit to London Transport Museum last Friday at the Sense The City Photo exhibition he spent some time photographing the fascinating world of miniature London Underground stations and tiny commuters.

He said: "It all looks rather eerily empty and Alien-like, although if my commute every day was that comfortable, I really wouldn’t mind."

white by michald*



by Michal Dzierza

I really like these shots and you can see the full gallery of the mini commuters at bus stops & other parts of the Tube over on Michal's blog

You might also like
London's Transport in Miniature - Scavenger Hunt
London's Transport in Miniature - when the Tube runs like Clockwork
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Jubilee Line not the cause of Big Ben's Lean

You might have read a number of reports about the "Leaning Tower of Big Ben" after MPs became concerned that the landmark clock tower is tilting. The 96-metre tall clock tower, which houses the bell,  nicknamed Big Ben, leans about 46 cm to the left of its peak.

Tube Station and Big Ben by IainBuchanan
Obviously it's not leaning this badly - Photo by IainBuchanan

Professor John Burland of Imperial College London said work on the London Underground Jubilee train line in the 1990s had not caused dramatic movement, while a spokesman for The House of Commons commission said the tilt could have existed since its construction in 1859.

The lean is just about visible to the naked eye and as John Burland told Radio 4 Today show yesterday, had "been there for years".

Burland said "When I first started work on the car park it was obvious that it was leaning. It was probably developed at a very early stage because there's no cracking in the cladding and we think it probably leant while they were building it and before they put the cladding on.

"There's no such thing as an old building that isn't cracked. In fact they're beneficial because the building moves thermally more than is caused by the Jubilee Line and the movements concentrated around the cracks and, if they didn't, there'd be cracking elsewhere.

"So these have been there for years and they're certainly not caused by the Jubilee Line or the car park."


Proximity of Jubilee Line Tunnelling to Big Ben from IanVisits website

Ianvisits has a great blog post from a number of years back about the Jubilee Line tunnels under Big Ben's clock tower.

He wrote "As a Jubilee Line tunnel was tunnelled by the tunnel boring machines (TBM), despite the best efforts of the workers, there is always a slight gap between the tunnel wall and the soil outside, leading to some subsidence at ground level. The gap is only a few millimetres, but when amplified around the entire tunnel diameter, that actually adds up to quite a bit of missing soil, and can cause significant problems. Before work starts on any tunnel now, ground surveys and measurements are taken to calculate the subsidence risks and effects on buildings."

"The big risk, which was gleefully latched onto by the news media was that the tower would start to lean sideways towards the tunnel work and may even start to develop cracks or damage. As the TBM worked its way through Westminster, electronic monitors on the tower checked how far it was starting to topple, and then pumped grouting into the soil to basically push the tower back upright again."

His post has more pictures of the compensation grouting work ( from a talk on tunnelling by the Royal Society) which was only carried out at night.  He concludes "Without compensation grouting, it is expected that the tower would have tilted by some 10cm at the top – which would have been obviously unacceptable."

You might also like
Unusual London Underground Clocks
Building the Victoria Line in the 1960's 
What will Crossrail uncover? 


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Monday, January 23, 2012

Downing Street Lord asks Mayor to Replace Tube Escalators with Slides

No this isn't a spoof.
Lord Toby Harris believes that Boris Johnson should consider a rejected e-petition made to the Government to "improve “the flow of passengers through busy London Underground stations” by installing slides in place of escalators."

Lord Harris (@LordTobySays), who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Policing and is Treasurer of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee said "The e-petition has been rejected because this is a matter for a devolved authority – in this case the Mayor of London – and therefore it is for the Mayor of London to consider this proposal."

A prototype has already been tried out in Berlin and proved popular with more people choosing the slides than the escalators or stairs.


Also commuters in Holland can take the newly installed "transfer accelerator" to quickly descend the station stairs at Overvecht Station and access platforms.

Overvecht Station installs  - transfer accelerator

"At night the slide is said to play music from Bach". That's amazing!

Lord Harris notes the e-petition for the slides in London states that 
Small prizes should be available for those reaching the bottom in the fastest time. These would be paid for out of the savings of not having to maintain and operate down escalators.”

Come on Boris, what are you waiting for?

Related posts
Slides on the Tube - would you use them?
Slide Stairs to The Trains


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TfL say on track for Tube Wi-Fi to be enabled for Olympics

Mobile Marketing recently had a conversation with  TfL's director of strategy and service development, Gareth Powell, who said that London Underground is on track to deliver wi-fi services at up to 120 stations before the 2012 London Olympics.

This is London by alexander_boden
Photo by Alexander Boden

We are in the final stages of the tender process,” Powell told Mobile Marketing. “London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned. An announcement of the chosen service provider will be made in early Spring, leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games.”

Wi-fi will be available on platforms, ticket offices and escalators, but not on Tube trains. As yet the cost of the service hasn't been set and will depend on which operator wins the contract to provide the service.

According to the FT, Virgin has also bid for the contracts to provide WiFi services. Last month, it lost out to O2 in an auction to provide WiFi to Westminster council, but it is still participating in the contract to cover the London Underground.

"The news that smartphone users will have access to wi-fi on the Tube is all the more welcome as there will be no mobile coverage on the underground in time for the Games. Last April, the Daily Telegraph carried a report saying that the UK’s four mobile operators had shelved plans to provide mobile coverage in time for the Games, because it was impossible to get it ready in time." said Mobile Marketing

Cellular News said that there had been unconfirmed reports that China's Huawei would offer to build the network infrastructure for mobile coverage on the London Underground free as a "gift" from the former Olympic nation to the next. Apparently £50m worth of technology was offered, representing one third of the estimated £150m cost of the project.

Related Post
WiFi Tests on London Underground 


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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Next-Gen London Underground on-platform display - Tells how crowded next Tube is

Genius new idea for a platform display on the Tube. We've all had those times when we've waited 15 or 20 minutes for a train. Then when the train eventually pulls in, the carriage right in front of you is packed & you have to squeeze yourself in, or wait for the next train, which could be just as full.


Well Dan Taylor @fabricoffolly has designed a mock up of his fantasy Tube platform indicator "which would not only show you exactly where incoming trains were on the line (and update their progress in real time), but also which carriages were more or less crowded (achieved by sensing passenger body heat or possibly carriage weight, to account for all those suitcases). That way, you could increase your chances of boarding and the platform announcers wouldn't have to keep telling new arrivals to move along the platform."

As Dan says "Go on TfL/CBS Outdoor - you've already got the screens..."

Originally seen at World Report

You might also like
Tube Exits or Mind the App
Defective Dot Matrix Displays on the Tube
TfL's Bloggers' Briefing - Transforming the Tube
Live Map of London Underground Trains  


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Sense the City Photo Competition pictures now on display at London Transport Museum

Taking inspiration from London Transport Museum's
Sense and the City exhibition, Londonist & the museum challenged Londoners to stop a while and "sense the city". They asked for snapshots of a 'smart, connected and on the move' London: a city buzzing with activity 24 hours a day. Over 650 images were submitted and fifty were shortlisted to go on display at London Transport Museum until March 18th.

Tube Story by Danielle Houghton : Larking About
Tube Story by Danielle Houghton : Larking About

On Friday 20th January, three photographs were selected for special commendation by the competition's advisers: Clive Birch, Visiting Tutor on the Royal College of Art's Vehicle Design Programme and Johanna Empson, Talks and Events Programmer at the Photographers' Gallery. The great picture above by Danielle Houghton of Tube chatterers was one of the three commended.

Of the fifty, the Tube is featured quite strongly and I particularly like the image below

vanishing point by db telford
vanishing point by db telford

The fifty photographs will be on display in at London Transport Museum between 21 January - 18 March 2012. You can also see them on Londonist's website.

Related Posts
Sense and the City: Dan Dare on the Tube 
Making Sense of Tube Statistics - London Transport Museum Infographic Posters
Sense the City Photographic Display; Call for Entries : London Transport Museum & Londonist


; Posted by Annie Mole Sunday, January 22, 2012 Permalink

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tube App for Harry Potter's iPhone - iFloo

Someone's imagined what Harry Potter iPhone screen might look like and good to see that the sorcerer has an App that bears more than a passing resemblance to the London Underground Apps on the market. See the roundel in the bottom right hand corner.

Harry Potter's iPhone Tube App by 9gag

It's for the iFloo network.  Geddit.  Thanks to @Jemimah_Knight for alerting me to this on 9Gag's website - it's by or was at least found by the user tonypboy516.

Harry probably has an Oyster card magic wand to wave at any Floo Networks to pay for his travels.  With a flourish and a cry of Undergroundio he'd be zipping around in no time.

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; Posted by Annie Mole Saturday, January 21, 2012 Permalink

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Friday, January 20, 2012

CBS Outdoor Tube Ad Campaign - "Urban by Nature" - Animals on the Underground, anyone?

If you travel on the London Underground you can't have failed to see CBS Outdoor's (the guys responsible for placing ads across London Transport) poster campaign to promote the Tube as a great place for advertising. Their positioning is that they offer advertisers the opportunity to connect with urban audiences.

CBS Outdoor Tube Poster - Giraffe

The ads, which take the form of different animals made up of Londony urban landmarks and icons, apparently are "designed to articulate the importance of the urban audience and the fact that CBS Outdoor are best placed to engage with this valuable and hard to reach group of consumers".  Not sure if it's just me but this kind of reminded me of Animals on the Underground - a whole collection of animals that could be "found" by looking in the Tube map!



Anyway look out for some familiar London  icons in CBS's campaign. You'll see the O2, Millenium Wheel, Wembley Stadium, St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben etc etc

CBS Outdoor Tube Poster - Octopus

The campaign's only in London at the moment but from January 23rd you'll see it being rolled out to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol and Liverpool. So there will be icons featuring Old Trafford Centre for Manchester, The Beatles for Liverpool and the Bullring Bull for Birmingham. The others will have region specific landmarks.

If you visit www.facebook.com/cbsoutdooruk you can see all versions of the London posters. As a secondary element to the campaign they're offering people the chance to win city experiences throughout 2012 by liking them on Facebook & filling in a few extra details like age & region!

Related posts
Animals on the Underground
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Want to see your quote on a Tube poster?
Create your own cross-platform Tube ad
CBS Outdoor Tube Ads on Tube Advertising
Monkhouse's Voice from the Grave wins Tube Ad Competition
Tube Ads are good  


; Posted by Annie Mole Friday, January 20, 2012 Permalink

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