Trivia: Instances where it is faster to walk from station to station when to get the tube

[Alxxxs]

I recently thought of a few instances when walking is the fastest way to get from one station to another, e.g. Queensway to Bayswater or Charing Cross to Embankment. What other notable cases you can suggest?

Let’s assume the walking time precisely between the entrances to the 2 stations in question. Let’s also consider only the cases where walking is also faster or comparable to any other transport and not only the tube (otherwise many pairs of stations in Zones 3+ situated broadly in the same area of London, but on different lines, would fit this definition, e.g. North Acton and Willesden Junction).

 

[stadler]

I recently thought of a few instances when walking is the fastest way to get from one station to another, e.g. Queensway to Bayswater or Charing Cross to Embankment. What other notable cases you can suggest?

Let’s assume the walking time precisely between the entrances to the 2 stations in question. Let’s also consider only the cases where walking is also faster or comparable to any other transport and not only the tube (otherwise many pairs of stations in Zones 3+ situated broadly in the same area of London, but on different lines, would fit this definition, e.g. North Acton and Willesden Junction).

There must be dozens of these. Especially in the Central London area. It takes ages when you realise you have to enter (an oftern crowded) station and go down the long escalators and walk down the long corridors and wait for a train one stop and then alight (another often crowded station) and walk down the long corridors again and go up the long escalators to exit. In many cases a simple one stop tube journey can end up taking 15 or 20 minutes when it could be walked in 5 or 10 minutes.

London Bridge to Bank Monument is almost always quicker walking. Especially if you arrive on National Rail at London Bridge and need the Circle or District line it is so much quicker to just walk out the station and over the bridge to Bank Monument station and get a train there. Even if you are just going to the main Bank station it is so much quicker to walk. Many people never realise how close they are because they are on opposite sides of the river. Taking the tube here is normally slower.

Blackfriars to Southwark is another similar one where simply walking over the bridge is so much quicker than the long winded tube journey to get there.

Lancaster Gate to Paddington is another similar one that can be walked so easily and quickly rather than taking two different tube trains to get there.

You also have dozens like Covent Garden to Leicester Square and Charing Cross to Embankment where so many foreign tourists waste so much time taking the tube for such a tiny distance journey.

I find all of these to be quicker walking:

Aldgate - Aldgate East
Aldgate East - Aldgate
Baker Street - Marylebone
Bank Monument - Cannon Street
Bank Monument - London Bridge
Bank Monument - Mansion House
Bayswater - Queensway
Blackfriars - Saint Pauls
Blackfriars - Southwark
Bond Street - Marble Arch
Bond Street - Oxford Circus
Cannon Street - Bank Monument
Cannon Street - Mansion House
Charing Cross - Embankment
Charing Cross - Leicester Square
Charing Cross - Piccadilly Circus
Charing Cross - Westminster
Covent Garden - Leicester Square
Embankment - Charing Cross
Euston - Euston Square
Euston - Warren Street
Euston Square - Euston
Euston Square - Warren Street
Great Portland Street - Regents Park
Great Portland Street - Warren Street
Green Park - Piccadilly Circus
Hyde Park Corner - Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge - Hyde Park Corner
Lancaster Gate - Paddington
Leicester Square - Charing Cross
Leicester Square - Covent Garden
Leicester Square - Piccadilly Circus
Leicester Square - Tottenham Court Road
London Bridge - Bank Monument
Mansion House - Bank Monument
Mansion House - Cannon Street
Mansion House - Saint Pauls
Marble Arch - Bond Street
Marylebone - Baker Street
Oxford Circus - Bond Street
Oxford Circus - Piccadilly Circus
Oxford Circus - Tottenham Court Road
Paddington - Lancaster Gate
Piccadilly Circus - Charing Cross
Piccadilly Circus - Green Park
Piccadilly Circus - Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus - Oxford Circus
Piccadilly Circus - Tottenham Court Road
Regents Park - Great Portland Street
Regents Park - Warren Street
Royal Oak - Warwick Avenue
Queensway - Bayswater
Saint Pauls - Blackfriars
Saint Pauls - Mansion House
Southwark - Blackfriars
Tottenham Court Road - Leicester Square
Tottenham Court Road - Oxford Circus
Tottenham Court Road - Piccadilly Circus
Warren Street - Euston
Warren Street - Euston Square
Warren Street - Great Portland Street
Warren Street - Regents Park
Warwick Avenue - Royal Oak
Westminster - Charing Cross

There are probably others that i have missed.

I do think it would be really helpful if TFL added a walking symbol or a walking line on the tube map between these stations to indicate just how close they are. So many people (especially foreign tourists) make so many pointless one stop journeys that are quicker to walk. Most locals know but not so much tourists.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

There was apparently an (unofficial) Tube map in the 1980s which was geographical in central London, so you could see how close stations were, but then became a Beck-style schematic as you left the centre, so all the suburban lines could be included without the map becoming infeasibly large. I've never seen a copy but have sometimes wondered about knocking up something similar myself.

 

[Scotty]

There was apparently an (unofficial) Tube map in the 1980s which was geographical in central London, so you could see how close stations were, but then became a Beck-style schematic as you left the centre, so all the suburban lines could be included without the map becoming infeasibly large. I've never seen a copy but have sometimes wondered about knocking up something similar myself.

This sort of thing?

https://cartometro.com/cartes/metro-london/

 

[Doctor Fegg]

No, that’s not a schematic in the suburban areas.

 

[Silent]

Victoria to St James Park maybe
Farringdon to Blackfriars

 

[Dave W]

Victoria to St James Park maybe

I doubt this, considering how much fighting you have to do to get around Victoria.

St James's Park to Westminster, however... Although perhaps same ressoning applies to the bit under Big Ben!

 

[Hadders]

Farringdon to Chancery Lane is a classic one that's faster to walk. Looks a long way on the tube map.

 

[Harpo]

Bank (not Monument) to Fenchurch Street.

The fastest route from Paddington to Fenchurch St pre-Liz line, was Lancaster Gate to Bank.

 

[Magdalia]

Lots in the City not mentioned yet.

Liverpool Street-Bank/Monument
Liverpool Street-Moorgate
Bank-Moorgate
Cannon Street-Moorgate
Moorgate-Barbican
Barbican-Farringdon
Barbican-St Pauls

Victoria to St James Park maybe

St James's Park-Green Park is a nice walk except when there is something going on at the Palace.

 

[Class15]

St James’ Park to Westminster absolutely. Not so sure about St James‘ Park to Victoria though, although if I come in to Victoria on a given day (Victoria line or SE/SN), I don’t bother with the underground or bus and just walk it from there.

 

[The exile]

There must be dozens of these. Especially in the Central London area. It takes ages when you realise you have to enter (an oftern crowded) station and go down the long escalators and walk down the long corridors and wait for a train one stop and then alight (another often crowded station) and walk down the long corridors again and go up the long escalators to exit. In many cases a simple one stop tube journey can end up taking 15 or 20 minutes when it could be walked in 5 or 10 minutes.

London Bridge to Bank Monument is almost always quicker walking. Especially if you arrive on National Rail at London Bridge and need the Circle or District line it is so much quicker to just walk out the station and over the bridge to Bank Monument station and get a train there. Even if you are just going to the main Bank station it is so much quicker to walk. Many people never realise how close they are because they are on opposite sides of the river. Taking the tube here is normally slower.

Blackfriars to Southwark is another similar one where simply walking over the bridge is so much quicker than the long winded tube journey to get there.

Lancaster Gate to Paddington is another similar one that can be walked so easily and quickly rather than taking two different tube trains to get there.

You also have dozens like Covent Garden to Leicester Square and Charing Cross to Embankment where so many foreign tourists waste so much time taking the tube for such a tiny distance journey.

I find all of these to be quicker walking:

Aldgate - Aldgate East
Aldgate East - Aldgate
Baker Street - Marylebone
Bank Monument - Cannon Street
Bank Monument - London Bridge
Bank Monument - Mansion House
Bayswater - Queensway
Blackfriars - Saint Pauls
Blackfriars - Southwark
Bond Street - Marble Arch
Bond Street - Oxford Circus
Cannon Street - Bank Monument
Cannon Street - Mansion House
Charing Cross - Embankment
Charing Cross - Leicester Square
Charing Cross - Piccadilly Circus
Charing Cross - Westminster
Covent Garden - Leicester Square
Embankment - Charing Cross
Euston - Euston Square
Euston - Warren Street
Euston Square - Euston
Euston Square - Warren Street
Great Portland Street - Regents Park
Great Portland Street - Warren Street
Green Park - Piccadilly Circus
Hyde Park Corner - Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge - Hyde Park Corner
Lancaster Gate - Paddington
Leicester Square - Charing Cross
Leicester Square - Covent Garden
Leicester Square - Piccadilly Circus
Leicester Square - Tottenham Court Road
London Bridge - Bank Monument
Mansion House - Bank Monument
Mansion House - Cannon Street
Mansion House - Saint Pauls
Marble Arch - Bond Street
Marylebone - Baker Street
Oxford Circus - Bond Street
Oxford Circus - Piccadilly Circus
Oxford Circus - Tottenham Court Road
Paddington - Lancaster Gate
Piccadilly Circus - Charing Cross
Piccadilly Circus - Green Park
Piccadilly Circus - Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus - Oxford Circus
Piccadilly Circus - Tottenham Court Road
Regents Park - Great Portland Street
Regents Park - Warren Street
Royal Oak - Warwick Avenue
Queensway - Bayswater
Saint Pauls - Blackfriars
Saint Pauls - Mansion House
Southwark - Blackfriars
Tottenham Court Road - Leicester Square
Tottenham Court Road - Oxford Circus
Tottenham Court Road - Piccadilly Circus
Warren Street - Euston
Warren Street - Euston Square
Warren Street - Great Portland Street
Warren Street - Regents Park
Warwick Avenue - Royal Oak
Westminster - Charing Cross

There are probably others that i have missed.

I do think it would be really helpful if TFL added a walking symbol or a walking line on the tube map between these stations to indicate just how close they are. So many people (especially foreign tourists) make so many pointless one stop journeys that are quicker to walk. Most locals know but not so much tourists.

The absolute classic used to be Temple - Aldwych but you have to walk now!

 

[Class15]

Camden Road - Camden Town
Caledonian Road & Barnsbury - Caledonian Road
Hackney Central - Hackney Downs (debatable as could be classed as one station)
Hampstead Heath - Belsize Park
Upper Holloway - Archway
Finchley Road & Frognal - Finchley Road
Kentish Town - Kentish Town West
Kensal Rise - Kensal Green
Kilburn - Brondesbury

Of course all these are assuming that the Overground is allowed, which I assume it is as it is on the tube map.

 

[greyman42]

Holborn to Covent Garden?

 

[Sunil_P]

If we're counting the Lizzie Line, Stratford to Maryland, and the DLR, Stratford to Stratford High Street.

 

[Mag_seven]

Kenton - Northwick Park

 

[markle]

deleted

 

[PTR 444]

TfL do have a range of maps / documents, but you do rather have to dig for them, and all have their limitations:

West end waking map: https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/walking-times-and-steps-shops-attractions-west-end.pdf
Central London journeys that could be quicker to walk: https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/walking-tube-map-journey-times.pdf
Walking times between stations on the same line: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map.pdf

I think it would be good also if TfL displayed times to get from street to platform level at each station on their TfL Go app, bearing in mind these can vary depending on the time of day. It’s amazing how so many people forget that the walk down to the platform and back up again can take the most time out of a short Tube journey.

Perhaps electronic VMS displays could also be installed at station entrances, for those who do not wish to get their smartphones out in a busy area.

Do Google and Apple Maps take into account the time it takes to get from street to platform when one is planning a Tube journey?

 

[markle]

deleted

 

[Mojo]

Victoria to St James Park maybe

I wouldn’t say so.

I can think of very few examples where it would be quicker to walk between adjacent stations on the sub-surface lines and get there quicker. The viral video from about 10 years ago had someone running Mansion House to Cannon St and he only just made it thanks to several practice runs, spotters to look out for traffic at cross roads, and the individual sprinting. (There’s also the parkour video from Moorgate to Farringdon which was discussed here
at the time and widely agreed to be fake).

The Charing + branch of the Northern line is quite slow, I’d say it’s probably quicker to walk between every station Embankment to Warren St inclusive.

Outside zone 1 you also have Ickenham to West Ruislip in zone 6.

 

[Thirteen]

Due to the Elizabeth Line stations being so big, Liverpool Street to Moorgate is one you can do without going outside as well, likewise Farringdon to Barbican.

 

[Class15]

I reckon that you could give a Overground train a good run for its money between Highbury & Islington (HHY) and Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, if it’s one of the trains that is booked to sit at HHY for 3 minutes plus!

And the same for Camden Road to Kentish Town West… in the off-peak and Saturdays Richmond trains sit at Camden for 3.5 minutes so you could probably beat one of those…

 

[Silent]

I doubt this, considering how much fighting you have to do to get around Victoria.

St James's Park to Westminster, however... Although perhaps same ressoning applies to the bit under Big Ben!

It’s just a wide straight path and alleyway to St James park, I don’t find myself bumping into people. The underground entrance. The station entrance to platform is long.

 

[stadler]

Chesham to Amersham is one that can sometimes be quicker walking. If you just miss the train then walking is usually quicker than waiting for the next one. I was in Chesham last spring and i just missed the train. The train was pulling away as i got to the station. So i decided to walk to Amersham rather than wait 30 minutes for the next one. The walk took me around 35 minutes. I am a fast walker but a slower walker could do it in 45 minutes and still save time. If i had waited for the next train it probably would have been a 55 minute journey total. I would have 30 minutes to wait then a 10 minute train ride then 10 minute to wait at Chalfont & Latimer than a 5 minute train ride. So my 35 minute walk saved me around 20 minutes compared to 55 minutes if i had waited for the train. This is quite an unusual one on the tube as the other lines are normally so frequent.

 

[dastocks]

Farringdon to Blackfriars

On the Underground, yes. Thameslink (on most tube maps these days) is much faster than walking.

 

[35B]

On the Underground, yes. Thameslink (on most tube maps these days) is much faster than walking.

I'd beg to differ, certainly for the entrance on the north bank. It might be close if the train came in immediately, but on an average wait, plus the time to navigate the stations, a brisk walk down Farringdon St would be quicker.

 

[ChrisC]

I recently thought of a few instances when walking is the fastest way to get from one station to another, e.g. Queensway to Bayswater or Charing Cross to Embankment. What other notable cases you can suggest?

I didn’t realise how close Bayswater is to Queensway until last summer when I walked up the street from Queensway looking for somewhere reasonable to eat. It is not obvious from the tube map.

 

[Hornet]

North Harrow to/from West Harrow.

 

[Sunil_P]

Snaresbrook to Leytonstone

 

[PeterC]

Chesham to Amersham is one that can sometimes be quicker walking. If you just miss the train then walking is usually quicker than waiting for the next one. I was in Chesham last spring and i just missed the train. The train was pulling away as i got to the station. So i decided to walk to Amersham rather than wait 30 minutes for the next one. The walk took me around 35 minutes. I am a fast walker but a slower walker could do it in 45 minutes and still save time. If i had waited for the next train it probably would have been a 55 minute journey total. I would have 30 minutes to wait then a 10 minute train ride then 10 minute to wait at Chalfont & Latimer than a 5 minute train ride. So my 35 minute walk saved me around 20 minutes compared to 55 minutes if i had waited for the train. This is quite an unusual one on the tube as the other lines are normally so frequent.

Easier in the reverse direction which is mostly downhill.