When will TFL ditch the Tube Map

[317 forever]

We'll need tube maps at least as long as there are Eastbound, Westbound etc signs in the stations. Even if you know the general direction it may not be obvious (e.g. north-south Piccadilly line in North London).

It ends up confusing in some other cases too. If you need to get from Euston to King's Cross, you travel northbound on the Victoria Line but southbound on the Northern Line - but the Northern Line Bank branch not the Northern Line Charing Cross branch.

 

[theironroad]

It ends up confusing in some other cases too. If you need to get from Euston to King's Cross, you travel northbound on the Victoria Line but southbound on the Northern Line - but the Northern Line Bank branch not the Northern Line Charing Cross branch.

Or you just walk.,...

 

[317 forever]

Or you just walk.,...

I did that in July when I had an Advance from Stockport to Cambridge via London. It meant I was able to get a coffee from Pret a Manger on Euston Road, even though it meant a break of journey.

 

[Bungle158]

From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, the Tube map is a world famous icon, up there with K6 phone kiosks, red buses and policemen with helmets. It will probably survive, if only for that reason.

 

[Hadders]

I did that in July when I had an Advance from Stockport to Cambridge via London. It meant I was able to get a coffee from Pret a Manger on Euston Road, even though it meant a break of journey.

No need to use Euston Road when walking from Euston to Kings Cross. Much faster to walk via Brill Place.

 

[theironroad]

No need to use Euston Road when walking from Euston to Kings Cross. Much faster to walk via Brill Place.

Can't imagine there's much difference concourse to concourse.

 

[Hadders]

It's about 0.1 mile shorter of you go via Doric Way, Dangoor Walk (along the side of the Crick Institute building) and through the St Pancras concourse. I've done Euston to Kings Cross platform to platform in 8 minutes before without running although to be fair it was a speed walk.

The main advantage of avoiding the Euston Road is it's quieter and easier to cross the roads, especially around St Pancras station.

Euston to King’s Cross

goo.gl

 

[Deepgreen]

To claim the map's withdrawal won't EVER happen is clearly wrong. It will be displayed physically as long as there is a demand for it, which will probably be for several decades yet. Physical display may not necessarily be on paper, of course. Maps in the (not-too-distant) future may, for example be electronic with an equipment longevity, robustness and cheapness which makes it cost-effective to install them in place of the current posted ones, and with the ability to show real-time service information, etc.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

To claim the map's withdrawal won't EVER happen is clearly wrong. It will be displayed physically as long as there is a demand for it, which will probably be for several decades yet. Physical display may not necessarily be on paper, of course. Maps in the (not-too-distant) future may, for example be electronic with an equipment longevity, robustness and cheapness which makes it cost-effective to install them in place of the current posted ones, and with the ability to show real-time service information, etc.

On the basis of what happens to (paper) tube maps in situ, someone's going to have to come up with something extremely robust to cover the point where the station you are at is on the screen.

 

[317 forever]

No need to use Euston Road when walking from Euston to Kings Cross. Much faster to walk via Brill Place.

I've been that way on other occasions. On the occasion I was referring to, I had time and wanted to use a Pret away from a main line station.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No need to use Euston Road when walking from Euston to Kings Cross. Much faster to walk via Brill Place.

It is, but the "back way" feels quite dodgy (even though it isn't really it does involve walking through the middle of a classic London "sink estate" set of tenement style flats as well as a dodgy back alley), so I doubt anyone who feels vulnerable walking around London, particularly alone, wanting to go that way, particularly at night.

On the basis of what happens to (paper) tube maps in situ, someone's going to have to come up with something extremely robust to cover the point where the station you are at is on the screen.

Transparent aluminum? (Sorry, Star Trek joke)

In all seriousness I'd imagine in due course things like Gorilla Glass will be cheap enough to produce in much larger installations.

 

[Кряква]

I hope never.

I try to limit the use of technology as much as I can.

I work as a software developer and I think for the most part the field is full of the digital equivalent of drug peddlers.

I am proud of the fact that I understand how to navigate the map and give out copies to fellow passengers such as tourists when they need help.

 

[py_megapixel]

I hope never.

I try to limit the use of technology as much as I can.

I work as a software developer and I think for the most part the field is full of the digital equivalent of drug peddlers.

I am proud of the fact that I understand how to navigate the map and give out copies to fellow passengers such as tourists when they need help.

I don't think we're specifically discussing the replacement of the tube map with an electronic solution here. The tube map could easily be replaced with another paper map, possibly one which is of far more use to said tourists.

 

[DelW]

I don't think we're specifically discussing the replacement of the tube map with an electronic solution here. The tube map could easily be replaced with another paper map, possibly one which is of far more use to said tourists.

The OP did refer to the map being made obsolete by "the increased popularity and usage of the mobile phone" so I think it was an electronic solution that they had in mind.

When e-books first came out a decade or more ago, lots of people predicted the rapid demise of printed books. That doesn't seem to have happened, or to be likely any time soon, since many people still prefer to read from paper rather than screens. Nor do mapping and navigation apps seem to have eliminated OS maps. So I'd suggest the tube map as a card folder will be with us for a while yet.