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Journey around London back in April

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jnjkerbin

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It was an early start as Dunton Green station where we left on 2F22, a Class 465 EMU forming the 0909 to Charing Cross. At Charing Cross we walked down to Embankment station and travelled on a District line C Stock train for the short run to Temple. Our reason for getting off here was to try and find the old Aldwych Station but we got a bit lost and ended up Aldwych-less and at Blackfriars where after trying to find the entrance to the Tube station, got a District Line D stock train to Tower Hill. By this time it was 1048 and we were nearly 1 and 3/4 hours into our day. We decided to alight here so we could get the DLR from Tower Gateway up to Stratford, changing at Poplar. On the first leg, we were lucky enough to get front row seats, running alongside the lines out of Fenchurch Street. When we changed at Poplar, the train was much more crowded as we screeched around the sharp corner towards Stratford.

On the approach to Stratford we got some views of the Olympic park and at Stratford itself we made our way to the Westbound Central line platform. The platform was not too crowded but the train itself was very busy for a Saturday. I was standing next to the doors (fortunately the one that remained closed at the stations with my neck bent into the curve of the roof. By Bank and with a bad neck-ache we decided to get off there and try and head north. We got a north bound Northern line train (yuck :|) and got off at Angel to take a ride on the very long escalator up to the surface. By this time it was 1148 and rather than heading underground again we decided to walk to Kings Cross St Pancras. Of course we got lost en route and it took us a good hour or so to get there.

After a quick look around St Pancras and a visit to the toilet we walked to Mornington Crescent and had a 10 minute wait for a Southbound train. We decided to go to Earls Court, changing at Leceister Square on to the Piccadily Line. After a short wait at Earls Court, we got the first Westbound District to Turnham Green. On board we decided to head to Richmond and have a break. On the train from Turnham Green to Richmond we were subjected to someone eating noisily and someone who thought that you had to shout on a mobile phone while we waited at a red signal before Kew Gardens. After a break at Richmond at about 1400 we decided to head for home. Rather than head through Central London again we decided to get a SWT Service to Clapham Junction while we ate lunch by the river and see what we could do from there. We got back to the station a few minutes before 2V35, a SWT 455 forming the 1434 to Waterloo came to our rescue. We got to Clapham Junction at 1449 and changed on to another 455, this time a Southern one West Croydon making up 2R74, the 1500 departure. At West Crodon we got a Croydon Tram to Beckenham Junction, arriving there at 1552. Our luck was holding as we had just an 8 minute wait for 2M82, a Southeastern 465 forming the 1600 to Orpington. Unfortunately our luck ran out as we had a 25 minute wait for the homeward train to Dunton Green, 2S50, a Class 465 forming the 1642 to Sevenoaks.

Journey Time: 7h46
Nicest Station: Earls Court or maybe St Pancras
Best train journey: On the tram, my first time.

Joe:)
 
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TheJRB

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Great report. Sounds like a good day was had.

a District line C Stock
Sorry to be a pedant but was it a District line or a Circle line train? It's not unheard of for a C Stock to make it on to the main District line, but it's not a regular event.
Northern line train (yuck :|)
What's wrong with the Northern line? :lol: I personally like the 1995TS.
We got to Clapham Junction at 1449 and changed on to another 455, this time a Southern one West Croydon making up 2R74, the 1500 departure. At West Crodon we got a Croydon Tram to Beckenham Junction, arriving there at 1552. Our luck was holding as we had just an 8 minute wait for 2M82, a Southeastern 465 forming the 1600 to Orpington. Unfortunately our luck ran out as we had a 25 minute wait for the homeward train to Dunton Green, 2S50, a Class 465 sorming the 1642 to Sevenoaks.
I did a South London excursion in April too except on a Clapham-Ashford ticket in which I went Clapham-Crystal Palace-Beckenham Jn-Bromley Sth-Ashford and the longest wait was at Beckenham!
 

TheJRB

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Please say that's sarcasm!

Probably naivety moreover. On the few times I've taken on the Northern line (Waterloo-Camden Town, Camden Town-KXSP, KXSP-Euston twice) I've had no problem. I'm aware it's been called the misery line before but that's not the experience I've had personally. That said, I'd take the speed of the Victoria line over it any day.

What is it in particular about the Northern line that makes it unpopular? Reliability, speed, stock?
 

jnjkerbin

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25 Apr 2012
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842
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Down south
I always find the Stock nice (for a tube train :) ) but it seems that its always much hotter down there than on other lines and from my experience the chances of getting a train on the Charing Cross Branch is easier said than done!

Joe:)
 

Techniquest

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Northern line is just too slow, hot and cramped for my liking. Same problem with the Met, can't get on with that either. Always feel like a traitor on that line, as much as that probably doesn't make sense. As for the Bakerloo, even early mornings/late evenings you need your own personal cooling system as it's so hot down there.

Now the H+C and Victoria lines, those I like. Sub-surface for the H+C, like the Met, but it uses C stock which I like. Victoria line, the uber express of the Tube, air conditioning, tells you which side you need to alight at. One day all of the Tube will be like this, and aside from the eliminating of the C stock (I'm not a big fan of the A stock, despite trying to like it) I look forward to the Tube eventually becoming like this all over.
 
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