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Post by The Matthew on Jun 3, 2022 4:16:37 GMT
Seats on modern trains do tend to be firmer than in the past. The seats on the LNER Azumas, where journeys of three hours plus are not unusual, are truly awful. I believe it's a safety measure, so passengers remain in their seats in the event of a crash, rather than being ejected. Why are firmer seats safer in the event of an accident? i'd have thought them easier to fly off? A quick search suggests it's to do with international standards for crash-worthiness and fire-resistance (i.e. the seats shouldn't fragment, disintegrate, detach from the floor, distort in a way that might trap or crush a passenger, or explode without warning), coupled with the desire of operators to cram in as many people as possible regardless of comfort ("I can see that cushion edge-on; can you make it thinner?").
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Post by andrew on Jun 3, 2022 9:48:05 GMT
For those interested in a bit of context for the railway and a look through the highlights of some of the stations, part 1 of my video on it is online now...
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 3, 2022 11:47:36 GMT
Good vid andrew, watch out Jago Hazzard! |
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Post by Jon on Jun 3, 2022 12:02:16 GMT
Good vid andrew , watch out Jago Hazzard! Never mind Jago, I think Geoff Marshall has competition! |
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Post by sistergeorge on Jun 3, 2022 16:47:24 GMT
So by mid-July, will the Elizabeth line provide and easier/faster way to get from Heathrow to Trafalgar Sq area, or should we stick to our usual Piccadilly line?
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Post by danb on Jun 3, 2022 18:58:34 GMT
Loved the Lizzy line today. Made getting to central almost pleasant from Paddington, then back from Whitechapel where I was visiting my mates bar.
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Post by n1david on Jun 3, 2022 22:05:01 GMT
So by mid-July, will the Elizabeth line provide and easier/faster way to get from Heathrow to Trafalgar Sq area, or should we stick to our usual Piccadilly line? By mid-July there still won't be the through service at Paddington, so if you get the train from Heathrow you'll have to walk through Paddington station to go from the high-level to the low-level station. And the nearest Crossrail station to Trafalgar Square is Tottenham Court Road, which is a bit of a walk down Charing Cross Road. So, this year, you may be better sticking to the Piccadilly Line. |
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Post by Jan on Jun 4, 2022 7:50:22 GMT
So by mid-July, will the Elizabeth line provide and easier/faster way to get from Heathrow to Trafalgar Sq area, or should we stick to our usual Piccadilly line? By mid-July there still won't be the through service at Paddington, so if you get the train from Heathrow you'll have to walk through Paddington station to go from the high-level to the low-level station. And the nearest Crossrail station to Trafalgar Square is Tottenham Court Road, which is a bit of a walk down Charing Cross Road. So, this year, you may be better sticking to the Piccadilly Line. Depends how much you want to pay. The fastest is still probably the Heathrow Express via Paddington at £25. The Elizabeth Line will be £12.70 (peak). The Piccadilly Line will be £5.50 (peak). |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 4, 2022 11:48:02 GMT
So by mid-July, will the Elizabeth line provide and easier/faster way to get from Heathrow to Trafalgar Sq area, or should we stick to our usual Piccadilly line? Trafalgar Square is a simple one seat ride to Piccadilly Circus from Heathrow, should take about an hour. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 4, 2022 14:50:57 GMT
Seats on modern trains do tend to be firmer than in the past. The seats on the LNER Azumas, where journeys of three hours plus are not unusual, are truly awful. I believe it's a safety measure, so passengers remain in their seats in the event of a crash, rather than being ejected. Why are firmer seats safer in the event of an accident? i'd have thought them easier to fly off? Going on that logic aircrafts would’ve firmer seats too. You wouldn’t want to sit on a trans Atlantic flight for 8 hours in one of those seats. Firmer seats are easier to clean and replace, so saves on maintenance costs, especially when people put their feet on seats and stick their chewing gum to them. |
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Post by Marwood on Jun 4, 2022 16:11:00 GMT
Got it for the first time this afternoon, just the one stop from Farringdon to Tottenham Court Road: I got it as I’m going for dinner in Fitzrovia later and want to give the whole area around Buckingham Palace a very wide berth this weekend.
I was surprised how quiet it was for a Saturday afternoon but going by the size of the corridors and platforms, I’m presuming they’re expecting it to be absolutely rammed at times. I’m going to Heathrow to catch a flight in August but undecided on getting the Circle line to Paddington and catching this from there or just getting the Piccadilly line as before (I work in Westminster and will be heading to the airport after work so trying to minimise the case dragging on the underground)
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Post by Jon on Jun 4, 2022 16:22:24 GMT
I fully expect once Bond Street opens that it'll be busy for anyone in the city wanting to go to Heathrow.
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Post by sistergeorge on Jun 4, 2022 17:03:39 GMT
So by mid-July, will the Elizabeth line provide and easier/faster way to get from Heathrow to Trafalgar Sq area, or should we stick to our usual Piccadilly line? By mid-July there still won't be the through service at Paddington, so if you get the train from Heathrow you'll have to walk through Paddington station to go from the high-level to the low-level station. And the nearest Crossrail station to Trafalgar Square is Tottenham Court Road, which is a bit of a walk down Charing Cross Road. So, this year, you may be better sticking to the Piccadilly Line. You confirmed my suspicion. Thank you. |
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Post by david on Jul 18, 2022 14:31:25 GMT
I’ve not had an opportunity to have a look at the new Elizabeth Line (I’ve only done a couple of virtual tours of some of the stations) so I have spent the day exploring it (and a great way of escaping the heat) from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Having had a good look around each of the opened stations along the route, I am really impressed with this new addition to the London rail network with the station designs, engineering and the trains themselves.
Starting off at Paddington station and having a good explore of each of the stations and no doubt walking a good few miles along the passageways and those seemingly endless platforms, it’s been a great opportunity to have a really good explore of the other bits of the city and train stations that I don’t regularly get to go through. For me, Woolwich is a revelation. A great mix of the 18th century military buildings with more modern architecture. For the train stations, you can’t beat those fantastic Victorian stations for beauty in their design and appearance. With the newer EL stations, maybe not as stunning to look at but there is something neat in their design. Those totem info points really are a great idea.
Those new trains certainly are an improvement on the current UG stock. A nice smooth journey though if I had one complaint, whilst the trains are great, the seating clearly has not been designed with comfort in mind. More seat padding please!
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Post by Jon on Jul 18, 2022 14:47:25 GMT
The Elizabeth Line have really proven its worth, having stations and trains which have air conditioning is a god send.
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Post by interval99 on Aug 24, 2023 20:28:21 GMT
This line is certainly growing in popularity. Far busier than last time I was up London, queues on platforms and now more standing whereas seats were plentiful before. Still wonderfully fast for getting across London and the vast platforms are so much better than the cramped standard tube so very glad it's there but at this rate by next year it will be as jammed up as the underground.
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Post by andys on Aug 25, 2023 7:00:12 GMT
It's great when it works, but it seems that one minor disruption anywhere can bring the whole line to a halt for hours.
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Post by alece10 on Aug 25, 2023 8:52:14 GMT
I've used it twice this week when going to the west end to see shows. Slightly longer walk to the theatres than if I got the central line but journey time nearly halved. Plus the central line trains were hot as hell.
Both times trains were a lot busier than they had been on previous journeys but still managed to get a seat and it had air con.
Without doubt my favourite line and seems really clean as well. No rubbish on the floors and seats.
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Post by Mark on Aug 25, 2023 9:21:19 GMT
When it works it's great but I've had issues on two days in the past week. On the way back from La Cage last Weds it was almost comical, the announcer at Paddington kept saying he hoped the next westbound wouldn't be cancelled. We waited 45 minutes for a Westbound train.
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Post by Jan on Aug 25, 2023 9:42:30 GMT
One odd thing about it is that not all trains stop at all stations, in the West sometimes a train misses out Acton and/or West Ealing and/or Hanwell - this is poorly communicated, is not indicated on the network map, and you have to check every train that comes.
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Post by Mark on Aug 25, 2023 11:06:09 GMT
One odd thing about it is that not all trains stop at all stations, in the West sometimes a train misses out Acton and/or West Ealing and/or Hanwell - this is poorly communicated, is not indicated on the network map, and you have to check every train that comes. Only the Heathrow trains stop at those stations. |
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Post by christya on Aug 25, 2023 11:11:37 GMT
I used the Elizabeth line in from Heathrow to Tottenham Court Road over the weekend, and it made a hell of a difference. So much nicer to be able to ride in forward facing seats, too, rather than those godawful central facing ones.
I'll probably fly down a lot more now, the travel time from Heathrow is about what it would normally take me to walk from Kings Cross, and not much more than using the tube from there when you count all the walking bits.
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Post by toomasj on Aug 25, 2023 13:30:32 GMT
It’s an outstanding service. First true improvement to transport in London for decades (or longer)
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Post by n1david on Aug 25, 2023 14:05:14 GMT
It’s an outstanding service. First true improvement to transport in London for decades (or longer) You don't rate the Boris cablecar from nowhere to nowhere then? Shame on you! |
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 26, 2023 9:52:21 GMT
Perhaps the best, perhaps not, but not the first true improvement in decades, surely?
DLR
Jubilee Line extension
Croydon Tramlink
London Overground
Oyster card
St Pancras and King's Cross Stations
The extension of Blackfriars Station to both sides of the Thames
London Bridge Station
Bike hire stations on every corner
Thames Clippers
Step-free access
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Post by mkb on Aug 26, 2023 11:22:05 GMT
Perhaps it's because I don't live in London, but even the Elizabeth Line shocks me as to how primitive it is in the 21st century.
The seats are incredibly uncomfortable, there are no on-board toilets, and the time to get from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Tottenham Court Road (just under 19 miles) is a staggering 37 minutes. That's an average speed of just 31mph. And all this for how many millions!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2023 11:29:02 GMT
I'm trying to think of what local commuter rail in the 21st Century has toilets? I can think of none although I have not ridden a local train in Japan or China for awhile.
As a frequent visitor to the UK, I find the line to do everything I need from it and a welcome change from the more expensive Heathrow Express. The newer stations are fantastic and I love how quiet the ride is.
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Post by mkb on Aug 26, 2023 12:01:59 GMT
I'm trying to think of what local commuter rail in the 21st Century has toilets? Pretty much the majority of UK ones outside London! |
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Post by theatrescribe on Aug 26, 2023 12:27:38 GMT
Perhaps it's because I don't live in London, but even the Elizabeth Line shocks me as to how primitive it is in the 21st century. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable, there are no on-board toilets, and the time to get from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Tottenham Court Road (just under 19 miles) is a staggering 37 minutes. That's an average speed of just 31mph. And all this for how many millions! The trains can run as fast as 90mph (and run at 60mph in the central section) - the reason the average speed might be lower is because the trains have to... stop at stations. It was never meant to be a direct line. Incidentally, the same journey by car would often take you over an hour. |
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Post by lynette on Aug 26, 2023 12:47:01 GMT
Perhaps it's because I don't live in London, but even the Elizabeth Line shocks me as to how primitive it is in the 21st century. The seats are incredibly uncomfortable, there are no on-board toilets, and the time to get from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Tottenham Court Road (just under 19 miles) is a staggering 37 minutes. That's an average speed of just 31mph. And all this for how many millions! Toilets? It’s a tube train. I’ve been on Japanese trains and they are certainly fab but they are for longer journeys. The tube is for short journeys. We do suffer from a lack of public loos for sure but you can access loos in cafes, pubs etc all over London and even in stations. I’ve got a very acceptable loo in my local station. |
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