How Deep is the Tube?

[Lee_Again]

Maybe posted before (sorry) but if not, knock your selves out with this...

Tube Depths

Source: https://www.dansilva.co.uk/down-underground

Everyone knows they are going underground, but just how deep?
These simple diagrams deliver just that – all Underground services illustrating the height of all stations and platforms, below and above ground.

 

[30907]

Thank you.

Maybe posted before (sorry) but if not, knock your selves out with this...

Tube Depths

I presume it is your own work? Impressive!

 

[Jimini]

Lovely stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

[Cowley]

Very interesting.

 

[kentuckytony]

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is the "deepest tube line" the one which is the deepest below sea level (Jubilee line at Waterloo?), or the one which is the deepest below the local ground level (Northern Line at Hampstead?), or, indeed, somewhere else?

 

[MikeWh]

Maybe posted before (sorry) but if not, knock your selves out with this...

Tube Depths

Extremely interesting, thanks.

Are you planning to add Battersea Power Station?

 

[yorkie]

Is the "deepest tube line" the one which is the deepest below sea level (Jubilee line at Waterloo?), or the one which is the deepest below the local ground level (Northern Line at Hampstead?)

It is up to the person defining the question, but usually the question refers to the depth as measured against ground level, rather than sea level.

or, indeed, somewhere else?

The ground level at the buffers at Ongar? (I'll get my coat..)

 

[swt_passenger]

Previously posted in 2019.
Elsewhere in that thread I also linked to the FOI request that provided the underlying data for the diagrams.

TRIVIA: Which London Tube station is furthest below sea level?

I believe Hampstead station is the deepest insofar as it is furthest down from the surface, but which tube station is furthest below sea level?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Horizon22]

Very interesting - I've always wondered how steep some sections are, especially for areas that are above ground and then only 10-15 minutes later you're in the depth of a tunnel.

 

[Caboose Class]

This thread got me thinking (and Googling) about the depth of other underground systems in the world. Here are the results:-

Country	City	Station	Depth (m)
UK	London	Hampstead	58
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	HKU	70
USA	Portland	Washington Park	79
Russia	Moscow	Park Pobedy	84
China	Chongqing	Hongtudi	94
Ukraine	Kiev	Arsenalna	106
North Korea	Pyongyang	Yonggwang?	110?

 

[Horizon22]

This thread got me thinking (and Googling) about the depth of other underground systems in the world. Here are the results:-

Country	City	Station	Depth (m)
UK	London	Hampstead	58
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	HKU	70
USA	Portland	Washington Park	79
Russia	Moscow	Park Pobedy	84
China	Chongqing	Hongtudi	94
Ukraine	Kiev	Arsenalna	106
North Korea	Pyongyang	Yonggwang?	110?

Guessing this is relative depth as opposed to absolute then?

 

[Caboose Class]

Guessing this is relative depth as opposed to absolute then?

Depth from ground (street) level

 

[Mikey C]

Anyone else now got the Bee Gees song stuck in their head?

"How deep is the tube, how deep is the tube, I really need to know"

 

[EC Traveller]

Very interesting (from an occasional pax point of veiw).

My question, to tube drivers; do you feel those gradients all day - thinking uphill would be more noticeable, but offset by local rises/falls and the stations themselves.

 

[Taunton]

Is the DLR at Bank further below sea level than the furthest below Underground, the Jubilee at Waterloo? It always seems a long way further down from the Northern Line platforms.

I wonder what constitutes ground/street level at Highgate, where you go a long way down from Archway Road into a cutting while still outside. Is it to the street exit from that long outdoor escalator?

 

[jopsuk]

Is the DLR at Bank further below sea level than the furthest below Underground, the Jubilee at Waterloo? It always seems a long way further down from the Northern Line platforms.

I wonder what constitutes ground/street level at Highgate, where you go a long way down from Archway Road into a cutting while still outside. Is it to the street exit from that long outdoor escalator?

ooh good question- and with other systems, are there stations similar to the (mainline) station in places such as Sanremo in Italy, where the line is underground but the station entrance is about the same height above sea level as the platforms?

 

[Taunton]

Strangely, I thought of San Remo in Italy as well, along with Monaco just along the line the same. Both previously had the main line running along just above the seashore at the base of the cliffs, but with urban development all around were moved to new tunneled routes, with underhround station, somewhat inland. The line is obviously still at the same level above the sea, and both have somewhat level passage access to the platforms, but the distance below ground level at the point of the platforms must be substantial.

 

[Lee_Again]

Thank you.

I presume it is your own work? Impressive!

Not mine. Just a link to a public website. I've no idea who created them. I'm sure the site will contains details of the author. They are great though.

Is the "deepest tube line" the one which is the deepest below sea level (Jubilee line at Waterloo?), or the one which is the deepest below the local ground level (Northern Line at Hampstead?), or, indeed, somewhere else?

I think the generally accepted measure is based on how much dirt you'd have to dig through to reach the surface (from the tunnel). I'm sure there are lines nearer the centre of the earth than Hampstead, after all, it's under a hill, but that's hardly a useful definition. Otherwise, if in a hole, you could be the deepest and in fact only be 1m under the surface, or indeed, not under the surface at all!!!!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Anyone else now got the Bee Gees song stuck in their head?

"How deep is the tube, how deep is the tube, I really need to know"

Yep!

 

[Taunton]

If Hampstead is the deepest current station, then how deep is Bull & Bush, up on the hilltop beyond? *

I always thought that from Hampstead the ground rises steeply to that point, then falls right away again down to Golders Green. Yet these diagrams show that Hampstead to Golders Green is apparently the steepest gradient on the Underground.

* : Edit - I've just found out. It is deeper, but not by much; 221 ft vs 191 ft. Useful diagram here :

Bull & Bush Underground Station (underground-history.co.uk)

 

[VauxhallandI]

Wonderful - now if only I had a room to print them out and put them up in

 

[cambsy]

I think the diagrams of Daniel Silva are really great, but an explanation of the figures, and how to use the diagram, would be useful, i dont know wether i have missed the explanation, or its not on the downloadable pdf, but if there is a guide, could a link etc but put in this thread? Thanks

 

[Egg Centric]

This thread got me thinking (and Googling) about the depth of other underground systems in the world. Here are the results:-

Country	City	Station	Depth (m)
UK	London	Hampstead	58
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	HKU	70
USA	Portland	Washington Park	79
Russia	Moscow	Park Pobedy	84
China	Chongqing	Hongtudi	94
Ukraine	Kiev	Arsenalna	106
North Korea	Pyongyang	Yonggwang?	110?

While not entirely related, should anyone else be wondering "how do I go deeper underground without much hassle" the National Mining Museum will get you deeper than any of these and you'll have a great time too - loved the tour I took a couple of months ago

Neither compare to e.g. gotthard base tunnel though of course.

 

[Lee_Again]

Maybe posted before (sorry) but if not, knock your selves out with this...

Tube Depths

Source: https://www.dansilva.co.uk/down-underground

I’ll try…
The number represent the number of meters under street level, the + sign indicates an above surface value.
The < and > signs indicate a direction if the line splits and goes to different depths.
The seemingly random coloured circles represent other tube lines with the numbers again representing depths.
It’s worth noting the lines joining the stations are not a true reflection of the track profile. They simply join the stations. Rise and falls are effectively averaged away!

 

[Busaholic]

The North Korean system may well be transporting workers from one part of an underground missile site to another well out of view of any passing satellite!