Friday, June 01, 2007

London Underground and my Analysis!


London's underground is an amazing maze!
After fiddling with its various lines to reach my office in Liverpool Steet (Central London) from my place of stay at Wembley, I've finally figured the best solution from my observation (a timepass analysis) below:

1. Bus and Metropolitan Line Combo
Walk -- home to Bus stop: 3 mins
Bus -- Route No. 83, 297: To Wembley Park stop: 10-15 mins (Avg:12.5 mins)
Walk-- Till Southbound platform in the Wembley Park Tube station: 3 mins
Tube -- Metrolpolitan Line to Liverpool St. station: 35 - 40 mins (Avg: 37.5 mins)
Average Waiting Time (at Bus stop and at Tube station): Approx. 2 -10 mins (Avg: 6 mins)
Total Average Time: 62 mins

2. Bus and Central Line Combo:
Walk-- home to Bus stop: 3 mins
Bus -- Route No. 83: Home to Hanger Lane stop: 12-15 mins (Avg:13.5 mins)
Walk-- Till Eastbound platform in the Hanger Lane Tube station: 4 mins
Tube -- Metrolpolitan Line, to Liverpool St. station: 40 - 50 mins (Avg: 45 mins)
Average Waiting Time (Bus stop and Tube station): Approx. 0 -15 mins (Avg: 7.5 mins)
Total Average Time: 70 mins

3. BakerLoo line and Metropolitan/ Hammersmith and City/ Circle (M/H/C) lines Combo :
(This option doesn't involve any bus ride!)
Walk-- Home to Wembley Central Tube station (till Southbound platform): 5 min
Avg. waiting time for the tube (bakerloo has less frequency): 0 -10 min (Avg:5)
Tube -- BakerLoo Line, to Baker Street station: 25-30 mins (Avg: 27.5)
Walk in Bake St. tube station for line change over and waiting time: 4-6 mins (Avg: 5)
Tube -- M/H/C lines from Baker St. to Liverpool St.: 15-20 mins (Avg:17.5)
Total Average Time: 60 mins

4. Silverlink Express to Euston and M/H/C lines combo:
Walk-- Home to Wembley Central Tube station (till Southbound platform): 5 min
Avg. waiting time for SilverLink Express (Freq: every 20 mins): 0 -20 min (Avg:10)
National Railway (Silverlink Express) - Till Euston Juntion: 20 min
Walk: Euston junction to Eastbound platform at Euston Square Tube station: 5 min
Tube -- M/H/C lines from Euston Square. to Liverpool St.: 10-15 mins (Avg:12.5)
Total Average Time: 52.5 mins

After wastefully wasting(!) my time at options 1 and 2 before, I settled for 3 thinking it as the wisest choice.

But I was unaware of option 4 before..Of late, I realised it to be THE best option and now happy with it :-) Silverlink train's arrival time at Wembley Central are at 8.05 (,8.25..) and at every 20 mins before and thereafter. I now have started to synchronise my starting time from home to Wembley Central station that I am just in time or a minute or two reasonably before the Silverlink train's arrival. This reduces my average waiting downtime from 10 to almost 0 or 1 (b'cos most of the times I make it just in time!). That brings the figure 52.5 to 42.5 or 43.5, which is clearly the winner !!! I have a reason to smile at my underground discovery !

5 comments:

Ramu's Corner said...

Tats a very smart calculation buddy! But does your "Best Option", saves ur Valuable penny too??

Kasi Alagappan said...

Silverlink, though it comes in National Rail, works within your zone for the Weekly/ Monthly Travel card.

1. A weekly card travel (as u like) card costs £33.20.

2. But, I use a 'Pay as you' go Oyster Card for Zone 1 to 4 travel, which costs per day --
Onward: £2.50 (peak time)
Return: £2.00 (off peak time)
Total: £4.50/day
Which for 5 days (mon -fri) works out to £22.5. Saturday and sunday based on usage, I opt for day travel as u like card (if there are too many trips to be made) or would remain okay with my oyster Pay as go(if only a single to and fro trip is to be made).
And if I choose to go nowhere or go to an outstation for the weekend, the weekend travel cost is £0. By all means, the whole week cost always cost me always less than the Weekly travel card! Makes me pay only for what I travel and a savings of an avg £10 a week! Check that :)

Ramu's Corner said...

oh.. tats cool, calculative !

Anu Russell said...

lol! When I visited London last year we did all those lines...your blog just bought back those memories to me.

Kasi Alagappan said...

Ya Anu.. I've made an update to the post..added the underground map..hope that will bring back the memories of red, yellow, green et. al lines!