A Tale of Two Cities (‘ riveting transportation systems)

Today, as I skipped daintily across Oxford Circus tube platform with my taekwondo gear, I was almost hurled under a train by the throbbing throng of Christmas shoppers.  The platform was rammed beyond capacity. Fortunately my lightning ninja reflexes prevented tragedy, but it does make you seriously question the safety of the London Underground at peak times. (And, as most Londoners bemoan:  how will it ever cope with the Olympics?)

Conversely, some years ago I went to work in Singapore, entered their clean, air-conditioned MRT, and got totally lost. Where are the platforms? Only visible was a pristine corridor with a few people dotted around it. Then, doors opened and lo: a train had almost noiselessly sashayed in behind screens - this was the platform!

As I later discovered, Singapore trains do get rammed at rush hour. And they don’t all have screens. But there is aircon, cleanliness, no foody smells, no drunks, and in general, shorter distances.

Actually, I had gone to Singapore to work on a project for their transportation provider. And what did I find? Their entire management team was agog with wonder at the London Underground! I kept reiterating – have you ever tried travelling on the tube??? (With its expense, multiple signal failures, endless closures, troublesome stairs, sweat, dirt, puke, smells?)

In fact good old TFL (Transport for London) is revered globally for its tube network. Mainly because it is so extensive, plus it is the oldest underground network in the world but still (just about) keeps up in modern times.  Running trains is no easy feat technically or financially, it turns out. And after a couple of decades the problems begin. Singapore’s new system was just reaching its ‘problem point’; London reached its own 130 years ago!

Anyway, I still think the tube is massively overpriced, unsafe and inefficient. But I guess we have to cut them a little bit of slack. And keep those ninja reflexes honed.