Circle line "no longer circular" - official

[ffutures]

London's Circle Line is going to be a spiral as of next year. Trains will start off at Hammersmith and follow the Hammersmith and City line route. From Edgware Road onwards they will run on their existing line, go clockwise once around the track and terminate at Edgware Road on the next cycle, then head back in the opposite direction.

Allegedly this will make everything more robust and less likely to suffer delays if something goes wrong.The snag, of course, is that if you're taking the Circle Line clockwise from e.g. High Street Kensington towards King's Cross you're going to have change trains at Edgware Road; that's already a busy station, since the District Line also terminates there. From the look of things it'll benefit me, since there ought to be more trains on the line between Hammersmith and Edgware Road and that's the route I use if I travel to work by train.

One thing bugging me though - what are they going to call it? The Spiral Line?

Comments

[paratti.livejournal.com]

It looks like a Bottle Line to me.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Can't argue with that.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

hopefully not a Klein bottle ;o)

[maureenkspeller.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think they should call it the Clockwork Line, because it will wind up, and then wind down again!

[cdave]

You already have to change at Edgeware Road half the time, as the train bounces back there.

I, and several other headphone clad commuters, have been caught out by this.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

It's one thing having to do this once in a while - it's another to have to do it every day. Not my problem, fortunately.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

A snailway line?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Only at rush hour.

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

Marvellous, that's going to make getting from Paddington to Kings Cross a joy. I swear the TOCs are trying to force me to fly to Newcastle rather than take the train.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Take the Hammersmith and City line direct from Paddington - that platform will also be the Circle line headed clockwise into the loop, either will get you to King's Cross without changing trains.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

Oh bother! That's gonna muck up every Mornington Crescent game for decades to come.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

No, it's already covered by rule 842E, I think.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

Um... no. That's not what I mean.
Just try and play a standard Ilford Wedge (yes, stupid move just about any time, I know) and look at what happens upon step three.
It makes this whole class of standard moves absolutely useless. And that's not even taking into account what it inflicts upon cross slides.
Players basically have to relearn the whole map for it.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, you're right of course, though I think that the Sudbury Hill gambit might still work. Risky, but maybe possible.

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

Correct me if I'm wrong but with all the added risk it also heaped some mighty nice rewards on top. If you can pull it off.
For some added hilarity, grab one of the '57 issues of the rules and look what it does to double and triple backsteps - Bank, Bank, Monument, Bank.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Too slow, especially if the Docklands Light Railway is in play. Yes, I know the '57 rules don't mention the DLR for obvious reasons, but it's operational enough of the time that it needs to be taken into account. The Neasden variant is more robust under existing conditions, but will be really buggered in tournament play once the new conditions apply, since the Bakerloo Line platforms at Edgware Road are only considered contigious with the H&C, Circle, and District lines under friendly rules.

[ggreig]

That does sound pretty serious, but the Clockwork Orange should solve all your circularity travel requirements. So long as you don't mind going in circles underneath Glasgow.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I must have been to Glasgow at least a dozen times, but I don't think I've ever gone on the Clockwork Orange - I don't think the line serving the SECC is part of it, is it?

[ggreig]

But... but... You've never lived unless you've been on the Glasgow Underground! ;-)

Nope, Exhibition Centre station is on the Argyle Line. Although you have to go to the Low Level platforms (which are underground) to catch a train there from Glasgow Central, it's not part of the Subway. (The Wikipedia page linked has some minor details of operation in late Victorian/Edwardian times - not hugely informative, but little details like the cables and the crane are tucked away for possible future reference.)