-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Above ground tube maps
- Thread starter TUC
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
m79900
Member
I think the London A-Z shows the tube lines on the road map. Don't quote me on that though.
Mcr Warrior
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 8 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 11,861
Some (older) OS maps certainly seem to show the sub-surface tube lines, even when they are in a tunnel.
See link below showing the area in the vicinity of Temple underground station in Central London.
See link below showing the area in the vicinity of Temple underground station in Central London.
greatkingrat
Established Member
- Joined
- 20 Jan 2011
- Messages
- 2,770
80073
Member
A very good question.
I suspect that the OP wants a rough idea of routes under roads, but others, such as construction companies, need much fuller information. The answer may well be that accurate maps of where railway tunnels run beneath London do not exist!
This was certainly the case ten years ago, as can be read in RAIB Report 03/2014: Penetration of a tunnel at Old Street. This investigated an alarming incident when a driver of a Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City train discovered two drilling augurs from a construction site had penetrated the roof of the tunnel and were fouling the line ahead of his train. Fortunately, he had been asked to check for damage, after reports of water leaking onto the track, and was running at slow speed.
As with many incidents the RAIB revealed was a combination of causes, with one being that
Para 93 - Accurate alignment information is not publicly available for underground railways in central London. In the absence of this information, some maps show an assumed alignment for the tunnels. For example, Google Maps (figure 22) shows a stylised alignment for the London Underground Northern Line which is significantly different from the actual alignment (figure 23).
It would be interesting to know if alignment information has improved since then.
I suspect that the OP wants a rough idea of routes under roads, but others, such as construction companies, need much fuller information. The answer may well be that accurate maps of where railway tunnels run beneath London do not exist!
This was certainly the case ten years ago, as can be read in RAIB Report 03/2014: Penetration of a tunnel at Old Street. This investigated an alarming incident when a driver of a Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City train discovered two drilling augurs from a construction site had penetrated the roof of the tunnel and were fouling the line ahead of his train. Fortunately, he had been asked to check for damage, after reports of water leaking onto the track, and was running at slow speed.
As with many incidents the RAIB revealed was a combination of causes, with one being that
Para 93 - Accurate alignment information is not publicly available for underground railways in central London. In the absence of this information, some maps show an assumed alignment for the tunnels. For example, Google Maps (figure 22) shows a stylised alignment for the London Underground Northern Line which is significantly different from the actual alignment (figure 23).
It would be interesting to know if alignment information has improved since then.
sjoh
Member
If you just look on google maps and toggle the Public Transport layer on (bottom left of screen), it'll give you a fairly decent idea also.
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 31,443
Somewhere in the public domain there are highly accurate LU maps showing their ownership boundaries, we linked to them in a thread a couple of years back about the White City area for some reason. I’ll try and find the web address…
Here you go: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5129c766255941d3be16a6828faa8f18
Link goes to a zoomable map based on TfL property asset register.
Here you go: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5129c766255941d3be16a6828faa8f18
Link goes to a zoomable map based on TfL property asset register.
Last edited:
I still have my London A-Z that I bought when I first worked in London, and I still refer to it quite frequently.
It shows most but not all of the routes of the sub-surface and tube lines.
They are omitted where they obscure surface detail, in particular where roads are directly above, for example Baker Street to Kings Cross.
I wouldn't like to say how accurate it is!
Someone seems to have put usefully the pretty accurate alignment of lines, including station platform positions and even lengthy interchange passages such as the one at Green Park the length of Arlington Street, on Open Streetmap.
This, among others, correctly shows the Moorgate to Finsbury Park line, mentioned above, as taking a direct line north of Old Street. The penetration accident there surprised me too, as I had always thought that, like other old tube lines, it was under the main road, which is only fractionally to the east, and any direct drawing (which is how it actually is) was just inaccurate cartography.
It had somewhat fallen into an administrative void, as the line was transferred from the Underground to BR in 1976, the Underground had thus subsequently removed it from their asset mapping whilst the BR detail had been drawn up before the transfer.
This, among others, correctly shows the Moorgate to Finsbury Park line, mentioned above, as taking a direct line north of Old Street. The penetration accident there surprised me too, as I had always thought that, like other old tube lines, it was under the main road, which is only fractionally to the east, and any direct drawing (which is how it actually is) was just inaccurate cartography.
It had somewhat fallen into an administrative void, as the line was transferred from the Underground to BR in 1976, the Underground had thus subsequently removed it from their asset mapping whilst the BR detail had been drawn up before the transfer.
Last edited:
Having had a look, I struggle in places to match what I know 'is' with what is marked - in particular regarding Tramlink, where parts are marked as 'London Buses' or 'TfL' property (freehold or leasehold), but others only as 'line of route', with no indication as to how Tramlink has right of occupancy.
Similarly, on underground LUL lines, while the LUL 'Zone of Influence' is clearly marked, actual TfL (whichever part) land seems a bit erratic, with odd parcels in places...
But doubtless TfL property managers know what it's all about.
More generally, an FoI request did lead to production of LUL route maps overlaid on OS mapping as at 2004 - see https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/lul_route_maps
Last edited:
- Status