Mind the gap!!! (Piccadilly Line)

Member Name: bigsimon

Product:	Piccadilly Line
Date:	07/04/02 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, Cheap, Frequent

Disadvantages: 1950's technology, Prone 2 problems, No real alternative

The Piccadilly line or the Picc as it is known. It runs east/west from Cockfosters to Heathrow/ Uxbridge.
Most of the line is controlled from a control centre, shared with the District line based at Earl's Court. The exception being the Rayners Lane branch.
The Earl's Court control room, is the oldest control room still in operation. It dates back to 1950.
Today, it has virtually all the original fittings with only the slightest hint of modern equipment. The most modern works on Windows 3.1, hence you can see the problem.

The Picc trys and operates 27 trains per hour, but realisticly can handle 24. Services mostly run Cockfosters - Heathrow and Arnos Grove - Uxbridge, with "non core" trains running only as far as Northfields.

The Picc operates nearly 90 trains in peak, and generates 20% of London Undergrounds revenue.

If a problem besiges the Picc, the signal staff and managers have to insert at least 6 full and seperate commands to get a train to change destination, now imagine that for 90 trains EVERY time you wanted to change a destination, assuming the driver is not due to end or change shift.

The Picc desperatly needs funding, the 1950's control room has not got to be replaced until 2014.
This would mean that it has lasted nearly 70 years running 24 hours 364 days per year.

Therefore as the Underground is safety critical (i.e. won't take any chances with the publics safety) you can now see why you have many delays, while engineers are fixing the problem.

Summary: