h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Station by Station Guide to the London Underground - A3363833
Author: AlexAshman - Make Poverty History - U566116


Hi

I've added every station to the list, and now I just need the facts. I'm mainly looking for information which would help those using the station but also information about the station's history etc.

Alex

This will be very difficult to work as a single entry - it'll be far too lengthy. Do you plan to submit it to PR eventually? How about breaking it down line-by-line? Circle Line, District Line, Northern Line etc?

I think I'll break it down alphabetically once I've got all the information into it, and then put it into PR in several pieces. Breaking it down by line seems like a good idea, but there are many stations which lie on several lines.

Alex

Alphabetically is a bad idea. You'll just end up with several lists instead of one long one.

The idea of doing it by lines is much better. Yes there are stations that are on more than one. But that gives you the opportunity to highlight and bring out the interconnectivity of the system.

If you do go down the lines approach, it would *have* to be station by station as you travel along it. To do it alphabetically would be a missed opportunity and wouldn't give an impression of progression, a sense of a journey.

Seeing Simon Patterson's painting of the London Underground map, but with all the stations renamed (http://www.dareonline.org/artwork/patterson/patterson3.html) gave me a whole new way of seeing the space and travel through it.

This has the potential to be a really great series of entries. It'll be a lot of work, but it definitely has legs

The disused stations make an interesting story and may be deserving of a nod or two:

http://www.starfury.demon.co.uk/uground/

The Circle line is already covered (A592995), although perhaps the stations aren't described in as much detail as you intend.

And there is 'The Ultimate Guide to the London Underground' (A48502), which covers a handful of stations.

Okay - changes I'll make (but not right now I'm afraid):

I'll break it down to line by line, and have the stations in the order of, say, North to South or East to West.

I'll add the disused stations as well as renamed ones.

And I'll give the other guide entries a nod.

Alex

I like the idea of including the disused stations

I bet there'll be a fight amongst Dr Who fans over who gets to describe Goodge Street

Right - here's what I've done so far - I've created entries for:

East London Line (A3660310)
Victoria Line (A3660365)

Northern Line: High Barnet and Bank Branches (A3660419)
Northern Line: Edgware and Charing Cross Branches (A3660581)
Northern Line: Southern Branch (A3660608)

I've linked the main entry to these and the Circle Line entry.

Alex

You mention that the East London line is being extended to the north, but I think there are plans to extend it south, through Streatham, as well. I'll see if I can find a link...



http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/pressreleases/0110/09.asp

And in the Victoria line Entry, you could mention that Victoria is the busiest station on the whole Underground system. If you've been through it the morning rush hour, this is not a surprise

As far as I can tell this plan is not the finalised one - I've seen a lot of stuff that was more recent saying that, for instance, the line will not go as far as Finsbury Park, but only to High & I station. I'm not sure what to add - for now I'll just add the southern bits as speculation.

And I'll add that Victoria is the busiest station.

Alex

Ah, well, I kept a closer eye on the East London extension when I lived in Streatham than I do now that I live in Oxford!

I'll see if I can come up with some other bits and pieces - I'm not sure what I've contributed so far is worth a co-author credit! (But thanks anyway )

There's some stuff on Baker Street station that you can probably pinch... I mean paraphrase... from the Sherlock Holmes Entry (A2913734)

And how about a fictional Tube station? In the James Bond film 'Die Another Day', Bond and M have a clandestine meeting at a disused Tube station. From the signs, it appears to be 'Vauxhall Cross', supposedly on the Picadilly Line, which would mean a hell of a detour somewhere between Earl's Court and Green Park!

And then there's the rumour that the Royal family have a secret emergency exit from Buckingham Palace onto the Victoria Line somewhere near Green Park

Thanks - I'm off out right now, but I'll fit those things in soon.

I think that 'Vauxhall Cross' station is in fact on a separate line to the ones we know of (ie ficticious or very well hidden from the public), as Bond enters the station from next to the Thames, and yet the next station along would seem to be Hyde Park Corner. On a different subject - any ideas as to where it was filmed?

Alex

According to http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/dieanother.html, the station is just a set, rather than being filmed in an actual station:

"The station set is based on the old, unused Aldwych Station, on the Strand, which itself has been used in loads of films, including An American Werewolf in London, Sliding Doors, Prick Up Your Ears, The Krays and the supremely creepy Death Line (where it stood in for Russell Square)"

Hmm... it seems to have inlcuded the comma in that last link. So much for punctuation

Try: http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/dieanother.html

Hi Alex

I've been brainstorming for some stats/facts you could include about the stations/the tube:

First tube stations to open
Most recent to open
Comparisons in building costs
Total number of stations at London tube compared to other world tube systems
Deepest part of the network
Total number of carriages on tube
Total number of trains running at any one time
Total number of passengers at any one time
How much the original drivers were paid
Percentage of network that is actually overground
List of stations that are overground
Suicide stats for each station (niiiiiiiice)
Length of each line
Pollution levels (As this has been newsworthy in the last couple of years this may be findable on the BBC news site)
Crashes


Some of these would probably be difficult to research but the answers would be interesting...(to this anorak anyway. ) I'll brainstorm for some more if you're interested.

Interesting list of stats you are looking for there Alex.I'll see what I can dig up. Not literally re the suicide numbers.

I didn't come up with that list, and it scares the c**p out of me. Oh well - it'll just take a while. I think I've got a source for opening and closing dates of stations - I just can't find it at the moment...

all...