Why the Circle Line Isn’t a Circle

They could at least change the name for Pete’s sake.
How the Circle Line came to be: • The Circle Line Slapfight
ko-fi.com/jago...
/ jagohazzard

[@DavidRutten]

It should definitely remain "the circle line". The inherent geometric contradiction in its name is too delicious to do away with.

[@JamesPetts]

I note the appropriateness of your avatar for this comment.

[@simonwinter8839]

David Rutten I note your icon is a spiral. You do your cause no good whatsoever !!

[@Alex2Buzz]

An infinitely-large circle is indistinguishable from a line, so there's our answer.

[@rodrigocastiel9441]

In non-Euclidian geometry, a line may be a loop, or even a circle!.

[@loser731]

The new name for circle line:wood lane and city line

[@Gordons1888]

UKIP and the Guardian agreeing on something? Is this some parallel universe

[@laszlokaestner5766]

It was also (and I believe still is) official policy for the Monster Raving Looney Party

[@1973Washu]

A broken clock is right twice a day ...

[@beeble2003]

What's worse, UKIP being somewhat rational about it (proposing solutions to the problems that caused the line to be de-circled) and _The Guardian_ just hankering for a return to the "good old days" ignoring the things that made them not-so good. Very strange. Very, very strange.

[@emporioalnino4670]

@@beeble2003 freaky friday

[@nicktecky55]

I well remember as a child being instructed to take the Circle Line from King's Cross to Victoria, "that way you won't get lost" and "it won't matter if you use the wrong platform" was the rationale. TBF: the Victoria Line didn't exist, so a change was needed otherwise.

[@helios684]

Hearing “this is a southbound northern line train” makes my brain error.

[@oliverstrubbe]

brain.exe not found

[@DevalDiamondProductions]

*Windows 7 Critical Stop Sound*

[@nannerz1994]

In Chicago there's an intersection of W North Avenue and N Western Avenue. Love it.

[@changwanyu4231]

Ah yes, the Northern Line, the Southernmost line in the tube.

[@hannahk1306]

I once had to go north on the northern to change to go south on the northern line (down the other branch)...

[@TotoDG]

Plot twist: it _was_ supposed to be a circle, but the person who drew the "circle" on the map had dysgraphia.

[@stuartmcconnachie]

Or had previously been on one of those pub crawl parties.... TFL are a bit short of money at the mo. Perhaps they should reinstate paid for supervised parties?

[@jerribee1]

@@stuartmcconnachie And call it the Party Line.

[@highpath4776]

@@jerribee1 its a brr-brr-brr-busy line.

[@kanedaku]

Ooh thank you for a new word.

[@ryanm.191]

If it wasn’t confusing or inaccurate it wouldn’t be British

[@Quasihamster]

Laughing hard in Germany's definitions what an S-Bahn is and then looking at what's actually being called an S-Bahn :D

[@YetAnotherGeorgeth]

We don’t do things “easily” or “accurately,” we do things Britishly and if that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye then I don’t know what will!

[@silviasanchez648]

@@Quasihamster In my experience, U-Bahns suffer the same issue. Every city seems to have its own personal idea of what an U-Bahn is. And some are not sure and just call U-Bahn to anything.

[@Quasihamster]

@@silviasanchez648 Well they're a bit more consistant. Many systems that are commonly called U-Bahn, are NOT called that by their operators, but Stadtbahn instead. Basically these are upgraded tram networks that have a few grade-separated parts now. But then, some also think Stadtbahn is what S-Bahn stands for... that's not good either.

[@irongoatrocky2343]

Ryan how right you are! The Underground it self is not entirely run below ground!.....nor is the Overground run entirely above ground! go figure!

[@mortified776]

I am rather disappointed to learn tube parties were once a thing and never got to do one.

[@JudgeHill]

When central London had actual mega clubs, the circle line was a convenient way to get to them and became a bit of a roving party itself

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

@@JudgeHill I'm really not upset. Back in the 1980s, there were a lot of badly behaved drunks, especially on a Friday afternoon. It really wasn't pleasant to share a carriage with guys guzzling down beer and staggering all over the place. I was once traveling home in the same carriage as a group of women (young secretaries I assumed), who had been swigging wine from a shared bottle, When we reached Stratford, they got up to leave and one of them threw up all over the floor. They staggered out the carriage not leaving me time to get out and change carriages. I had to use the interconnecting doors to get to the next one.

[@highpath4776]

@@RebMordechaiReviews Essex Girls, an undeserved reputation?

[@highpath4776]

If a load of PhD's get on the line is it a tube of smarties?

[@jacko101]

The toilets were never up to much!

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

Overall the change was an improvement, but as someone who at the time regularly travelled from High St Ken to Baker Street, it was really annoying to lose the through trains and have to always change at Edgware Road, especially as Edgware Road is a pretty poor station to interchange at, being cramped and surprisingly cold in winter!

[@ianmcclavin]

Yes, plus the fact that if you arrive at Edgware Road on a "Circle Line" train (as opposed to a District), then you'd also have to cross over the bridge!

[@Quasihamster]

"The horizontally mirrored and rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise six line"

[@jerribee1]

Yeah, that's catchy.

[@Quasihamster]

@@jerribee1 Yeah! I mean you could just call it the six line, but how confusing would that be! Northern Line, Bakerloo Line, District Line... Six Line. People would think it's a bus!

[@koipen]

...you mean a 9? edit: nvm I'm a doofus

[@Quasihamster]

@@koipen We could also call it the horizontally mirrored and rotated 270 degrees counter-clockwise nine line, of course!

[@SeverityOne]

"Counter-clockwise"? We're not having any of that pretend English they speak in the colonies. It's "anti-clockwise".

[@ChakatSandwalker]

Round, like a circle in a spiral, Like a wheel within a wheel, Never ending or beginning On an ever-spinning reel...

[@georgec2126]

Sting. 'Windmills'. A superb song!

[@aliensector]

@@georgec2126 Michel Legrand; and yes it is a superb song.

[@emjayay]

@@aliensector Dusty Springfield: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYXTq2WBiKutjdU

[@digitalcasio2704]

I worked at Edgware Road signal cabin in the early 90's and remember how bad the schedules got. I remember once that there was a one under which caused massive disruption. Most of the Circle lines trains were on the southern part and they were coming in over 2 hours behind schedule with seriously upset drivers. The change, although somewhat confusing to tourists was a much needed one.

[@liveevil6386]

I used to take an extra spin around the whole the circle if I felt like missing registration

[@cezarcatalin1406]

what an absolute madlad

[@liveevil6386]

Cezar Catalin just was being polite. It was a stone cold bunk. Off with the tie and blazer IM SMOKING WEED BABY IM FREEEeAAaaaaAAa

[@maryapatterson]

😅😂🤣

[@shojinryori]

How long did it take to do a full round?

[@johnm2012]

@@shojinryori About 45 minutes or so.

[@janetdavis1732]

This explains the memories of my first trip to London in 1996. The Circle Line was a "circle" then. Before we flew home, my son and I got on at High Street Kensington by our hotel and rode all the way around as a sort of farewell. By my next trip the Circle Line had been changed, but I didn't know that. I began to doubt my memories. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[@Mr_Spliffy]

Congratulations Jago on 70k. Next stop 100

[@hangyeoltarbutton6193]

Pun appreciated!

[@thesalandarian3314]

Loll nice

[@JamesTheBell1]

Yes.

[@jsp7202]

Whenever I visited London I always jumped on the Circle to get wherever I needed to go. It was great as you could just hop on and go to whichever direction you wanted, if you weren't in a hurry you could go the long way! By the way I can remember when the Hammersmith & City Line was part of the Metropolitan Line, god I feel old.

[@DJTrainBrain]

5:48 "I hope you enjoyed this *well-rounded* episode of Tales from the Tube... " I see what you did there! :-D

[@Dave_Sisson]

He does something like that at the conclusion of most videos, except on the rare occasions that he can't come up with a cheesy pun.

[@stuartmcconnachie]

That was so subtle I nearly missed it.... *nearly* 😉

[@terezar880]

I love those silly puns so much

[@dethledr]

It's okay if the Circle Line isn't a circle. Piccadilly isn't a circus. Bubble and squeak doesn't have bubbles, nor does it squeak. And the Queen isn't Latifah. We just have to accept these things in our imperfect world.

[@jrosenthal7111]

1:33 We do something similar here in Berlin using our Ringbahn ("ring line"). You try to complete a full round by rolling a dice and riding the train for that amount of stations where you then get out and have one drink in the closest pub. It's quite tricky, and either way you'll end up pretty drunk.

[@dianastevenson131]

Sounds like good fun!

[@ashleyhamman]

I think the "circle line" name is pretty well understood abroad as being a feature of London almost as much as the Tube in general. I don't think it needs to be changed, but I do see a sort of bottle shape in it.

[@iankemp1131]

Hmm, an empty bottle lying on its side - not an ideal image of London? That's on the Tube map; it looks rather different in real geography, and explains the otherwise mysterious description "eastbound/westbound"on the Circle/District Line platforms at Paddington (Praed Street, not Bishops Road).

[@TheNgandrew]

The changes have, to an extent, shortened the legendary 'Circle Line minute', whereby a Circle Line train which was only 1 minute away used to take up to 5 minutes to get to you. Before I get shot down, I do of course understand that it's a measure of distance rather than time, but it used to be so frustrating waiting for a Circle Line train. Another wonderful video by the way. Thanks.

[@JagoHazzard]

It’s like that line from Star Wars about how “it made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs.” And now I’m envisioning a remake of Star Wars set on the Underground.

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

@@JagoHazzard Revenge of the Hammersmith and Sithy?

[@marionbloom1218]

It's a very interesting concept, similar to the light-year being a measure of distance - the tube-minute as a measure of distance! Marion

[@sjoerd5629]

Excelent episode! When I was in London years ago, when it was still a circle, I traveled a full circle on it. The train was stationary at Aldgate for I think 5-6 minutes. At the time, I was already thinking that must have been to correct potential delays, als the platforms at Aldgate were the only tracks along the route the line did not have to share.

[@johnmurrell3175]

That is correct - High Street Kensington SB & Gloucester Road WB were others. In most lines it is done by having layovers at the terminals. The Victoria line just tries to run to 'the book' with no recovery possible at peak hours. There are some means of correction involving stepping back and cancellations. Keeping to the timetable is not so critical in some was as all the trains go back to the Depot at night. On other lines the trains have to go back to the planned depot to allow the relevant maintenance to be done overnight as different facilities and resources exist at different depots

[@BarryAllenMagic]

From a youngster, through to commuting as an Adult, whenever travelling on the Underground, if I saw a sign for the Circle Line, the song 'The World is a Circle' (Burt Bacharach 1973) has always sprung instantly to mind. In fact, it did again when I saw the title of this excellent clip! I'm sure that I was dropped on my head when I was a kid. I'd never realised the potential problems of it not having a terminus - although didn't Circle Line trains often wait up for long periods at Aldgate? Superb as always dear chap. 👍

[@highpath4776]

Was Aldgate the driver change over?

[@BarryAllenMagic]

@@highpath4776 Very possibly - good call! 👍

[@MarkWaller2]

Yes, Circle Line trains did wait at Aldgate - it was the only place on the line where they could have waiting time (to allow for recovery from delays) without blocking trains on one of the other intersecting lines. That's why the driver change-overs happened there too.

[@YetAnotherGeorgeth]

This circle doesn’t fit, it’s a little square.

[@Rog5446]

A square with rounded corners.

[@archstanton6102]

Wonder Stuff?

[@ajs41]

Maybe it's worth pointing out that you can of course still ride a complete journey on the old-fashioned Circle Line route, from Edgware Road to Edgware Road. It's just that you have to change trains at Edgware Road if you want to go round again.

[@warmachineuk]

The tube line names are treated as unique names, rather than descriptions, and the British love eccentricity, so the name of Circle should be kept as a quirk of the past. And a reminder that change for efficiency must happen and nostalgia shouldn't hold it back.

[@pulaski1]

But "change for efficiency" and "nostalgia shouldn't hold it back" are alien concepts to us Brits. :-/

[@chrisstephens6673]

Its not that we English are eccentric it is that the rest of the world only thinks in straight(boring) lines.

[@Taschenschieber]

Right, I've been saying for AGES the Bakerloo line needs to be renamed into the Elephant & Wealdstone Line.

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@Taschenschieber Bakerloo always sounds like a brand of laxative bread.

[@indiegirl9882]

@@Taschenschieber That's not going to work because the Bakerloo line is due to be extended !! Bakerloo is still relevant because it connects Baker Street to Waterloo

[@terezar880]

They should call it the "circle 2.0 but actually more of a rectangle, with the Hammersmith tail extension". I think it has a nice ring to it

[@ttaibe]

I vote for: And Now Something Completely Different!....

[@PeterMountUK]

Although the Circle now terminates at Edgware Road once it's gone completely around clockwise & then reverse back, sometimes they do carry on like they used to. A few years ago I was on the Circle going from High St Kensington to St Pancras & I was expecting to change at Edgware but because it was already delayed they continued it on for another loop as a means to catch up.

[@optecio]

They could have made it “terminate” at Edgware Road and then continue 5-10 minutes afterwards, considering the District doesn’t always go to Edgware Road

[@snuffesnuffs7777]

Brilliant as always! I like Geoff Marshall too, you're absolutely in the same league. You have an academic feel while Geoff seems more of a nerd to me! Equally good, anyway!

[@paulcarpenter2800]

Very interesting documentary. It's wonderful to see the London tube map referenced so much. As a long standing designer myself, Harry Beck is my design hero, and one who should be remembered the world over. I have even made a stylised stained glass window to celebrate his achievements. Best regards, Paul in Lower Boddington.

[@pryn.darkstorm]

Meanwhile in Singapore our Circle Line was never intended to be a circle, starting near the centre of the city, going 'round the top to the North, then coming back down all the way to the Southern Waterfront. To complete the circle and go back to where you came from you need to change for the purple North East Line. That is until a station collapsed during construction in 2004, leading to an alteration of plans and a knock on effect on the future Downtown Line. The change was small but crucial. From Promenade Station (near the Ferris wheel and the F1 pit building), it would branch off south towards Marina Bay via the Marina Bay Sands hotel (where it would have a proper interchange with the Downtown Line, previously it was going to interchange at that collapsed station then terminate at Promenade). The gap between both sides thus decreased from 6km to just 4km. So plans to close the gap were greenlit and work began a year ago to be completed by 2025. Also the Circle Line was the first line to be built with 3-car trains, which later proved to be disastrous.

[@MattMcIrvin]

I remember wishing for that completion when I was there--it would have made some trips shorter for me!

[@scottread]

The joy of the circle line was the simplicity of being able to launch yourself through the narrowing gap in the closing doors, knowing you'd eventually reach your circle line destination. Even the clockwise/counter-clockwise dilemma wasn't an issue if time was on your side.

[@rontanser9369]

That’s almost mind-boggling in fact I think my brain is now going round in a circle LOL

[@Davey-Boyd]

Brings back memories. I went to some great tube parties on the circle line!

[@randomclass4653]

Congrats on 70k! Nice video by the way!

[@Chris-nq9nb]

I miss the circle. It was easier to navigate on those late night occasions when one's judgement is impaired! Couldn't they put a siding in to regulate it? I also miss the colour coded cars. Green for district, yellow for circle etc. It made it easier when you got to the platform as the train arrived. Eurgh, I sound so old and grumpy 😂

[@AtheistOrphan]

Aah, fond memories of the sound (and smell) of the old Circle/District Line ‘R’ stock.

[@READYTEDDYBEAR]

Only Glasgow knows how to do a "Circle Line" so much so we have 2 of them.

[@Derecq]

The Clockwork Orange, second oldest underground railway in the world. I used it when I visited Glasgow 2 years ago

[@juiceter3981]

2 circle lines in 1 place? This is britian for you. The scots are just as quirky as the english!

[@simonwinter8839]

READYTEDDYBEAR There's only one.You need to drink some Scotch to see two. Drink a few bottles and the train will have a conversation with you. !!

[@READYTEDDYBEAR]

Simon Winter No there is the "Outer Circle" that goes "Clockwise" and the "Inner Circle" that goes "Anti-Clockwise".

[@roboftherock]

@@Derecq Sorry, OM; it's the 3rd oldest after London and Budapest.

[@MrGreatplum]

Once again, great stuff! Back in the days, I used to work near Baker Street and a pal of mine and I used to go and see how far you can go on the tube in an hour’s lunch break. The answer is, not all the way around the circle line when it was a circle!

[@cece_e193]

You forgot to mention the fact that the Piccadilly Line would get indirectly involved too if there was a delay on the Circle Line since the District and Metropolitan Lines, sharing tracks with the Circle Line, share tracks even with the Piccadilly Line (Respectively at Ealing Common and from Rayners Lane to Uxbridge) and even Chiltern Railways sharing tracks with the Metropolitan Line at Chalfont & Latimer and Amersham, and would even affect the national railways tracks shared with the Bakerloo Line from Queen’s Park to Harrow & Wealdstone, so it would basically create a loop. Anyway, the video was great and I got to know new important things.

[@Wertyhappy27]

Dont live anywhere near London, not even in Europe, and yet I watch these videos

[@Lurker1979]

Congrats on your fastly growing channel.

[@hakc97again]

This whole line could be a thing of the past sooner than we think. Khan has indicated that an entire tube line could close, no specifications but it's likely going to be this one

[@8834]

Honestly might be for the better, the district line can replace the segment between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street.

[@lawrencelewis8105]

I recall the London papers calling it a "Lasso" when the change was made.

[@barrydysert2974]

In the receding depths of the twentieth century, '82 it was, the Circle Line was a warm, safe seat to sleep in after a long, cold London night spent sleeplessly at Paddington Station. It was the one line i knew for sure i could fall asleep on and i wouldn't get stranded and or lost. Then and now a warm dreamy haze of faces and places! Wistful that it is no more. 🖖

[@dylreesYT]

"Well rounded episode" one last pun, love it!

[@richardwoods5873]

When I lived in London it was a Circle; travelled all the way round once

[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

Jago Hazzard...running circles around all the rest.......

[@johnpersonage7220]

I don't go to that there London much and when I'm there I use the Piccadilly line for my particular missions. One day I had to use the Circle line and it was only by pure chance I happened to be looking at a tube map and listening to an announcement where I needed to change at the next station to continue to my destination. I changed to the train I needed and when I eventually exited the tube system I saw an Underground employee. I said something along the lines of, "That circle line isn't an actual circle. A bit misleading if you ask me." He kind of agreed and did the old shoulder shrug routine.

[@KravKernow]

I'm another one of the "It looks like a bottle" posse.

[@haydenmaines5905]

I Really appreciate this video! It's been a thought experiment of mine for years to wonder the pros and cons of circular networks versus linear ones, but I'd never considered delays slowing down the whole network. Thank you so much!

[@thekaiseraiden]

Brilliant video as always

[@baptisedindirtysprite3593]

Video hasn’t even been posted for a whole minute, so you haven’t even watched it yet lmaoo wtf

[@TotoDG]

@@baptisedindirtysprite3593. He doesn't need to; it's still a brilliant video.

[@thekaiseraiden]

@@baptisedindirtysprite3593 as Soviet Onion correctly acknowledged: no matter what Jago posts, it will always be a brilliant video and surprise surprise; This video was brilliant!

[@kierany9]

I lived in London until the mid-2000's and I thought you were just being weird an pedantic about why it's not a perfect circle with the title up until 0:45. Can't believe that they actually de-circled the circle and I hadn't heard about it, I had to google it to see how it actually worked now. And yes, Edgware Road definitely looks like a pain in the backside to figure out.

[@asdaneedsfunds]

Drivers finishing a loop at Edgware Road would strategically take a "relief break" (read: toilet), which necessitated a minimum amount of time before returning to the cab. This meant that they would not be able to return to their train in time, and it would be taken on by another driver, giving the first driver a very long break, often suspiciously close to the end of their shift. The 2009 change now means that a driver can pick up a service to Hammersmith - which rarely seems to be required any more.

[@nezbrun872]

For many years I've lived and worked at approximately diametrically opposite ends of the Circle line. For many years, one of my "get of jail free" cards was to simply to travel in the opposite direction. The Circle line is particularly affected by signal failures and other delays once rush hour has got under way and it can take some time for it to recover. After it was no longer a circle, meaning changing at Edgware Road, that option became far less encouraging: it's permanently overcrowded there with passengers changing trains. So in short, I'm not a fan of non circular Circle line, although experience has taught me exactly where to be on the platform to get a seat 99%+ of the time: hint - go to the end of the train, noting that the Circle line has one fewer carriages than the District and Met lines. However there is one big benefit to the Circle line, (as well as the District and Met): air con!

[@EonityLuna]

And people here in Singapore were complaining that our own Circle Line wasn't a real circle, but had a gap and forked into two branches at one end... There's an extension under construction that will close that gap; when complete our Circle Line will form a full circle, but with a branch still in the area where it passes through our CBD.

[@dianastevenson131]

I remember homeless people sleeping on the Circle Line when it was a circle. Never came across a party unfortunately. Now I'm old I can't use escalators due to a vertigo problem so I love the Circle Line as I can get to so many stations on it - Victoria, Paddington, Euston, Kings Cross St Pancras, Liverpool Street, Cannon Street, Blackfriars, and Embankment for Charing Cross. And no escalators needed. It's perfect - I use it a lot!!

[@baptisedindirtysprite3593]

The circle what

[@terezar880]

The what circle line

[@hectorthorverton4920]

Thanks for your quality ramblings. Another advantage of the present set-up is that it's far better for train crews; enabling drivers to maintain concentration is, shall we say, important. As to the name, those of us who know the tube know how it works, the maps are explicit enough, and we don't want to make life too easy for visitors, do we? Earls Court to Baker Street? Changing at Edgware Road is a small price to pay.

[@electragaming4140]

The concept of running the Circle Line through to Hammersmith wasn’t new to 2009, either. LU ran it to Hammersmith (in what was nicknamed the “Panhandle”) during Notting Hill Carnival weekends for years before that.

[@highpath4776]

And on other engineering works, . Does it go back to a circle if Hammersmith section is closed for engineering? I think operationally the early and late circles were run to Hammersmith Too, though some went to Edgware road to terminate for the night.

[@officialmcdeath]

@@highpath4776 reversion to original circle has indeed happened on several occasions \m/

[@annstewart4731]

There is a circle line here in Scotland on the trains but!!!! Scotrail run it from Edinburgh Waverley over the bridge and on to Glenrothes via Kirkcaldy, then it changes headcode and runs back to Waverley via Dunfermline. So it does not show in the timetable as a circle which it is not or a through service from one side to the other. Furthermore if the train has a first class compartment you can use it with a standard class ticket! As anther comment read, it would not be Britain without the silliness.

[@chrisinnes2128]

Yeah my local railway line the Fife circle line

[@rayfisher3921]

Don't forget the Cathcart Circle.

[@m20newell]

I do kind of miss a circle line train arriving at Edgware Road, becoming a Hammersmith & City line service and then changing back to a circle

[@physiocrat7143]

If you are coming from Paddington on the District Line you now have to change at Edgeware Road. In the days of steam they had to turn the engines to even out the wear.

[@enclosingthefield]

I left London in 2016 and didn't use the tube much in the latter years, but better late than never, I now know why it became so irritating never being able to get on a proper Circle train that would run non-stop around east and west as they did in my youth.

[@KissTheGreat]

I still miss when zone 1 was just the area inside the bottle

[@seanbonella]

i think most 'lines' need renaming, especially this one...great job Jago

[@nxea170201]

Another fantastic video. Your voice is so clear, you'd be a great book narrator.

[@JagoHazzard]

Thanks!

[@alzeNL]

What i like about the circle line is that it doesnt go through croydon, so its safe.

[@bruce8443]

I don't care whether or not it's a circle. It should be whatever it needs to be. But I think whatever route is most like the old circle should keep the name of circle, to be a benefit to regular riders who already know that name. Keeping or improving public understanding and usability will help TFL keep everything going. When you go to cities in the world with poor or no public transportation, you see what a treasure it is to have such an extensive tube system that so many people know how to use every day. It's an inspiration for the rest of the world, even though it does have some "opportunities for improvement" as they say.

[@captainufo4587]

My city has a circle line, but it's a tram rather than rail/metro. It indeed has two termini, but they are in-line, so to speak. Big, off road four tracks loops, where tram A arrives, waits there for up to ten minutes. If tram A is on time, there's usually a tram B already waiting on a parallel track, that usually departs a minute or so after. If you have to go past those "termini", you can both remain on your tram and wait, or rush for the other one. Same thing for the counterclockwise route.

[@angrypacifist5782]

I used to refer to the Circle Line as the Circle And Line between 2009 and 2011. Still think it works quite well if a bit long winded. Would love to hear more about the plans to expand the Circle Line into multiple routes both north and south of the river, didn't quite understand but I sounds really interesting

[@konstkaras]

Yes, short intervals encourage evading junction, and I wonder why London has so many; for example, Northern line could be divided in two independent lines, just making some passengers to transfer at Camden Town or Kennington instead of waiting for specific train. (Moscow Metro had no junctions in 1938-1984 and 1995-2005, and just two now)

[@rickyzuc]

I preferred the line pre-2009 when it ran as a 'circle' - I liked that it also have the Hammersmith & City line it's own originality this way.

[@robertweissman4850]

A witty and wise contribution (what I expect of you, Jago). Perhaps the Circle Line should now carry the name Circuitous Line. From someone so pleased to have escaped the over-busy great metropolis.

[@wickiezulu]

There were two attempts for the route to reach Barnes from Hammersmith, one early on during its history and another by Cecil Parkinson who proposed an extension of the real-life Hammersmith & City Line southwards from Hammersmith to Barnes and Roehampton.

[@AG7-MTM]

One day I hope the subsurface lines can be de-interlined. The Circle stays absolutely the same, but the met stops at Baker st (several trains already do), Dist. Stops at High st Ken (or is doubled up to Edgeware as Geoff Marshall explains in "secrets of the District line", and H&C replaces Upminster services either running with the circle if needed, or (admittedly a little controversial) joining the two Aldgate stations with a pedestrian link like Bank & Monument

[@jeremypnet]

One small advantage of the new arrangement is that my Paddington dilemma is sorted: If I want to go clockwise I use the station at the West end shared with the H&C and if I want to go anticlockwise I use the East end station shared with the District.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

All this reminds me of the Telco i worked for giving staff the new brief on product runouts 6 months after they started being sent to customers . The train system seems to run despite anyone really in control . The frontline operation staff knowing more than upper level management

[@stadt-undstraenbahntv4321]

THE question of all questions...

[@petefletcher451]

Definitely need more lines with the origin of the names from Shapes.

[@MrFlashpoint1978]

Jago, you magnificent bastard.

[@jnoir87]

I got caught out recently when joining the circle line after leaving a GWR train at Paddington. There are two circle line stations at Paddington and if you walk to the closest one to the concourse and take a train heading east, you’ll make it one stop before having to jump off at Edgware Rd. Frustrating, I would imagine, for passengers from Heathrow who may never have set foot in London before!

[@BlaiddLlwyd]

"It's a bit of a bodysnatcher." Love it!

[@logwhitley]

Having a non-circulating circular line is a bit like having a piece of bread stuck to the top of your mouth, irritating but you'll get over it.

[@karlosh9286]

The "circle" is now the @ line ! I remember the "old" circle line well. It would often stop for AGES at Edgware Road. The current @ configuration makes sense to me .

[@62smarty]

I often used the Circle line from 1978 to 1987. I always loved to use it. As a Swiss traveler I sometimes missed the right exit 😂. The inner circle was always clockwise, the outer counter clock wise.... at least for me 😂😂😂 Thanks for your videos!

[@russellb1212]

Well rounded, class, the logic for changing makes total sense, very interesting

[@cris_261]

Love these looks at the history, and idiosyncrasies, of the London Underground. Quite the complex story, that fits nicely with the stories of other nation's elevated and underground transit systems.

[@faithlesshound5621]

So UKIP wanted to restore the "circular" aspect of the Circle Line. That was part of their project to go back to some lost paradise in the 1950's. One candidate even wanted British Railways to repaint their carriages maroon and cream. They didn't go as far as reinstating steam locomotives, unfortunately: that would have meant reopening the coal mines and steel mills, i.e. reversing Thatcherism.

[@blondon1050]

02:37 “no biggie” try telling that to a driver who was expecting 15 minutes turnaround time but now has only 10 or 5. As someone who’s worked drivers before they will tell you it’s a big problem! Great video as always.

[@cigibso]

It should be called the Q line, for a circle with a little tail through it.

[@juiceter3981]

Q from star trek? Wont he be pleased!

[@glynwelshkarelian3489]

But it can't be Q, it doesn't go through Bond Street!

[@brianartillery]

I always thought that it looked rather bottle shaped, myself. It's almost as if it was deliberately done so, as perhaps, an 'aide memoir', so the person concerned could look at the map, and think: "Must get another bottle of Buckfast.° °Other 'fighting wines', although not made by monks in a small sleepy town in Devon, are available.

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

I beg to differ on the Northern line: when looking on Google Maps with the Transport overlay, the Northern doesn't go that much further South than the District line, so it's not that apparent that it is the line that goes the furthest South. Also, in itself it indeed goes further North than South. But you are correct in saying it is not the most Northerly one.

[@PsychicLord]

Perhaps you might consider an episode looking at the plans to split the Northern line into two.... which is a possibility when the Battersea extension opens.

[@JamesTheBell1]

I thought that it could probably do with some rebranding, and Spiral Line sounds fun to me. But it will probably remain the Circle. Really interesting as to why they terminated the old operational pattern.

[@michaeldonahoo461]

Frank Pick strikes me as the type of fellow that called a spade a spade! "An article in the Guardian that did not offer any solutions." That could describe every article in the Guardian this century!

[@iankemp1131]

In the early days of the new Circle there were considerable teething troubles; I remember seeing trains queueing up for several minutes to try to get into Hammersmith, and learning as a result to get off at Goldhawk Road and walk - actually quicker! I assume these have long since been sorted.

[@iainwalker8701]

Good channel and very interesting history despite the facts I live in Peterhead and haven't been in London since I was 10 year's old which was 25 years ago.

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

Reminds me of The Naming of Parts, by Henry Reed, 1942.

[@DaveDVideoMaker]

The Circle line used to be an actual circle, but trains were extended down to Hammersmith in 2009.