Post by cudsn15 on May 3, 2024 7:35:15 GMT
As a daily user of the northern section I have observed the whole of the Victoria line has deteriorated of late, particularly the state of the trains themselves:
Seats are filthy, shabby and falling apart (exposed metalwork on many seats now), floors dirty with many areas bubbling up, carriage lights out, graffiti...I've heard wheel flats on a number of carriages also!
The air vents are clogged and ineffectual and occasionally spit out black soot and fibres at the poor unsuspecting passengers.
The stations are also filthy with lighting failing (fluorescents getting darker with continual use and age and not working or missing), cladding panels loose or missing entirely, clocks dead. (wish they would sort out the incorrect countdowns at stations (Victoria line minutes are longer than any other line!) and the completely useless "stand back train approaching" notice then a whole minute before the train actually does thunder in to the station.
The ventilation shafts that were expensively refurbished a few years ago also appear to be ineffectual in dissipating the intense heat of the line (and it's only May!)
That it's actually running and generally getting people from A to B is the only good thing - though I have noticed longer gaps between trains recently.
Compare with the Piccadilly line which has recovered somewhat from the service failures earlier in the year has carriages with seating much cleaner and in good repair, flooring immaculate even up to the corners! bright and consistent lighting - only let down by the incredibly shabby external appearances - understandable perhaps because of their expected replacement in the next 18 months or so negating the cost of replacing external vinyl's perhaps.
When you can compare between lines it does make you wonder why some lines can do a good job and others fail so miserably.
Seats are filthy, shabby and falling apart (exposed metalwork on many seats now), floors dirty with many areas bubbling up, carriage lights out, graffiti...I've heard wheel flats on a number of carriages also!
The air vents are clogged and ineffectual and occasionally spit out black soot and fibres at the poor unsuspecting passengers.
The stations are also filthy with lighting failing (fluorescents getting darker with continual use and age and not working or missing), cladding panels loose or missing entirely, clocks dead. (wish they would sort out the incorrect countdowns at stations (Victoria line minutes are longer than any other line!) and the completely useless "stand back train approaching" notice then a whole minute before the train actually does thunder in to the station.
The ventilation shafts that were expensively refurbished a few years ago also appear to be ineffectual in dissipating the intense heat of the line (and it's only May!)
That it's actually running and generally getting people from A to B is the only good thing - though I have noticed longer gaps between trains recently.
Compare with the Piccadilly line which has recovered somewhat from the service failures earlier in the year has carriages with seating much cleaner and in good repair, flooring immaculate even up to the corners! bright and consistent lighting - only let down by the incredibly shabby external appearances - understandable perhaps because of their expected replacement in the next 18 months or so negating the cost of replacing external vinyl's perhaps.
When you can compare between lines it does make you wonder why some lines can do a good job and others fail so miserably.
