London UndergroundLondon has an underground system that covers the entire centre of the city and almost all areas in, what Londoners call, Greater London. Londoners and commuters, who travel to and from their work and the city, heavily use the underground system. So don't be surprised if your train is packed with passengers, just squeeze yourself in or wait for the next packed train. :+) In the beginning the underground system is quite confusing because of all the different lines and the directions (northbound, southbound and so on). Also some of the lines have trains which service different stations. An example is the Northern line where half of the trains travel via Bank and the other half via Charing Cross. If you are not familiar with the underground system, I advise you to get a map of the London Underground and plan your trip in advance. This way you know where you have to switch trains and what trains you have to take. The biggest part of London Underground (both track and trains) is outdated. Some of the lines even still use a signalling system dating from back to the sixties. What I noticed is that trains used to travel through the centre of London are modern, while on other lines the old (and sometimes crappy) trains are used. This often causes delays, cancellation of trains and sometimes trains do not run on a certain part of the line for hours on a stretch. If the trains are running however, it is the quickest way to get from one place to another, because traffic in London is hell. I was surprised how expensive the London underground system is. London is divided in 6 circular zones, where zone 1 and 2 cover the centre of London. The other zones are located in circles around the centre. Off course travelling to or through zones 1 and 2 are the most expensive. I think that for a public transport that is so heavily used, the prices are ridiculous. But apparently the organisation behind it is still unable to make any profit at all. Visit the website of the London Underground for more information. |
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