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Piccadilly Circus Station at Peak hour

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Alessandro P

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Hello Guys

sorry for the very stupid question but I would like to know how busy is the Piccadilly Tube station from 17:45 to 18:15 if i want to go to Eastcote?

This would be by day to day commuting and I am worried about it.
It seems that I would be commuting in the peak hour .
Is this a nightmare trip?


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Ianno87

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Out of those choices, I'd use the Jubilee (from Green Park) and then the simple across-the-platform interchange to the Metropolitan at Finchley Road. Lots of people do it.
 

Alessandro P

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let me explain .. it would be from eastcote to piccadilly or eastcote to green park and return
 

Alessandro P

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Out of those choices, I'd use the Jubilee (from Green Park) and then the simple across-the-platform interchange to the Metropolitan at Finchley Road. Lots of people do it.
is it busy like a nightmare or you can still do it? Sorry about this questions but I am concerned about my mental health as doing a commuting stressfull could freak me out..
 

bluegoblin7

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It’s the peak. It’s busy. You probably won’t get a seat, and you may have to wait for one or two trains to go past. At that time of day any arterial journey is going to be busy. It’s a fact of travel in London.

On an average day it’s doable, but that can change if there’s disruption (obviously). The best route would be as suggested - Jubilee line to Finchley Road and then the Metropolitan line from there.

PS there’s no ‘Piccadilly’ station, it’s Piccadilly Circus.
 

PeterC

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is it busy like a nightmare or you can still do it? Sorry about this questions but I am concerned about my mental health as doing a commuting stressfull could freak me out..
Green Park to Finchley Road will be crowded, the Met isn't usually so crowded but a seat is unlikely until after Harrow. The only sections of the tube that I would describe as "nightmarish" are the Jubilee between Waterloo and London Bridge and a big chunk of the Central Line although, hopefully, Crossrail will relieve some of that. Do what most people do, get on, take hold of a grab pole and switch off.

Personally I found standing on a crowded tube train quite relaxing after my previous commute on the M25.
 

ChiefPlanner

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A good number of Met Line trains start at Baker Street , (for Uxbridge) and from my observation have adequate space on them to find a seat. (probably because a good number interchange onto them off the JLE at Finchley Road) ....
 

Surreytraveller

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Don't forget, if you travel from Piccadilly Circus Station, you can travel to Baker Street where there is cross platform Interchange with the Jubilee, then cross platform interchange again at Finchley Road. Saves fighting crowds at interchange stations.
 

bionic

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is it busy like a nightmare or you can still do it? Sorry about this questions but I am concerned about my mental health as doing a commuting stressfull could freak me out..

The Piccadilly Line runs a small number of trains direct between Eastcote and Green Park/Piccadilly Circus, however if you are worried about your mental health I wouldn't recommend you ever consider that route.

Don't forget that much of Central London is more walkable than people think. If I was concerned about busy tubes I'd be using the Met line between Eastcote and Baker Street and then walking or TFL biking the rest of the way on the back streets. If you get on PM trains that start from Baker Street you'll get a seat both ways. Sod the deep tubes in rush hour.
 

bb21

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Don't forget, if you travel from Piccadilly Circus Station, you can travel to Baker Street where there is cross platform Interchange with the Jubilee, then cross platform interchange again at Finchley Road. Saves fighting crowds at interchange stations.
Surely in that case you'd just walk upstairs (at Baker St) and get the Met from there, with a seat if one starting there.
 

Surreytraveller

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Surely in that case you'd just walk upstairs (at Baker St) and get the Met from there, with a seat if one starting there.
You can do, but might be quicker and easier to jump on the Jubilee to Finchley Road. Depends how long it will take to fight through the crowds to get to the Met platforms - the Jubilee platform will be adjacent to the Bakerloo
 

Tom B

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The service on that branch of the Picc is notoriously unreliable, playing second fiddle to Heathrow and subject to suspension or delay regularly - and the line as a whole is regularly subject to delays. The Jubilee/Met combination should at least be better in that regard.
 

Dstock7080

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A good number of Met Line trains start at Baker Street , (for Uxbridge) and from my observation have adequate space on them to find a seat. (probably because a good number interchange onto them off the JLE at Finchley Road) ....
Only every 30mins starting from Baker Street
 

LU_timetabler

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The only way to really know is to try them and see. Both Picc all the way and Jubilee from Green Park cross platform to Met at Finchley Road are viable options, or even the suggested Bakerloo, cross platform to Jubilee, cross platform to Met. Try them all several times at the times you want to be travelling and see what works for you. Some people don't mind squeezing onto one train knowing they'll get a seat a little later, but are relaxed because they don't have to change or rely on several lines all working well. For others it is whatever is the quickest route without difficult underground interchanges. No way to tell what will suit you. Also good to have back up routes so that when you see the travel information showing disruption you at least have a slightly familiar back-up plan. Also worth mentioning that in the peak the Picc has a much boosted service to Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
 

rebmcr

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Don't forget that much of Central London is more walkable than people think. If I was concerned about busy tubes I'd be using the Met line between Eastcote and Baker Street and then walking or TFL biking the rest of the way on the back streets. If you get on PM trains that start from Baker Street you'll get a seat both ways. Sod the deep tubes in rush hour.

I would second this as something you should seriously consider. Given that you're seeking this information already, I would say it's likely that your stress would indeed be exacerbated by daily peak Z1 deep tube journeys, however the alternative on-street option to the much more civilised Baker Street trains is a great alternative, and honestly wouldn't even take much longer (after discounting the time taken to reach the lower level platforms of the stations on Piccadilly, and wait for a few trains to pass).
 

Mojo

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That surprises me , long time since I had in my hand a (paper) WTT for the Met :D , the Piccadilly is a very pleasant ride - but seems very slow compared to the Met Main. !
All of the Uxbridge trains run through to/from the City, except for a handful of peak hour additionals that start at Baker St, at the times the OP is likely to be travelling there is one at 17.41 and one at 18.12, and then at 18.44.

The Uxbridge branch is by far the busiest of the branches of the Met line and it is common for customers to be standing all the way to Eastcote, although if you get on at Baker Street you’re more likely to find a seat than those boarding at Finchley Road.
I would second this as something you should seriously consider. Given that you're seeking this information already, I would say it's likely that your stress would indeed be exacerbated by daily peak Z1 deep tube journeys, however the alternative on-street option to the much more civilised Baker Street trains is a great alternative, and honestly wouldn't even take much longer (after discounting the time taken to reach the lower level platforms of the stations on Piccadilly, and wait for a few trains to pass).
Given the scarcity of trains starting at Baker St, I really can’t see the point. It’s not like you’re coming into a Mainline station and have to hassle to interchange to the other line or are having to pay a premium for LU travel, it really is quite easy and costs the same.

Any time spent on the Jubilee line will really be quite small; I’m guessing from the Google Maps screenshot above the distance from the origin to either Green Park, or Piccadilly Circus is fairly similar.

The journey time on the Piccadilly line is about 50% longer than the Met from Baker St, but once you account for interchange and the Jubilee line travel time it probably isn’t much more than 10 Min longer. Always get on the first train and change at Acton Town and or Rayners Lane, as the Piccadilly line often starts trains at Acton in the afternoon when there has been any sort of problems on the lines.
 

rebmcr

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Given the scarcity of trains starting at Baker St, I really can’t see the point.

Even an Aldgate starter at Baker Street is still going to be much less unpleasant than the Jubilee, Piccadilly, or Bakerloo lines.
 

jumble

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Even an Aldgate starter at Baker Street is still going to be much less unpleasant than the Jubilee, Piccadilly, or Bakerloo lines.

I do this journey fairly often ( well to Rayners Lane) and will vary what I do depending on time of evening
I hate standing on trains and will gladly take a bit longer not to do so.
If I am leaving Green Park during peak I will take the jubilee to Baker street travelling in the second/third coach and then walk up to the Met lines and take the first train from 1 or 4 that is all stations or semi fast ( I tend not to take Fast as they might might serve platform 1 at HOTH which is a pain)
I will then change at HOTH if necessary
Many times the semi fast will connect with the preceding Uxbridge at HOTH and most of the time there are seats on the Uxbridge service from HOTH
If I am leaving Green Park after peak I take Jubilee to Finchley Rd and follow the same rules
 

Alessandro P

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Hello Guys, thank you very much for all your inputs on this.
Probably, the reality is that there is no quick win and only by trying the different combinations I can see what suits me the most.

At the moment my commute is very straight forward , Eastcote <--> Acton Town ,
I don't see myself doing Eastcote <--> Piccadily Circus or Green park to be honest with you.
It is extra money as adding zone 1 and zone 2 is expensive and I can see myself leaving home before 8 AM and returing back home after 7 PM.
To me this is not life and not worth changing job for this.
 
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Scotrail314209

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Sorry to bump this up, but some days Green Park can get very busy in which they need to close part of the station. So if you don’t want to risk it, you should try taking an alternate route.
 
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