How Long Do Tube Doors Stay Open For?

I've often wondered which Tube Line doors stay opened the longest .. or the shortest. Are they set to a particular time, does any line linger at stations more than any other? I fired up the Stopwatch App, and timed some trains ...
If you want to go deeper than my simple timings, here's some proper research: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1...

[@geofftech2]

In the meantime ... Purple Line trains in the core section still quite often sit there for almost a minute - usually 55 seconds ... !

[@daniel_dsouza_]

Recently I was in Berlin... Trains were always within 10 mins, usually 5 mins apart. The trains were very good, but I find the opening system a bit fiddle as some have buttons, some have levers, some have touchscreen buttons... And they had their doors open for 7 seconds at some points. It was a very nice and quirky transport system to ride. :)

[@The.train.guy.]

They are quite slow

[@allanfstone]

There’s a very good reason for that - it’s called the timetable (coupled with the stabling capacity at the ends of the line).

[@paninithaligaming4530]

@@daniel_dsouza_ as a berlin citizen, i can confirm that there isnt anything good about our transportation system :D

[@KyrilPG]

Really that long? On one of my last rides on M14 (I'm in Paris), dwell time was less than 5 seconds at rush hour. It wasn't enough for me (mobility impaired) to exit the train, I ended up only managing to exit the train several stations later with the help of other passengers who blocked the doors. It happens often when the line operates at top frequency of 80 or 85 seconds and the system considers that some trains are late, so it reduces dwell time to "exit only". If you're not fast as a sprinter, you're good for a visit of the whole line. 😂

[@user-dk2tq4ny4b]

i mean nothing is nerdier then counting how long a door is open on transport, youve gone above and beyond geoff, great work

[@bokhans]

I actually got paid to do just this. 😂 See an other posting here!

[@tramographyMCR]

This is the best kind of youtube video

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@bokhans I've been paid to do this as well. It's useful data

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

In the next exciting episode of "things you're not interested in knowing" Geoff counts the number of times he sees someone vomiting on the platform.

[@W2APS]

Absolutely. This is peak content! 😁

[@ib9rt]

Aren't you really measuring how long each driver holds the doors open for? You would really need to record ten different drivers on a line to get a good average for that line.

[@fabianyt123]

Can't believe I have to read so many comments to see this. At least 3 ideally 5 drivers on each line at approximately the same time

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Sadly this is how crap his output has become.

[@davidflack6430]

Came here to say that.

[@TheLikeys]

I can’t believe that the drivers have to control the door-open-time. I always believed they would command the opening once the train has stopped safely and then command the closing once they prepare their train for departure. Thinking that the system automatically closes a door once no entering or exiting passengers get detected..

[@riorange2083]

No because the all the lines that run ATO have a set time countdown that begins once the doors open, of course its only a suggestion, as when its very busy they need to stay open longer. So usually its due to that.

[@ziggydamaestro]

I love Bakerloo doors! They’re either so tired that they fall open before the train has stopped, or they open arthritically slowly.

[@Gary0557]

There's a video somewhere on here of a Jubilee operator doing a complete run from Stanmore to Stratford. He talks through the video of what he's doing and clearly opens and closes the doors with buttons as he looks in the mirror to see when it's clear to close them.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

On the Northern Line, not sure about other lines, there is a countdown on the driver's console that advises how long a train should remain at a station, it depends on the station and time of day.

[@Gary0557]

@@mildlydispleased3221 OK I wasn't aware of that. It's still down to the driver though surely, when the traffic on and off has ceased.

[@CaiqueDeQueiroz]

Jubilee Line is a nightmare, that can of tuna is always full. At least the train sounds nice..

[@daroldcarold3443]

@@CaiqueDeQueiroz60% of the time, it isn’t packed, you’re just using it when everybody else is using it Maybe next time use it at 4PM on a sunday

[@mildlydispleased3221]

@@Gary0557 The timer is purely advisory, drivers can take as long as they need.

[@tramographyMCR]

I love these kinds of videos. No big production, not very long, easy to understand, unique topic. I'm really liking the content here Geoff :)

[@MadCatPerson1977]

In a few years time, there will be a pub quiz that starts like this: 1) Who is the shortest serving Prime Minister? 2) How long do tube train doors remain open for, on average, on the platform? 😂

[@realnoahsimpson]

18 seconds, precisely 4 seconds longer than Liz Truss’s premiership

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

"And your bonus for 10, who produced the most pointless and boring videos on KZbin"?

[@mattwilcock8967]

Who made the most irrelevant comment?.....oh Bibtheboulder

[@mattwilcock8967]

@MadCatPerson1977. Forget years, that is going in to my quiz this Friday.

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

@@mattwilcock8967 You can ask your target audience just after you ask them to name the Teletubbies.

[@questjon]

If you look at the timetables as a CSV there is indeed a dwell time baked into the timetable. But when I trained to be a tube driver on the Picc I wasn't instructed to dwell any particular amount, only to start closing my doors around the time Sonya says "this is a..."

[@UR_mxga]

yea most drivers close the doors at the point it says "this train terminates at..." like during it, or just after it, usually this is around 20 seconds.

[@marksaddler]

Seems like an open and shut case to me, but thanks Geoff for sharing this with us 😂

[@mikewood7571]

“I don’t know what to do with this information, but I can now ride the tube happier…”. SO TRUE

[@mildlydispleased3221]

On the Northern Line (Probably other lines as well) Drivers have a countdown on their console that tells you how long a train should ideally remain at each station, it depends on how busy the station is and the time of day.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Presumably the main factor should be the schedule

[@ucfajkl]

I remember frequently travelling on Metropolitan line trains (towards Aldgate) through Great Portland Street off-peak weekday mornings in the early 2000s and noticing that the time the doors stayed open there suddenly became much shorter. It was so astoundingly short that I timed it a few times, with one of the timings coming in just under 3 seconds!

[@06alepea1]

Could not be more nerdy. I love it.

[@samirhamdaoui7650]

I was taught to wait for the DVA to finish making its announcement before closing my doors on the Piccadilly line. So the time that the doors are open is determined by the length of the message. Places like Acton Town have long messages due to interchange so the doors are likely to be open longer. A Piccadilly Line service to Uxbridge service would in theory have a shorter door open time than a Piccadilly Line Service to Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Terminal 5

[@bokhans]

Timing the number of seconds the doors on the tube was open at each station was once an assignment I got working for StorStockholms Lokaltrafik SL, the Stockholm public transport company. I worked for the department of research and did all kinds of fun investigations. One resulted in a private train line to the Arlanda airport, one in double decker trains. Great fun.

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

Cool, I visited and used all of those three trains mentioned last week. Would recommend. 😁

[@user-pd5et5ft7p]

Is having a short time for this the 'best'. I might argue that the shorter times offer passengers an unreasonably short time.

[@DanTheGamerAndTrains]

Looks like my whole family needs to know this when they go on the tube

[@annabelholland]

Most trips on the tube are solo, but if you have a family of at least four, it is important to note that it if the train has been on the station for at least ten seconds, it may be best to wait for the next train. Make sure to use the double doors also.

[@oddsocks1953]

Many years ago we took our young Aussie kids (4 & 9) to Kings Cross to see the Harry Potter shop. When leaving for the next tourist hot spot I pushed the kids into the open door which then slammed shut before I had boarded. Just had enough time to mouth "get off at the next stop" to the 9 yo as it pulled out of the station. We were used to Sydney trains much more leisurely departure. We all survived - and the story is now family folklore.

[@krissp8712]

​@@oddsocks1953my goodness, hope you were able to meet back up there and the next train wasn't long!

[@DanTheGamerAndTrains]

@@annabelholland I was on the elizabeth line at heathrow and a lot of people were crammed on the train, when we got closer to the front, it was like dead empty

[@annabelholland]

@@DanTheGamerAndTrains I thought Elizabeth trains are normally full towards the front or back, not the middle.

[@laurencelowne8454]

Another fabulous video. Thanks Geoff. Now I have a benchmark for each line, I can tut if the doors stay open too long. 😂

[@tjoeker680]

The 'Nimby Rails'-transport-tycoon-game community thanks you for your research.

[@justwobert9850]

big video for the European recreation project

[@RobertDoornbosF1]

Do you need anything like this from the Netherlands?

[@moe_1886]

I think it's a good thing to know... in case you need to, you know, rush out to put something in the rubbish bin and rush back! 😂

[@howardstephens5003]

Once went on a LU Quality Management seminar on improving punctuality on the Victoria Line. The best practice approach at the time was the MTR (Hong Kong) and simply measuring and managing dwell times by 10th of seconds as opposed to whole seconds produced much improvement.

[@stuarthorwood2101]

Thank you so much Geoff, for the answer to a question I didn't think anyone was ever going to ask.

[@oscars4107]

I will sleep easier tonight knowing this vital information 😂

[@jacobporter2713]

I have always questioned if there is a set time for the doors to be open for, so thank you Geoff for making this video!

[@martinworsley6147]

Thank you Geoff! My wife is so happy to know this. She is a self confessed worrier about this very topic and you have made her life complete! Tube travel for us out of townies will suddenly be better!

[@Gary0557]

The doors open and close when the operator pushes the button to open and close them. Unless something has changed recently. 🤣

[@robertlalor8090]

Geoff, who wouda thunk it???!!!! 😁😁😁But I was glued. Thanks for doing and sharing.

[@rikufryderyk]

I love the idea of analysing stopwatch times- thanks for quenching our curiosity yet again, Geoff :)

[@JamesNicol-Buses]

Always love your helpful videos Geoff!

[@_its_finn]

Amazing filming as always!

[@johnmurray8428]

Only the British would do this. Well done Geoff proud of you, great topic!

[@Starlight51739]

Great vid as always Jeff!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

This question haunts me when I see the camera placed far away from you and then I see the doors close. I’m so clumsy and scatterbrained that I could never pull it off.

[@fookdatchit]

Been watching your vids for years Geoff. Such a jolly channel. Fanx V moooooch m8

[@mikeb3018]

Once saw a guy run on to a tube train and the doors closed on his backpack. Sent him flying back 😅

[@watchmakersp9935]

Thanks for putting a closure on the subject....and shut that door!

[@comicus01]

Geoff, I'm glad you had fun doing this. That's what's most important! But if one truly wanted to find out the average door open time, I very much question your methodology. Good to do it off peak, avoiding the Waterloo and City, and trying to avoid Zone 1 (though in reality, shouldn't that count?) To get even nerdier: A better methodology would probably involve sitting at a station for an hour, and timing each train as it comes through. That way you get an average for all the passengers passing through that particular point (they might arrive in clumps, especially if it's a transfer station), and this avoids the problem of riding on a train with a driver who is slow to close the doors). I think one would have to do several stations on each line. Not just one train with the same driver on a given segment of a line as you did. It could be the slowest doors were simply due to the driver you happened to be with. This of course would take a lot more time and effort, whereas your experiment it looks like you were able to complete in one day. I do think your overall average for all the trains is likely within a second of the true average across the entire Underground system. At least for stations outside of Zone 1.

[@allisonm6554]

This is my kind of content 😂 Love all of your videos Geoff!

[@lukeydagamer]

Just spotted the "believe" sign in the background, glad to see another ted lasso fan, I love that show!

[@TheBurnsiela]

This is exactly the kind of crossover content I love. Tube lines and Data 😍

[@ianthomson9363]

It's a question which needed to be answered. Now we know what we didn't know before and that's progress!

[@sixtysecondvlog]

Enjoyed that video!

[@OltonHall]

Strangely I was thinking about this earlier today. I was thinking about people who take there time that get to the train doors after the trains stops and I always think to myself they better hurry.

[@squidgytop.2050]

Fantastic idea

[@asac159]

Bizarre, bonkers, brilliant. TY

[@StephaneFontaine81]

On Brusels metro which I know as if I had specified/designed things for it ;-) the dwell times are set in a table and are different per platform, per time span over the day (something like : early morning, morning peak, mid-day, afternoon, evening peak, evening, late evening). Even more than that : a default dwell is set and used to make the timetables, but also a minimum dwell and a maximum dwell times are defined in that table. They will be used by the automatic regulation system to recover operational stability after delays occured. That system also acts on the maximum speed while running between stations. Max speed and dwell times allow to speed trains up or slow trains down to get them back on schedule.

[@angrymuffinsb]

A question I never thought about, but found very interesting

[@Fay7666]

Went to Mexico City a couple of weeks ago, pretty sure some dwell times on low-traffic stations must've been sub-5s, while interchanges must've had like 20s of firehose-level traffic through the doors.

[@theurchin65]

World class levels of geekiness, as you would expect, from Geoff. 👏👏👏

[@Oscarsbusspotting]

Great video Geoff wondered as well

[@oscyk]

Great video!!

[@joelschorschi9683]

Great video! Fun fact: The "20 second stop" was first introduced in 1904 on the tyneside coast circle, now part of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

[@mattwilcock8967]

Thanks Geoff, I'm sure I can find some use for that bit of Trivia.😊

[@Schiggywoof]

This is super random but I never knew I needed this vid 😂❤

[@MrGreatplum]

The information I never knew I needed 😀

[@NoelplayzSCR]

Impressive timing

[@cjstephens10028]

I spotted the 42nd Street Times Square sign in the background.... as I was watching the video on my phone, sitting on a train at 42nd Street - Times Square.

[@doctordeej]

I came on here thinking, “Really? Geoff must be getting depserate for ideas.” I came away thinking, “Fascinating. What interesting results.”

[@nicholashoi3155]

in my country, the time when the doors open and when I hear the beeping sound is 15 seconds on normal stations, 30 seconds at an Interchange, 20 seconds at terminal station.

[@johnnyw0003]

Knowing this can come quite handy often...in Vancouver, Canada, the doors at many stations are consistently ~20s, so if I'm running to catch a train or deciding if I have enough time to make it to a less busy car, I start counting to 20 in my head to determine if I'll make it before the doors close

[@simonwinter8839]

Hi there in Canada !!😊😊

[@jamesgay3207]

I can sleep easier at night now as this has been perplexing me. Thanks Geoff.

[@JamesTheBell1]

One thing about the final average time; Some tube lines have more stations than others, so, for instance, the District has more than any other and also the longest open door time. For a better average, the average open door time for each line should be multiplied by the number of stations on that line, all the times added together and then divided by the number of stations but counting multiple times when a station is served by multiple lines. (Sorry if that's not clear.)

[@EngineerLewis]

A mathematician would have a field day with these statistics - I noted the times seem to get longer at the end of the measurements. hmmm 🤔 There is probably an influnece of the driver's knowledge about the business of each station and what about the timings for the trains; are trains supposed to run to a timetable so if they are slower, then would the driver shut the doors more quickly or if too fast, would they keep doors open a bit longer at a station. Anyway Geoff, thanks for your work to collect these data and answer a question we were not asking!

[@LKBRICKS1993]

Excellent very interesting.

[@charliebramley]

Love to see a bigger sample

[@obifox6356]

In NY City, door open time is around 10 seconds unless more time is required by volume or train is being held.

[@itzurboyzdawg2]

I love these videos

[@peabody1976]

Now I'm curious as to Zone 1 openings/closings and if they're faster or slower with that added increase in people (or if they're actually faster)...

[@Leojw10]

Closes quicker at the busier stations

[@CubbyTech]

I think this is more helpful than you realize - if you're approaching a platform and you hear the doors open, you'll likely catch that train! Curious how central London fares off-peak with hold open times.

[@fumthings]

i think what people don't realize is that tube trains actually run to a schedule and if the dwell time in the stations gets too long due to congestion and people not "minding the doors" , then trains get terminated and turned around before they reach the end of the line so the return gets back on schedule. i think some lines have this built in during busy times and half the trains are scheduled to terminate and return without going to the end of the line all the time. so the driver closing the doors sooner when possible, can be about getting back on schedule.

[@DavidBeddard]

If ever there was a need to bring in a collaboration with Matt Parker, it's this.

[@marsharbour5906]

At Waterloo on the Waterloo and city, on the embarking platform, the train pulls in from the depot, and pulls out soon after. Definitely an intermediate stop class wait time, as opposed to a terminus class wait time.

[@stephenpegum9776]

As a regular user of the Northern line (mainly the other northern branch) I'm not sure whether to be pleased it came out top in your survey. This probably means I'm going to have to hustle when using this line in future 😱

[@maplady572]

Great video as always, but it's just made me want to come to London and ride around on tubes....😊

[@lawrenceporter8389]

As someone who travels on the above ground section of the Jubilee Line a lot, that average 20 seconds feels like five minutes on a cold morning in the middle of winter. The cold trains fresh out of the depot, fill with frigid air and feel like a freezer. I wish those redundant door buttons could actually be used.

[@andrewbeadle9168]

i remember that the vic before the 09 stock as supposed to be 30secs.. but with the newer trains they have a timer in the cab that tells the operator when to close doors.. but this is connected to the time they arrive and booked departure

[@MattDavis_BeechingsGhosts]

Yes there is a standard time included into the timetables. Canary Wharf (Jubilee) has a super peak service around 0830 where dwell times are calculated for up to 90 seconds.

[@HenrysAdventures]

It's good to know the Bakerloo Line trains doors as not open as long as they seem when you're travelling on it to Marylebone and your main line train is departing soon.

[@chunkyboyjames]

The District & Met will have different averages between the ATO & manual sections too, as under ATO the dwell times are automatically shorter.

[@The.train.guy.]

Hi Geoff just wanted to say that I love your content thank you for all you do😊

[@hectorthorverton4920]

I thought I'd do some elementary statistics. From the table it seems clear that the results are presented in ascending order, rather than the order they were observed. That said, the various lines show different statistics. The results for the Hammersmith and City have a remarkably-low Standard Deviation (0.7), while in contrast the District gives a much higher result (7.9). To make sense of these results we need to know how the door control systems work in the different stock used. Next, we need to assess the accuracy of the results. Geoff needs to have made multiple attempts to measure the exact same time interval, to see what the inherent variabiity of his measurement is. I know I couldn't measure to the accuracy of 0.1 seconds, for example. More work needed, I feel. Oh, wasn't this a peer-reviewed paper?

[@Jimyjames73]

I've never really thought about this Geoff 🤔🚂🚂🚂

[@peterdowden7694]

It's something that could be given more attention. At zero cost, faster door open time gives more speed and more capacity, or the ability to travel slower between stations to lower energy costs.

[@TransportForLuka]

Nice video Geoff, I think that tube trains have a set time for when they close but I think sometimes if there is barely any passengers getting on they will just close the doors straight away and leave

[@davejoey]

Information I didn't know I needed 😀! Great video! For Jubilee it came up 19.9 average, but you said 19.6!

[@geofftech2]

i checked my data, and it says 19.9 - so i did mean to say 19.9!

[@thomasday3256]

Was just about to say the same thing. Thanks for the clarification Geoff, great video as always 👍

[@smash456]

damn commented a minute ago anyway ive always wondered how long the tube doors stay open for when i get a train, thanks geoff 👍

[@DenkyManner]

That is some epic stretching for time at the beginning, all the same information twice in a row

[@reptongeek]

Just thought you might be interested in the dwell times I got on the Northern Line between Camden Town and Edgware last time I was on the tube. This was just after 7pm at night. Chalk Farm 15 seconds, Belsize Park 18 seconds, Hampstead 16 seconds, Golders Green 20 seconds, Brent Cross 10 seconds, Hendon Central 14 seconds Then I have a jump up to 29 seconds at Colindale and 1 minute 14 seconds at Burnt Oak

[@cappuccino_please]

Ok but wouldn't you think the conductor/driver just closes at an arbitrarily duration, when most people got on/off, closing faster when delayed and letting open longer if not delayed? You didn't consider in the sample, if the train was delayed or by how much.

[@simonwinter8839]

It's been a very long time since there was a conductor on London's underground trains - around 161 years !!

[@cappuccino_please]

@@simonwinter8839 I mean driver or train operator (the person in the front), I am not familiar with the wording, English is not my native language

[@simonwinter8839]

@cappuccino_please I shouldn't worry too much. English isn't the first language of most of the English !!

[@RJBTransport]

Good Video Geoff I remember last time I was on Budapest metro Doors open and close for not very long I think I maybe quickest time on Train I have seen on Train in my whole life at least London gives people bit more time get on and off good video as allways Geoff

[@davinacaine3615]

Thank you I will sleep so much better tonight knowing these figures 😂

[@xali4556]

Nice video bro ❤❤❤

[@pbsteamatspeed7683]

Ha ha! I used to live in Hampstead and always liked the speedy Northern line Edgware branch😂

[@khidorahian]

Bakerloo line stays winning shame about the piccadilly

[@JW1_1]

Definitely the District line. Earl's Court, 8:00am in the morning, woof!

[@AdventuresOnLondonTransport]

This all really depends on the countdown on the automatic lines, the control room can decide how long a train can sit at a station but the manual lines the Bakerloo and Piccadilly they usually sit there for about 10-20 seconds if they already have the green signal

[@1nbp]

I think there’s a reason why the District has long door open times, the current signalling system is too efficient for the current timetable so the trains spend longer at the stations. As for the Central… it really is experiencing issues so I wonder if it’ll be better on a full timetable.

[@Nicolaizans]

Nice video Geoff

[@Leojw10]

The first 3 lines and northern line all averaged the amount of time you put on that list when i went on them last month in London

[@trainspotterinkent2984]

Nice