London's Tube: 150 Years old today

The Tube, 150th Anniversary : A Key Advantage of London

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The London Underground (often shortened to the Underground)

... is a rapid transit system in the United Kingdom, serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. It incorporates the oldest section of underground railway in the world, which opened in 1863 and now forms part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines; and the first line to operate electric trains, in 1890, now part of the Northern line. The oldest sections of the London Underground completed 150 years of operations on 9 January 2013.

The Underground system is also colloquially called the Tube.

. . .


Currently, 86% of operational expenditure on the London Underground is covered by passenger fares.[13] Almost all London Underground trains currently lack air-conditioning, which leads to the network getting very hot in the summer, although plans are under way to mitigate this problem with new air-conditioned trains and other schemes. Because of engineering work being carried out under the 2010–2012 upgrade plan, lines were regularly closed during weekends. In June 2012, it was announced that stations along the network would get Wifi coverage.


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/wiki : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground

Can anyone name a Great Global city that does not have a Mass Transit system ?


The system in Hong Kong may be the best in the world, and that is one reason why HK is becoming the Global Financial Centre, surpassing London and New York.

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(Here's one man's Ratings):


The 5 Best Mass Transit Systems in the World


1. Hong Kong

For sheer volume, Hong Kong is the most effective system in the world: 90% of all traveling is done by mass transit. The 7 million daily riders have access to something known as an "octopus card" which is accepted as currency not just to move them around the city, but also at parking meters, convenience stores, and fast-food restaurants. Looking towards the future, shouldn’t all cities be copying this system?


2. New York

One in every three mass transit users in the entire United States, uses the New York system or if you like, 4.5 Million people a day. They're so effective as a matter of fact, that New York is the only city in the U.S. where more than half of the households don't own a car. Up to 75% of the population of Manhattan is without four-wheeled transport. Now that’s a statistic to beat.


3. London

London, which features the oldest subway system in the world, moves 3.4 million people every day on the tube alone, but that's only part of the story. Transport for London, the comprehensive system administered from the mayor's office, operates light and commuter rail and buses, and offers comprehensive trip and traffic information in real-time on their website.Traveling on the tube is not a particularly pleasant experience, but is by far the most efficient way to get round.


4. Paris

The Paris Metro boasts being both the second-most heavily trafficked subway system in the world, carrying 4.5 Million people every day, and having more stations closer to one another than any other system – 245 stations in 41 square kilometers. You might want to bring a book to escape from the sardine can.


5. Chicago

The huge Chicago Transit Authority covers the Windy City as well as 40 suburbs and operates 24 hours a day, moving 1.6 Million people daily. With over 144 stations for the elevated train, not much of the city is out of range for the famed "el." There are even commuter rail spurs that go as far away as South Bend, Indiana. Nice.


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Read more at http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/green-living/free-ride-the-five-best-mass-transit-systems-worldwide/1095?image=1#CicOIqGghGRCBuiJ.99

Is that because bankers take the subway to work :)...

I find Singapore's system very efficient (although the numbers moved are much smaller).


When the MTR gets extended to Kennedy Town, I would look at using it.

"Is that because bankers take the subway to work"


Almost everyone (every sort of person) uses the subway/MTR in a great city.


Go to KL, and no one with any money uses it. Instead, they ruin their environment driving around in cars, and that is why I do not like that manic city.

MOST HATED CITIES:

http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/life/most-hated-cities-861160


See any good transport systems here ?


Well, Paris is there, for its "love/hate relationship"

That's probably because it is over-hype, and the French can be rude to visitors:


Paris inspires a certain love-hate relationship.

Not just for fans of old Renoir or Chevy Chase movies, but for travelers too -- who inspired us to feature this singular place twice. Here and in last week’s column: “World's most loved cities.”

What do people love about Paris? If you don’t already know, click the link to find out.

In the meantime, what do people not love about Paris, aside from the usual rude waiter stereotypes, crazy lines at the Louvre and the city’s knack for rekindling long-kicked smoking habits about 10 minutes after landing?

“I was wondering what was so special about the 'French Breakfast' that I saw advertised everywhere we went,” comments a frequent Paris traveler on VirtualTourist, who sat down and ordered one during his first visit to the city. “For 20 euros you get a croissant, butter, three ounces of hot chocolate, three ounces of orange juice and a small baguette. Are you kidding??”

“Don’t be too easily flattered as you approach the Place du Tertre in Montmartre,” another visitor warns about platoons of starving artists bombarding first-timers to have their portrait done. “I've now lost count of the number of times we've been told that [my husband] has 'interesting hair.’”

“I just read of someone’s four-hour wait to ascend the Eiffel Tower and recalled the coldest I had ever been -- the day I waited atop the platform on the Eiffel Tower, waiting to go to the next level.”

“We made our way to the catacombs hoping to find an extraordinary sight,” says another. “Unfortunately, it was nothing but rooms and rooms and rooms full of bones.”

Every legendary city suffers some degree of overhype. About the food, the views, the charming street scene, the faint possibility of jumping into a car at the stroke of midnight and riding into a more exciting era with Ernest Hemingway & friends, etc.

"EASY RIDERS" */ Metro Rail Traffic



City---------- : Built : Daily Riders

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Tokyo------- : 1927 : 8.7 mn (2010)

Seoul-------- : 1974 : 6.9 mn (2011)

Moscow----- : 1935 : 6.5 mn (2011)

Beijing------- : 1981 : 6.4 mn (2012)

Shanghai--- : 1995 : 5.8 mn (2011)

New York--- : 1904 : 4.5 mn (2011)

Paris--------- : 1979 : 4.1 mn (2010)

Hong Kong- : 1979 : 4.1 mn (2011)

MexicoCity- : 1969 : 4.1 mn (2011)

London------ : 1863 : 3.2 mn (FY'11)

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LONDON is the oldest, but maybe the slowest growing now


*Per story in today's SCMP's Post Magazine: "Making Tracks"

wherein we learn that Beijing is the fastest growing system:


"It is unprecedented for a city to build 50 kilometers of subway in a year, as in Beijing."

"But we need to build more lines with shorter distances between each stop. It will

probably take another 25 years for Beijing to match Tokyo's 2,530 km of subway lines."


(Tokyo's network is the most extensive in the world. Beijing is 440km, going to 660km by 2015.)

In times of financial trouble, metro systems can get disrupted


Disgruntled electronics workers halt Cairo Metro line


Abu Seif electronics employees occupy Cairo's main metro line, halting operations

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Employees of Abu Seif Electronics staged a sit-in and occupied the Metro line between Al Zahraa and Dar El Salem stations to protest the late payment of their wages and financial corruption within the company's administration, Egypt’s state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reports.

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http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/62893/Business/Economy/Disgruntled-electronics-workers-halt-Cairo-Metro-l.aspx