How does the London Underground tube work. I'm going to be using it to get from Victoria to Kings Cross St. Pancras in a few weeks. I know you have to use a machine for a ticket (around £4.30) but how do the trains work going north and south. I see there's only one rail track. Not 2 for trains going in either direction. How does that work?

The trains are on several levels.

http://www.moneysavinglondon.com/Tra...derground.html

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/tr...ondon_tube.htm

Thank you so much

Going from Victoria Station to Kings Cross it's best to take the Victoria line. On a tube map it's the lighter blue line. The train says "Walthamstow Central" or "Seven Sisters".

There are only three stations between, so it shouldn't take long. There is usually an automatic voice calling out the next station so you are unlikely to miss it.

When you get to Kings Cross there are multiple exits. Try to find out exactly where you are supposed to go so you know what exit to look for.

If you want to return from Kings Cross to Victoria later the train should say "Brixton".

just wondering, where do you get the idea that there is only one track? that simply isn't the case - when you are standing on the platform waiting for the train going one way, you will see the platform for the train going the other way opposite you - across the two tracks.

BTW, not only are the fronts of the trains marked with their ultimate destination, but most stations now have indicator boards [certainly the victoria line does] telling you how long it is to the next train and where it's going.

here's the link for the london tube map:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...d-tube-map.pdf

as you can see all Victoria line trains from victoria go to King's cross and all victoria line trains through King's Cross go to Victoria.

just remember to "mind the gap"!

<<I'm going to be using it to get from Victoria to Kings Cross St. Pancras in a few weeks.>>

Why?

Your post indicates that London is not a destination for you on your trip. If it were, you'd not seek advice on one trip on the Tube and the notion of paying $7 for it would be anathema.

Are you flying into Gatwick and taking a train from Kings X after taking the Gatwick Express from Victoria? If so, why not take the First Capital Connect from Gatwick?

annhg


Here is a picture of the platfrom at Victoria tube station:


http://www.photograph-london.com/lon...-200500254.php

Here is picture of the train arriving at Victoria tube station:

http://www.photograph-london.com/lon...-200500255.php

Here is the platform for the tube stop at King's Cross

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...man-train.html

yes, on some lines there are separate tunnels - but still two tracks.

But somebody trying to figure out the tube system who looked up information online and pictures of the platforms for the stations they knew they would be in to get some idea about access, stairs, luggage, wouldn't necessarily see two tracks. In those pictures, it looks like one track.

>>In those pictures, it looks like one track.<<

It isn't asking too much to suppose the imagination might just stretch to the idea that there's another track for the other direction.

BTW, I'm wondering about the combination of posts from the OP.

I find it very difficult to imagine someone living in Cardiff (or anyplace else in the UK) doesn't know how the tube works . . . weird. Truly weird.

The tube map may be confusing you. It is an "idea" of the system, not its literal shape. The different lines were excavated and built at different times and are at very different levels. Sme station platforms have two lines of rails, some have more.

And, from what I understand, although many people say 'the tube' in fact the term originally referred to only certain lines, (Circle?) with stations like Victoria, shown above http://www.photograph-london.com/lon...-200500254.php. Very tube-like, unlike other lines with two tracks.

As I understand it, "tube" specifically refers to the (usually) deep level lines which are built to a restricted gauge. Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria are tube lines.

Other underground lines were built using a "cut and cover" method, so run just below the surface. They are built to a larger gauge. The Circle, Metropolitan, District and Hammersmith & City line come into this category.

No, I don't collect the train numbers.

HELP!!!!

The next contribution will be about the difference between track gauge and loading gauge (much of the Circle Line was built to a different track gauge from the current system, though the whole system now conforms, but has always been built to a different loading gauge).

But before we don our anoraks and pack our Sandwich Spread sandwiches, the WHOLE system's called the Tube.

There might have been a distinction in 1880, when the Northern Line was just a twinkle in some Victorian's eye (and was called the City & South Suburban, which really wouldn't have fit the tube map legend panel on many T-shirts these days). But there isn't any more.

But worth storing in your brain cells for your next pub quiz, when it's bound to be a tie-breaker.

flanner - lol! I just can't get over our resident Italian expert telling us about the Tube.

what next?

jj - where did you pick up the fact that the OP comes from Cardiff? I had assumed the US [or outer Mongolia!]

annhg,

Are you confusing me with somebody else? Or have chartely and carlux become Fodor's resident Italian experts? (Fine with me!) That is who flanneruk was responding to I beleive.

I haven't offered any information about the tube except links. I showed you the pictures because you seemed puzzled as to why somebody could draw a wrong conclusion about the tracks so you could see that the pictures on the web might lead to a wrong impression with someone who had never actually been in a station.

Apparently janisj and PatrickLondon are stalking the poster's posts. And you though you didn't have enough time on your hands.

annhig: kevinkevin has one other thread (over on the travel tips forum) and he said he lives in Cardiff. Trying to get from Cardiff to London to Paris and back as a day trip.

and no, z girl . . . I am not stalking the OP. I tried to help him on his other thread long before he started this one.

>>Apparently janisj and PatrickLondon are stalking the poster's posts.<<

I just thought it worth a quick check - two seconds.