London Underground to cut up to 800 jobs

In a bid to save £16m each year, LU has announced it will be losing around 700-800 roles on the Tube. In a press release today (where the focus is on "vision for a safe, efficient and transformed Tube" - sad how lots of visionary releases tend to hide bad news for other people), London Underground stated there would be no compulsory redundancies and they would look to re-focus staff to areas of greater customer need.


No changes will be introduced without consultation with staff and trade unions. It's unlikely the unions will take news of cuts lightly, so I bet the likelihood of threats of industrial action to be high.

Union leaders have already told the BBC of their disappointment with Bob Crow leader of the RMT in bullish mode & dismissive of LU's safety reassurances: "If these cuts to jobs are bulldozed through by Transport for London it will turn London's Tube stations into a muggers' paradise."

London Underground were clear to state that there would be no ticket office closures. It was rumoured earlier this year that 1,000 jobs would go due to ticket office losses. However the value of service provided at ticket stations, particularly in peak hours, was noted. "The LU proposals would also ensure, therefore, that all stations with a ticket office will continue to do so, with opening hours reduced in some areas to reflect the decline in demand but remaining open at the busiest times to serve customers."

However Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said Boris Johnson had betrayed staff: "He was elected promising to keep ticket offices fully open and fully staffed.

"He has now broken that promise. We shall fight this all the way if any of our members are threatened with compulsory redundancy."

Tube officials said the cuts would include 100 managers, 450 ticket office posts and up to 200 other jobs.

Basically we have the "huge success" of the Oyster card to thank for the job cuts. Since its launch there has been a sharp decline in ticket sales at station offices with just one in 20 journeys paid for at the counter.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Thursday, March 11, 2010 Permalink

Tube Refund apps for your iPhone

iPhone users can submit refund claims for London Underground delays pretty quickly with the launch of two apps. Under the Customer Charter, if you're delayed by more than 15 minutes, you're entitled to claim the cost of your single journey on the Tube. TfL's website actually is fine for making a claim, but with an iPhone app, many people might be more likely to remember to do it. You can literally claim while your delay takes place.


The company behind Tube Refund, one of the apps, says that there were approximately 1,996 delays across the Tube network last year (38 delays a week). Hopefully you're not going to get that amount personally, but the which only costs 59p, could pay for itself pretty quickly.

The other app iRefund is $0.99 has fewer ratings than Tube Refund.


If you have an iPhone give one a try, when you're next delayed. They'll make a useful edition to the other London Underground iPhone apps reviewed last year.

Thanks to TechCrunch for the heads up on this.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Thursday, March 11, 2010 Permalink

TfL consider legal action in Tube Lines funding row

In the ongoing funding row with Tube Lines upgrade work, TfL are considering legal action after arbiter, Chris Bolt says London Underground has to raise £4,465m for PPP costs.

In a final determination of the costs, the arbiter believes that Tube Lines' increased estimate by £65m for the cost of the next seven and half years of work is correct.


Boris Johnson & TfL are none too happy about this and with a rebel rousing yell, Boris said "The Arbiter has ruled that the costs should be £4.46bn, thus demonstrating that Tube Lines' breathtaking original demand for £6.8bn was simply an attempt at daylight robbery.

"Londoners will also be outraged that the Tube upgrades promised to them are now threatened.

"Simply put, we are being asked to write a blank cheque in order to prop up an ailing and failing Tube Lines, and to guarantee massive and secretive payments of £400m to its shareholders, Ferrovial and Bechtel.

"In other countries this would be called looting, here it is called the PPP."

The fighting talk continues with "We will fight this to the last and are seeking urgent advice on the Arbiter's idea to pass Tube Lines' obligations to raise finance on to London's fare and taxpayers.

"We are therefore examining all our options, including legal remedies."

Tube Lines are quietly saying that co-operation is needed "It will be essential that it (the contract) is underpinned with a strong partnership between Tube Lines and London Underground and that both parties embrace the parameters of the agreement."

Unlikely with talk of a legal fight & Boris's sparring words.

Andrew Cleaves, Tube Lines' acting chief executive, said "It is clear that the Arbiter has relied on international benchmarking to help drive down public spending and is expecting both us and London Underground to become more efficient still by adopting some of the delivery methods used by other, more modern Metro systems around the world. This will require a step change in the way that Tube Lines and London Underground work together. We will wholeheartedly welcome working more closely with LU to simplify and modernise working practices on the Underground and give Tube passengers more, for less."

Also earlier in the week TfL's interim managing director Richard Parry wrote to Bolt warning that the missing £400m would have to be found by taxpayers, in the form of higher fares, or else planned upgrade work to the Piccadilly Line would have be shelved.

In today's press release Parry said "The Jubilee and Northern line upgrades are seriously delayed and over budget as a result of Tube Lines' failure to deliver, a fact now confirmed by both the PPP Arbiter and an independent QC earlier this year."

Looks like the war of words could be moving to legal arena and in the meantime, us commuters continue to bear the brunt of the stupid PPP plan, with delays to upgrades & increased fares to fund the mess.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Permalink

Bing's TV campaign launches with Tube question

Microsoft's search engine Bing kicks off its UK TV advertising tonight with a London Underground setting. Looks like the simple question of where to catch a Tube to Euston is taken to extremes - unless they've been looking at the Human Body as a Tube Map diagram.


Hopefully, this won't lead to a round of information overload for people asking for directions on the Tube.

And welcome if you've come here, after searching for the London Underground on Bing. You might not find what you're looking for, but hopefully can have fun on the way.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Permalink

Win a licence to busk on the Tube

Boris Johnson launched the latest version of 'Busking Idol' at London Bridge London Underground station today. As well as the 'coveted' prize of a year's busking on the Tube, the lucky winner will also bag studio time, live gigs at various venues and musical instruments.

Is it just me or does Boris's guitar look really small?

Johnson said "As the View so purposely said on their album 'Hats off to the Buskers' - it is high time we recognised how marvellous our buskers truly are. I'm searching for the finest act to join the myriad of talented musicians on the Underground.

"This is a brilliant opportunity for young people to get their music heard and to practise performing live. Last year's winner Jamie West strummed orphetic tunes masterfully on his guitar and has proved a popular fixture both on the Tube and the live music circuit. I really look forward to hearing 2010's young Underground star."

If you'd like to enter (you have to be between 16 & 25 years old) you need to upload a video clip of yourself performing on the ‘Rhythm of London‘ You Tube page and complete an online registration form at www.london.gov.uk by April 6th 2010. Judges will then select 100 people to be filmed performing at busking slots across London on April 24th. Then we get the chance to to vote for our favourite busker. The top ten will then perform live later this year at a ‘busk off’ for the final prize.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Tuesday, March 09, 2010 Permalink

The Tube's first female driver

It's International Women's Day and what better way to celebrate it than by dedicating this post to Hannah Dadds - the first female driver on the Tube.

Hannah Dadds was born in Forest Gate on the 16th October in 1941. While growing up in London's East End, little did she know that she would create history, as London Underground's first female Tube driver.


In October 1969, she saw a "railwoman" position advertised, and applied for the role as she had just been made redundant from a job in a cigarette factory. On the day of the interview Hannah was clearly no expert on the Tube. "I didn’t know where I was going at first, because I didn’t know the Underground. I hardly went on it. Tower Hill was the furthest I had travelled!" she joked.

Despite this she sailed through the entry exam. Hannah's Cockney sense of humour and irony shine through as she recalls the "idiot’s test", as she coined it: "Well, it was so stupid. ‘Pick the wrong one out: A boat, a car, and a bus. So obviously they’ve all got engines but the boat goes on water, the other two go on the road. I mean that’s a silly question. Then you’ve got the adding up ones, that a kid of five could do".

After eight and half years as a collector, Hannah applied to become a guard and to travel on the trains with drivers in 1978.

She knew that with her length of service, that after six months working as a guard, she could apply for a driver’s job. "Sometimes you are there for a couple of years before you’re approached to go from guard to driver", she said "After all a guard is an emergency driver. That’s part of their grade. They’ve got to be able to drive the train in an emergency, even if the driver’s OK, he’s in charge of the brakes. But sometimes you have to have someone to drive and someone to brake, depending on the defect."

Even though the Tube drivers’ position was technically open to both men and women, very few women applied for a driver’s role prior to Hannah. Legal changes with women’s rights, such as the passing of the Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Act in 1975 appeared to have very little effect on women’s enthusiasm to apply for what was seen as a very male job.

On the 20th August 1978, Hannah set off for Tube driver’s school and was the only woman in the class. Strong willed Hannah always felt that she had to be better than the men and that there was pressure for her to do this.

She recalls her training. “I was asked more questions than any man. There was five of us from the District Line together in the classroom – four men and me and I was definitely asked more questions. After one morning I said, ‘They haven’t half asked me a lot of questions. Have you noticed?’ The men said, ‘Yeah we’ve noticed that’. So in the afternoon I put strokes, like the date method, on my cigarette packet, and I’d been asked 19. The next day, the trainers did the same thing, and I’d been asked 18 in the morning and 19 in the afternoon… 37 questions in the course of the day. You added the four men’s questions up and they hadn’t been asked 37 questions between the four of them! Even if a question wasn’t directed at me to start with the trainer would come back and say ‘Do you agree with that, Mrs Dadds?’ ”

By the 5th October, Hannah had passed, but she seemed shocked by the level of publicity her achievement attracted. Especially as her story was leaked to the press a few weeks before London Transport were to officially announce it.


Hannah recalls one of the very few occasions when something derogatory was said about her. "I hadn’t long qualified for driver, and my driver, Bert, was sitting in the Mess Room at Earl’s Court in the canteen, and this guard was running me down and said ‘Yeah, I heard she’s a nasty bitch! Passed first time’ he said. ‘So big headed that even her driver don’t get on with her. Always arguing and rowing’. So Bert’s taking this all in and all of a sudden, a driver from Upminster turned round and says to Bert, ‘Ere, Bert, where’s your mate?’ ‘Oh’, he said, ‘She’s out driving. She’s got so much seniority, she doesn’t get to work with me any more’. And then the guard who’d been running me down, went all red and walked out!"

The unions also had a slightly sexist attitude to women staff, but during the period that she worked for London Transport, Hannah clearly noticed their behaviour towards women change. “I was in the NUR the whole time I was on. The day you join London Transport, you go and pick up your uniform then sit in the canteen. Then you’ll have the Union reps come round. If it was ASLEF they used to walk past you. When my sister joined, ASLEF said, ‘Oh you’re the wrong sex’ and ‘Don’t want you, you’re a woman’ that sort of thing. But it all changed when Women’s Lib came in. You had them coming round canvassing and wanting you. I then turned round and said ‘What have you ever done for us?’ "

Hannah continued working until she was 53 & retired to Spain. She had always wanted to take an early retirement and not work all of her life. She recalls how she was going to approach her last days on the London Underground. "I was going to pack up working when I was 50. I said I wouldn’t work until I was old. My mum died before she was 61 and I said I was going to have a bit of life and not be like my mum. But when I was 50, the depot clerk said ‘Don’t yet Han, they go into the Common Market and you’ll have the Citizen’s Charter and all that, you might get a better pension’."

As much as Hannah was a pioneer – her position didn’t suddenly open the floodgates to women drivers pouring into the London Underground. By 1990 there were only 30 women out of 2,500 London Underground drivers. Diane Udall, a driver who became an NUR Union Branch Secretary said at the time, "There are opportunities for women, as good as any other type of job. You don’t need skills or formal qualifications to enter and if you’ve got commonsense you’ll be OK. It’s less boring than shop or office work and probably better paid than many jobs women do. The problem is getting accepted in the first place; you need skin like crocodile hide."

However, numbers of women drivers, were and still are comparatively low. Diane Udall also felt that the problem was that women didn’t actually think about becoming Tube drivers. She believed that London Underground ought to do something to change this perception. "They should target advertising towards women and liaise more with the careers service so young women get to hear about the opportunities."

In 2001 London Underground started just the type of advertising that Diane referred to. They began their recruitment campaign in one the glossiest women’s magazines in the UK – Cosmopolitan. Hundreds of women responded to the half page ads. Mark Summerfield, then Head of Resourcing at London Underground, said "We believe that London Underground should reflect the community it serves and we are determined to take positive steps to encourage women to apply for jobs in every part of the railway."

The recruitment drive continued for 18 months, in 2001, 75 out of the 3,000 London Underground drivers were women, by the end of the campaign this had risen to 167 women drivers. It appears that this increased female touch had a positive effect on the system. An article in The Times in 2002 said that "London Underground recorded a record peak-time performance last month, largely because of the impact of women drivers. They have endured taunts from male colleagues and abuse from passengers but the army of women drivers recruited by the London Underground have proved that they are better than men at making Tube trains run on time. Managers believe that their influence has helped to end a culture of absenteeism and militancy in the workforce."

When Hannah retired to the sunshine of Spain in 1993, she probably thought that she had had her last experiences of being in the public eye. However, in 2004 she was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen as part of the first Women of Achievement lunches. Hannah was amazed, "I thought someone was having me on, when I found out, but it’s great to be recognised for making a contribution".

As one of only 200 women invited to this VIP occasion for her special contribution to society, Hannah had not realised the inspiring effect her role had on equal opportunities and women being able to break into “male industries”.

Her first brave steps of getting into the driver’s carriage in 1978 were far reaching and Hannah's recognition by the Queen truly deserved. Women drivers may now still face the odd joke by passengers, but the London Underground itself has tried to stamp out any workplace problems. In 2002, Cherie Booth QC presented London Underground Ltd with an award from Opportunity Now, for the excellence of its harassment policy. These policies make it much easier for women entering as Tube drivers now. But it is lucky that Hannah Dadds had the personality to hold her own and ignore any taunts to become the very first woman to take on this traditionally male role.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Monday, March 08, 2010 Permalink

Human Body as a Tube Map

It might be easier to imagine the workings of our body if it were mapped out like the London Underground map. With "Under Skin" (you can see what's she's done there), Dutch designer & illustrator, Sam Loman has charted the interchanges in our body to various "lines" on the map.


If you look at the actual size (via Vizworld), you can see the full beauty of her mix of design, science & cartography. There's a nice touch with Sam giving the copyright to Transport for Body.

As Gizmodo said "And no matter what the locals tell you, don't take the pink line to the yellow line. That's nowhere you want to go."

Thanks to MichalD for letting me know about this. It's a lovely find and just when you think you've seen almost everything visualised as a Tube map, something else like this pops up. Harry Beck would be proud!

You can see more of Sam's work at Just-sam.com

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Friday, March 05, 2010 Permalink

Tube Map Tapestry

Brighton artist, Lucy Sparrow, took 220 hours, 2,400 metres of thread, 142 buttons and three metres square of white felt to turn the London Underground map into a modern day Bayeux Tapestry. Called the The Bakerloo Tapestry, she decided to embark on this labour of love after the July 7, 2005 bombings and the subsequent rebuilding of the network in the following months and years.


Lucy said: "This is my biggest achievement to date. It is a modern take on such a recognised symbol for those living both in London and commuting from Brighton."

Unfortunately you won't be able to see the art on the Tube itself though. As TfL bosses say she'd have to pay to get it exhibited on the network. Ms Sparrow said: "This is something that as an artist I stand strongly against – much art is a labour of love and its a bit of a kick in the teeth to an aspiring artist to put heart and soul into a novel creation only to be asked to pay for other people to enjoy it."

Hopefully she might have better luck with other networks as she to make tapestries of other subway systems at home and abroad and eventually to make a full-sized car out of felt.

Perhaps we can convince her to make a full sized Tube carriage out of felt too. That, I'd love to see. More of Lucy's felt works can be seen on www.sewyoursoul.com

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Wednesday, March 03, 2010 Permalink

What's unique about Pimlico Tube?

Apparently there's something special about Pimlico London Underground station. It's one of those things that I thought only one other station had a similar sort of unique-ness about it.


However, thanks to bbqbob I learnt that you may be able to add Pimlico to your pub quiz or London trivia quiz knowledge. No prizes for guessing, but feel free to leave guesses below.

While we're on the subject of pub quizzes, I must thank J20 for inviting me, LJ Rich, Quartistice, Claire W & Lateral to a great pub quiz last week. For once I thought we were actually in with a chance of being placed in the top three. Although as it turned out, we woz robbed. You might fancy having a go at the picture quiz below.


Two celebrities are mixed up in each picture & it's a lot harder than it looks. Ignore our scribbles underneath two of the pictures, sadly they won't help!

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Monday, March 01, 2010 Permalink

Queen makes rare Tube visit

The Queen visited Aldgate London Underground station yesterday, as part of her City of London tour. It was also to view a memorial plaque for the July 7th bombings, where seven people were killed at the station. She thanked the station staff for all they had done to help the injured.

However, staff felt that they ought to give her a more pleasant memento of one of her infrequent Tube visits & produced a personalised roundel for Buckingham Palace:


Howard Collins, London Undergrounds chief operating officer, said: "The Queen thought it was marvellous. She said, 'What a fantastic gift.’ There was a big smile on her face.

"She was saying about how busy [the Underground] is. She travelled on the Tube as a young lady. She recognised it was very busy."

The Queen first travelled on the Tube in May 1939, when she was 13 years old and still a Princess. She was pictured with her governess Marion Crawford and Princess Margaret.

Ironically, she might have been better off travelling by Tube yesterday, as her car broke down during the City tour, and she had to cadge a lift with the police. The Telegraph have more on this.

Perhaps she may be more used to London Underground travel than she lets on. Crash Calloway said: "I am led to understand that she has her own private underground stop anyway, doesn't she? Some kind of secret Tube stop/tunnel in case of Nuclear War or Revolution... " Stranger things have happened.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Thursday, February 25, 2010 Permalink

Suburban Golders Green Tube Walks

It's the second round of Golders Green walks starting this weekend. Seven residents from the area created a series of walks about what their suburb means to them to tie in with the London Transport Museum's latest temporary exhibition Suburbia.


Golders Green was apparently the first Tube-created suburb in 1907 when the green fields of Golders Green were transformed by the coming of the Tube.

The locals have created three walks, which run to the end of March, along the themes of tasty places to eat, places of reflection and green spaces that highlight the diversity of their community today and what makes it unique.

The free guided tours start from 27th February 2010, (bookable online or over the phone on 020 7565 7298), which start at Golders Green London Underground Station. There are pdf self-guided walks that can be downloaded from the London Transport Museum's website.

The museum have also set up an interactive Flickr map. Anyone going on the walks is invited to take pics and then add them to the growing map of Golders Green. Click here to join the Flickr group & find out more about the walks.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Permalink

3D Subway Floor Tiles

Looking to re-tile your bathroom? Or for something to match your Tube Shower curtain? You may remember that there are some pretty expensive London Underground tiles that could do the trick. However, if you've got the patience, it would probably be cheaper to create a whole 3D effect for your bathroom based on a section of the subway map.


Floorcrunch spotted this amazing abstract effect where and "artist changed an abstract subway map into a concrete (or rather: glass and ceramic) tiling project covering three walls and the floor of this otherwise unremarkable bathroom."


The Dornob blog spoke to the artist Christoph Niemann who "started, of course, with a generic map of the New York City subway route system and abstracted it until arriving at a configuration that could be applied in straightforward square tile installation (art). Somewhere between pop art and abstract decor, this tile pattern is custom and unique to the place – but there is nothing to suggest that the savvy do-it-yourself type could not replicate the process in some form to crate a likewise personalized mosaic tile pattern for their own home bathroom interior (for that matter, would these not look neat in, say, the bathroom of the subway stations of NYC?)."

Or Tube toilets? Come on TfL, you know you want to, it would brighten them up no end! Although I imagine they'd be a bit disorientating, if you wandered into the loo slightly worse for wear & got hypnotised by the spiralling Circle Line. It might also encourage drunk blokes to follow certain routes, a la writing one's name in the snow!

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Permalink

CoverSpyLondon - Tube Reading

The secret book club that is the London Underground has inspired a new site that chronicles what people are reading on the Tube. CoverSpyLondon is a team of "publishing nerds" (their words not mine) who are hitting the Tube, streets, parks and bars to find out what Londoners are reading now.


It's not very often that you see two strangers reading exactly the same book, side by side, but I'm sure like me, you've been in several Tube carriages where people have been reading the same book as each other, or even yourself.

CoverSpyLondon is a collaborative site where you can follow what people are reading, chronicle which line they're on & there's even a short demographic description of their rough age and what they were wearing. Whether there's any links between fashion & reading habits, it's hard to say, but if you'd like to contribute with news on who you saw reading what, email the team on london@coverspy.com. You can also follow them on Twitter & send @ messages if you're Twitterly inclined.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Permalink

Underground Maps Unravelled

London Underground map expert, Maxwell Roberts, will presenting a collection of his maps at South Essex College of Further & Higher Education from Friday 26th February to 8th March. Max has written a number of guest posts for this blog (remember his brilliant curvy Tube Map) & his exhibition explores the success of Beck's Tube map & asks whether the increasingly complex networks of today need new approaches.






At the exhibition you'll see Underground maps that break all the rules, maps that are easier to use, maps that teach us about good design, maps that challenge our preconceptions and maps (like the art deco looking one below) that are purely decorative.


The exhibition is free and Max will be on hand to answer questions on the 26th and 27th February and the 6th March. Further details and directions to the college can be found here.

As Max says "Whether you are a graphic designer, transport professional, or just a frustrated commuter or tourist, maps will never seem the same again".

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Monday, February 22, 2010 Permalink

Central Line stranding & radio fail

Sometimes radio presenters have Freudian slips which reflect real sentiments. A presenter was doing a news round up of an stranding Thursday night. Passengers were stuck on a Central Line train near Liverpool Street Tube station for almost two hours in the evening rush hour.


However the presenter slipped up and a much longer delay was described, which you can listen to here on Radio Fail.

Incidentally, London Underground apologised for the incident and said "We worked to get people off trains as quickly as possible, but due to a number of trains in tunnels it took some time to get passengers off some of the trains."

London TravelWatch have asked for investigation to take place. Jo deBank told the BBC "Getting stuck for that length of time is horrendous." Just as well she didn't hear the radio report!

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Saturday, February 20, 2010 Permalink

Biggest Tube Fare Dodgers

When I received an email with the subject line "Fare Dodging Photo for You", I thought it would be an instance of "tailgating" - those people who walk really closely behind someone with a ticket to get through the barrier. Or it was David Cameron getting out of paying for a London Underground fare again.

But no, it was our feathered err.. friends at it once more. John Bull from London Reconnections said "Saw this little guy get on a District Line train this morning at Edgware Road.

It was very obvious from the way he was behaving that he didn't have a ticket, but the LU staff on the platform made no attempt at all to stop him. Disgraceful.


Hopefully the gateline staff at Wimbledon nabbed him!"

I'm sure he got away with it.


If you see any pigeons on the Tube (the Hammersmith & City Line, District & Circle lines are the best places), let me know, as I feel another Flickr Group in the making - Feathered Fare Dodgers on the Tube.

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Friday, February 19, 2010 Permalink

Empty Underground

The majority of my blog posts about the London Underground involve people & their interaction with the Tube, whether that's staff or ordinary commuters. With more than three million people using it every day, it's rare that you get to see the Tube empty (unless you're travelling at a strange time very early in the morning or after a terrorist attack). However, there are times when an empty Tube can look calming, interesting & mysterious - even if it is in a kind of post apocalyptic way.


Whatleydude noticed that since he started commuting in central London again, he'd been snapping the "absence of occupance".

He said: "This in turn led to the creation of a Flickr group - Empty Underground.

A collection of photos taken of London's underground rail system all in that rarest of moments; emptiness.

There's a whole bunch of amazing images from many different photographers. If you have some time, go check it out – and if you have any of your own, why not add them to the group?

See you around .... on the empty underground."

London Underground; Tube Posted by Annie Mole Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Permalink