Not as bad as it looks. (Waterloo & City Line)

Member Name: beckstrous

Product:	Waterloo & City Line
Date:	01/07/02 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick, convenient, lots of trains

Disadvantages: Can be busy, takes some getting used to!

I've used the "Waterloo and S***y" line for three years, on and off - and it's not as bad as it looks. When you step off the platform at Waterloo and see the crowds of people on the sloping platform and steps leading to the tunnels it can be quite soul-destroying, and the massed ranks of bored commuters flicking listlessly through the Metro is quite a sight.

The queues aren't as bad as they look and move quite quickly - if the trains are running okay, that is. Otherwise, you can be there for forty minutes or more...

As the quickest and most convenient link from, er, Waterloo to the City, the line is massively busy during the rush hour. When it fails, everything seems to grind to a halt - but if you know what time to arrive and how to use it it's a piece of cake.

Getting there around 8am makes so much difference to arriving half an hour later. Within a couple of minutes you'll be on a train, so get in earlier if you can - arriving at 8:30am could see you standing on the slope for a while. Going back to Waterloo is easier because there are two platforms at Bank, and if you really want a seat you can wait for the later train.

The journey lasts about five minutes, and the trains - which go under the river - are fast: if you've not got a seat, then hold on! The trains and platforms don't seem to smell nearly as much as on the other Tube lines, and even in summer they're not as hot.

In summary - it's not that bad. If you arrive at the right time, it's reasonably stress-free. And even if you don't get a seat the journey is so quick that it doesn't really matter. It takes a bit of getting used to and you'll hate it when it fails, but I've travelled on worse lines than this.

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