A tube honeymoon

When we first arrived in London one of the first questions everyone seemed to ask was, "so, what do you think of the tube?" At first I assumed this was simply a demonstration of London pride. It wasn't. In fact the opposite is true.

The oldest line on the London Underground system (part of the circle line from Paddington to Liverpool Street) is more than 100 years old. Upon opening it was the world's first metropolitan underground rail system. A century later, the system is showing it age. Signal failures are a daily occurrence. As a result at least one of the tube's lines is part suspended or experiences delays every day. You come to expect delays and inevitably start to factor in extra travel time to accommodate them.

This week I worked three days (Easter made this a short week). I experienced a delay on all three days. One was caused by a signal failure, another because people were trespassing on the tracks and sadly, a suspension caused by "a person under a train." Since arriving I've heard at least three "under a train" announcements. Apparently more than 50 people commit suicide on the underground every year. The most common time for such event is 11.00am.

With all of this going on, it’s no wonder people anticipate a complaint when they ask your opinion of the tube. However, despite these delays, I'm still in awe of the tube system. It makes travel around London incredibly easy. I've been told that my positive impression will wear off within twelve months. It seems that every new arrival has a similar honeymoon period with tube. I guess the day I start complaining will mark another milestone of our time in London.