The 'Tube' going 24/7
The subways of London, or the “Tube” as it is known is one of its most precious landmarks, the vein which connects people and places. The tube may be dirty and crowded, with people hardly every acknowledging each other, preferring to bury their nose into either their smart phones or book, with music plugged onto the ears, making it amply clear – stay off!
Well, this is not able the amicable people traveling on the Tube but the news that this 150 year old railway system is undergoing a complete overhaul and by 2015, the trains will be running 24/6, 365 days. The trains will not even stop in the night . Most of its ticket offices will be replaced by upgraded machines or turnstiles that accept contactless bank cards as part of a plan meant to bring the world’s oldest subway system “into the 21st century.”
London has a vibrant art scene – with theater and night life and this all-night long trains comes as a relief for many. But in this bid to get into the 21st century, around 750 underground workers will lose their jobs. Closing the ticket offices will amount to roughly £50 million, or $80 million, in savings a year.
Can you ever imagine our Railways every upgrading to this level? We are not yet able to resolve basic issues of safety and on-time arrival, its time we too took up modernizing existing network, instead of every Railway Minister announcing new unviable lines to win votes.