From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: Bicycles and London (UK) tube system
Summary: Allowed off-peak on subsurface lines and surface portions of tube lines
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 01:24:17 GMT

> > I will be arriving at Heathrow airport in the next few weeks
> > with my bicycle.  Can I take it on the tube?  Are there
> > time-restrictions for having the bike on the tube?

Okay, my friend Clive now has the answer in writing... and it turns out
that all previous posted answers were wrong!  The answer is in the form
of a map, but it is given below in tabular form.

As I explained in another recent posting in this group, there are two
kinds of lines on the Underground: subsurface and (deep-level) tube;
the use of the term "tube" for both is informal.  (Though Clive points
out that the brochure he got is titled "Bikes on Tubes"... seems the
authorities have conceded somewhat to popular usage.)

It appears that the actual criteria are the bicycles are prohibited

	(a) on tube lines where they are actually in tunnel, and
	(b) on all lines in rush hours.

Conversely, they are allowed on subsurface lines, and on tube lines
where they are on the surface.  Since the list of prohibitions includes
at least one case of a tunnel section between two stations that are on
the surface, this gives the hint that the authorities' concern is the
evacuation of a train in case of emergency.  The tube trains are quite
narrow, and of course, if they have to be evacuated in a tunnel then
everyone has to walk to the front or back of the train.

Here, then, are the actual rules (edited slightly from Clive's email).

#  Bicycles may be taken on the Underground on payment of child fare on the
#  following routes.  On Mondays to Fridays, bikes may not be taken before
#  10:00 or between 16:00 and 19:00.
#  
#  Circle:             All stations.
#  District:           All stations.
#  East London:        All stations.
#  Hammersmith & City: All stations.
#  Metropolitan:       All stations.
#  
#  Victoria:     Nowhere.
#  
#  Bakerloo:     Queens Park and all stations north.
#  
#  Central:      Leyton to Ongar; Woodford to Hainault; Hainault to Newbury
#                Park; White City and all stations west.
#  
#  Jubilee:      Finchley Road and all stations north.
#  
#  Northern:     East Finchley and all stations north; Golders Green to
#                Hendon Central; Colindale to Edgware.  (But *not* Hendon
#                Central to Colindale.)
#  
#  Piccadilly:   Cockfosters to Oakwood; Barons Court to Hounslow West.
#                (But *not* Hatton Cross and the two Heathrow stations.)

In a previous posting, I wrote:

| You could, of course, *ride* the bicycle from the airport as far as the
| first station where bicycles are allowed -- if you don't have any suitcases
| or the like with you!  This would probably be Hatton Cross station, which
| is in shallow tunnel and just east of the airport; if not, then Hounslow
| West, on the surface a couple of miles farther east.  You could then take
| the Piccadilly Line at least as far as Hammersmith, and if desired, the
| Hammersmith & City Line (formerly called part of the Metropolitan Line)
| would probably be legal from there to Paddington.  Getting farther east
| than that would seem to depend on what that "not through Central London"
| really meant.

This advice stands, except that Hatton Cross turns out not to be allowed.
Hounslow West station is about 3 miles from the airport, about the same
as British Rail's West Drayton station which was also suggested by someone.
(This is straight line distance, I don't know how the roads go.)

From Hammersmith, the District Line and the Hammersmith & City Line
provide access to Central London on two roughly parallel routes.
The District is reached by cross-platform interchange from the
Piccadilly; the H&C has a separate station across the street (but
does not require a separate fare).

-- 
Mark Brader			"Could you please continue the petty bickering?
SoftQuad Inc., Toronto		 I find it most intriguing."
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com		-- Data ("Haven", ST:TNG, Tracy Torme)

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