Wapping Overground elevator: How long is the max wait time, and how long is the ride?

[jamboree7123]

I'll be working very near the Wapping Overground station for a few months, and every day as part of my schedule I'll need to frequently go hop on the train multiple times per day and then return. The faster I can get these errands/excursions done, the better. So I want to be able to calculate the worst-case scenario maximum time it wlll take me to get on a train.

Because the Wapping "Over"ground station is so deep underground, the spiral staircase down to the platforms seems to go on forever, and I remember getting dizzy the few times I ever tried it. So I plan to take the station's elevator instead. But I also remember the few times I've ever taken it that there can be a long wait for it to slowly rise to ground level.

I'm not in London at the moment, so I can't test it myself, but was wondering if anybody knew the answers to the following questions:

What is the absolute longest one might have to wait for the elevator, in the typical worst-case scenario of having just missed the previous elevator trip downward, so one must wait for it to go all the way down, pick up passengers, then come back up?
Once actually on the elevator, exactly how long is the ride down to the deep platforms?
Thanks!

 

[Ken X]

Had a poke around YouTube and there is a video dated 2010 which shows a single journey time of circa 35 seconds. Assuming a turn around of 10 to 15 seconds plus another 35 seconds to return, a complete journey time of 80 to 85 seconds or a minute and a half may not be a million miles away. Round it up to two minutes to get away again and I suspect you wouldn't be far off.

This very crude estimate means if you just miss a lift you should be at platform level about two and a half minutes later. Do let me know how it goes.

Sorry I can't do a link but I'm on a phone and can't work out how.

 

[jamboree7123]

Had a poke around YouTube and there is a video dated 2010 which shows a single journey time of circa 35 seconds.

Great idea to look on YouTube -- I hadn't thought of that. I think I found the same video you saw, here:

In that video, it shows that from the moment of pressing the "Down" button inside the elevator, to the moment the doors re-open once at platform level, is exactly 30 seconds.

So, to calculate the full worst-case scenario max wait time once through the turnstiles:

5 seconds walking to the elevator.
Arrive just as the doors close, missing the previous trip.
30 seconds wait for it to go down.
15 seconds wait to load passengers underground.
30 seconds wait for it to go back up.
10 seconds to get in elevator and press button.
30 seconds for it to descend once again to platform level.

5+30+15+30+10+30 = 120 seconds, or exactly 2 minutes.

So, for the record, the answer is: 2 minutes.

That's pretty much what I had estimated -- just wanted to make sure. Now I know to add 2 minutes to every estimated journey time originating from Wapping Overground, to account for the elevator requirement.

Thanks!

 

[Nottingham59]

Now I know to add 2 minutes to every estimated journey time originating from Wapping Overground, to account for the elevator requirement.

The maximum time will be 2 minutes but the average will be half that.

 

[John R]

On the return, might passenger numbers alighting mean you sometimes miss the first lift?