As with public transport in most major cities, there are peak travel times on the London Underground that you really should avoid during your trip. These times are when the mass transit network known as the tube is at its maximum capacity, and commuters are often forced to squeeze into the last available spot on a narrow train. So really, it is not recommended.
For most of the metro network, the morning “rush hour” takes place mainly between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and the afternoon peak takes place between 4:40 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. 30 in the afternoon. However, there are different lines on the tube. Experience higher levels of traffic during different parts of the day:
- Lines that travel through popular tourist and entertainment areas, such as the Piccadilly, Northern and Central lines, remain busy throughout the afternoon.
- The Piccadilly Line remains busy until approximately 8 p.m. M., As people head to the West End to find restaurants, clubs and theaters, and has another mini rush hour when theaters close after 11pm. M.
- If you don’t like crowded trains, especially avoid normal rush hours on the lines that travel through the main shopping areas of Knightsbridge and Oxford Street, the Piccadilly and Central lines. Most days, stores close around the same time that people leave their offices. The added crush of shoppers with packages to the normal 9 to 5 foot load can be excruciating.
London’s busiest lines and stations
Transport for London is shy about breaking down the number of transit users line by line, but they do publish a station-by-station guide to rush hour and peak travel times for the tube network, and you can also search their website for individual stations. to see if they are busy when you plan to leave your hotel for the day.
Also, The City Metric, an arm of The New Statesman magazine, tried to do some numerical calculations based on the most recent data (from a 2012 report). In their study, they found that the Victoria Line is the busiest in London, but it is mainly reserved for people traveling to central London for work. In fact, with the exception of three stops in the middle of the line (Victoria, Green Park and Oxford Circus), there are hardly any places of interest to visitors that are not served by other lines.
In the end, it all comes down to personal perceptions and preferences. Ask any Londoner and they will surely tell you that their line is the busiest during rush hour.
Make rush hour travel easier
If you have to ride the London Underground during rush hour, and sooner or later most visitors to London do, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier.
Buy an Oyster card
First, buy an Oyster card, which is used for all forms of public transport in and around London, including the Tube, ground transport and some rail services, buses (which no longer accept cash) and Thames commuter boats. You can buy an Oyster card from a ticket vending machine in London and load it with cash or your credit card on the same machine.
The card costs £ 5, which can be refunded at a ticket vending machine, along with the funds available on the card, when you leave London. In addition to saving you a lot of money, just being able to take advantage without standing in the queues for ticket vending machines (or the increasingly rare ticket offices) during peak hours saves a lot of time.
To make your transit easier, charge your card with credit when you are near a station, even if you do not plan to travel at that time. In slow times, there are no queues at the vending machines.
Use contactless payment
If you have a contactless credit or debit card, you can use it in the same way as an Oyster card to save time. Fees for contactless payments are the same as for UK resident Oyster cards, but if you’re visiting London from abroad, be careful. You can save time, but you will have to pay the currency exchange charges on your return home card bill, so this option is only useful for visitors from other parts of the UK.
Be prepared for delays and be aware of announcements
Engineering travel delays, signal failures, and the occasional euphemistic “person in line” announcements can create mini-rush hours that clog the tube. Every station on the London Underground puts up signs daily, including advance notices, about station closings, engineering work and other issues. Please stop to read them so that you can plan alternate routes in advance if necessary (there is almost always an alternate route on the London Underground).
Go to the ends of the platforms
A relatively easy way to minimize your rush hour exposure is to go to the end of the platforms when waiting for the next train. Most people gather around the center of the station platforms, where the stairs or escalators unload their passengers. If you walk to either end of the platform, you will find that the wagons are generally less full. Do this even if it means missing a train or two. During rush hour, there will always be another one in a few minutes.
Public transport alternatives
If you prefer not to face the rush hour crowds and have to travel at that time of day, there are some alternatives.
London bus
London’s red buses are also busy during rush hour, but the difference is that they are legally limited in how many standing passengers they can take. The driver, who keeps track of the numbers, will simply not allow more passengers on board if the bus is too full.
That may mean that in central London you will have to watch a bus or two go by without stopping, but it also means that you will not be crushed against a stranger during your journey once you are on board the bus. Also, buses travel on special lanes, so they are less affected by traffic jams at rush hour and can often get there faster than taking a taxi.
Commuter boats
London now has Riverbus services along the Thames which are a very pleasant way to travel and which you can pay with your Oyster card. Like buses, boats are legally limited in the number of passengers they can carry.
There are docks to board at key locations along the river: Westminster Pier, near Parliament; near the London Eye on the Southbank; by the Tate Gallery and so on. Check your stops to see if one of them may be within walking distance of where you want to go.
Rent and ride a bike
London was the second city in the world, after Paris, to have a public bicycle rental program. It’s called Santander Bikes right now, for the bank that sponsors them, but don’t be surprised if the locals still call them Barclay Bikes or Boris Bikes.
You will need a credit card to use the touch screen on the cycle docking station. You don’t need to book in advance, although at peak times you may have to visit more than one docking station to find a bike. When you’re done with the cycle, simply return it to the docking station and your credit card will be charged for the amount of time you used it, which could be as little as £ 2.
However, keep in mind that these bikes were designed to be tough and unappealing to thieves, so they are heavier than your regular bike and much more difficult to pedal. However, the good news is that the Safe Bike Superhighways system is expanding every day, making it even easier to get around on a cycle.
