Getting About

 In London there are about 4 types of Trains used on their metro rail system, Deep Level trains, they're small and shaped like Swiss rolls, foreigners often think they look like toy trains, they can pass through deep tunnels that were built in the late 1800s. Then you have  Sub Surface trains, they're shaped like loaves of bread and can run on the same tracks as Deep level trains but can't go through deep level train tunnels. They have their own square tunnels that run under the old broad way roads of London. Then you have overground trains, they're more like the commuter trains, they even use ac power from overhead power lines. Recently the mayor decided to give the different parts of the overground network different line names because life wasn't complicated enough. Finally you have the DLR, Docklands light railway, they're small self driving trains, they're also often compared to toy trains. I think you have to press the open door button to get off. 

Some people that I know think Deep level and Subsurface trains can't run on the same rails. Those people should visit 'Ealing common' station, they share the same  northbound and southbound platforms. The same is true of 'Rayner's Lane'. 

To me the key stations are the ones that give you a smooth way to change lines by simply stepping off and waiting on the same platform. Stations that take you places beyond.  Ealing common lets you get off a Piccadilly train and Catch a district line train going in the same direction. The district line will go to Barking, trains at Barking station go to the Thames Estuary and as far as Southend on sea, the Nearest coastal town to London. The District line also goes to Victoria station, the national coach station, national express, mega bus and flixbus coaches from there go across Britain and Europe. Three subsurface lines share two platforms at kings cross station, Hammersmith line trains also go to Barking and the circle line trains also go to Victoria. St Pancras Station is next door to kings cross and there is a pedestrian tunnel connecting the two stations, Trains from St Pancras go to France and Kings Cross is also a Terminal station for trains from the north on the surface. Kings Cross and St Pancras are sometimes considered the same station because of the way they sit side by side. Some people say, there is a route to everywhere from those two stations. They wouldn't be wrong. 

Bus Cap Raise

I recently learned that the government have increased the national single bus fare cap from £2 to £3. The cost of running buses is usually more than the fare charged to customers, the government pays out the remaining cost to keep trips capped at £2. This was so cool because I took the bus from my town to Heathrow airport and paid just £2 for the whole trip. The only bad thing is it would work out cheaper to pay individual fares than get a bus pass in most situations, so if I bought a bus pass, I would feel like a mug. It looks like the government is clawing at funds to free up public funding, what a stressful time we live in. 

The other day I was looking at the Glasgow metro rail on YouTube, their trains look small like toy trains, but they get the job done. I've never been to Glasgow in Scotland, I have to go there and try out their neat little subway system and see what their city is like. 

Let me show you a video so you see that I mean...

Glasgow Metro

Port Issues

I recently learned that the Boeing starliner space capsule is stuck on the international space station. The vehicle was set to take some astronauts back to earth but it can't seperate from the portal. Boeing has had a lot of bad press recently  and lots of product issues. I won't go into detail. God knows what they're going to do now. 

In London they have a problem with ports. If I wanted to take a train to the coast it would seem sensible to take the train from one of the giant terminal stations like liverpool street but it usually works out better to take the train further down the line. If I wanted to take a train to southend on sea, I would take the C2C train from barking, not fenchurch or liverpool street because the tfl zone is cheaper than the commuter prices. The TFL oyster zone is always cheaper than the commuter train prices so you would want to use the zone as long as possible.

Special Stations

The Nearest part of London to my town is Uxbridge. If London was a clock face, Uxbridge would be the number 10. It is also the location of what I call a special station because you can get a train from two different train lines going in the same direction from the same platform. 

Uxbridge is a special station because you can get a Piccadilly train or a metropolitan line train from the same place. 

Finchley road is a special station because the Jubilee and Metropolitan trains going in the same direction stop at the same platform island, the eastbound metropolitan and jubilee trains share and platform and so do the west bound ones; you can change lines without walking much. 

The same is true of Ealing common, you can step off a Piccadilly train and stay on the same platform and catch a district line train from the same platform. Changing lines without walking. The district line goes to Barking, Woof. Barking station has commuter trains to Southend-on-sea. 

kings Cross is a very special station, you can get three different lines from the same platform, plus down the escalators are platforms to several other lines, plus you can get commuter trains upstairs or take a train to France if you walk across to St Pancras next door. 

Mile end is also useful, you can get to the central line or Hammersmith or District and they're side by side. 

Getting About

We go through so many disasters in life. I won't discuss them. I'll discuss last weekend; I used Google pay to use a train for the first time. I tapped the Google wallet on my phone and used it as a contactless payment to open the ticket gates at the train station. Shortly after that, the following day a heartbreaking disaster happend, I won't discuss it. I'll only mention that the two memories are tied together like glass mingled with fire, like a willow tree in a swamp. I had a deep sadness  that can't be described, but before that I was amazed that I could open a ticket gate with my smart phone. I was also wondering why hoverboards aren't allowed in public spaces. 

Push bikes are allowed on the roads but hover boards aren't. They're not allowed on public roads or footpaths. You can fall of a push bike just as easily as a hoverboard. They're like little plastic steps with two wheels on either side. The motion of the wheels creates gyroscopic stability that keeps it upright. They're very cool because you can get about without moving your legs. I wonder if there are any practical powered skates? I don't think they're banned yet. 

Battery powered skates, that would be nice.