Great Western Coffee Shop

http://www.themovechannel.com/news/stories/abandoned-tube-tunnels-to-become-undeground-cycle-lanes-296/?


There's Holborn Kingsway to Aldwych and Charing Cross to Green Park (covered by the article) - what more are there?

Only ones I can think of is the deep level District:
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/s/south_kensington_station/index.shtml

and the London Bridge to King William Street:
http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk/King_William_Street_1.html

How about no.
If cyclists are unwilling to use existing facilities where they take a longer route, then why would they want to spend ages getting below ground and back up again adding to journey times?

Green Park to Charing Cross isn't abandoned. Trains still use it, just not in passenger service. Not to mention the fact that it is deep underground!

So what is it used for then?

Turning trains around at Green Park and for film crews who want a working/"up to date" platform etc.

The last Bond film, Skyfall, used the former Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross. The stations in the film were Temple and Embankment, the former, in real life, having no deep-level tube lines. The stations were also incongruously coloured as Circle and District lines. Again, not deep level lines.

Charing Cross tube station since closure has also been used for the films The Bourne Ultimatum, 28 Weeks Later, Creep, as well as episodes of TV series Spooks and 24.

Seems like a good idea in theory, and might attract cyclists who are nervous of riding in heavy traffic.  I'd be a bit worried on two scores though: Who would continue to finance the upkeep of abandoned tunnels, and keep them illuminated, and, well, just from a personal point of view, I'd find it a bit creepy cycling in an abandoned tunnel! :o

It's an interesting idea but not entirely practicle.

As has been mentioned you'll have to get your bike up and down which will take time. The lengths are relatively short so I would think you could do them on the surface as quick.

Then there are the maintenance and safety issues mentioned by Cynthia.

Good try C+.

In converting Combe Down Tunnel to a cycleway, most of the practical problems discussed here have been solved - plus they had bats to contend with, which may not be such an issue in central London. Combe Down Tunnel is 1672m long, has no intermediate ventillation, is bendy and has quite a restricted bore. However both ends are (now) at ground level - which really helps! - and it solves a useful problem of getting people out of Bath into the countryside to the south without needing to cycle over a big hill. Not sure that disused tube tunnels score quite so highly on the usefulness front.

I imagine the tunnels would be similar to the Woolwich foot tunnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich_foot_tunnel) and Greenwich foot tunnel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_foot_tunnel).

Neither are something I would now considering using alone.  I did start descending the stairs at the northern Woolwich entrance last year, but two things made me turn round: 1. the smell of urine, and 2. a very strange man started pestering me on the stairs about halfway down.  Immediately turned round and waited for the free ferry as I didn't want to be alone in the tunnel with some weirdo(s).

Personally, I wouldn't suggest anything else like this be built.

Think this is loony tunes thinking, cyclists just won't be bothered to go 60 feet down to cycle a mile and the have to com back up 60 feet.

Wheeled transport especially with pneumatic tyres belong on the road, not on a pavement or in a tube tunnel

At first sight I though this was a student project. Maybe it is, since it won first prize at the London Planning Awards in the "Best Conceptual Project" competition. You can imagine, can't you...

Competitors had to submit three pictures, and fill in a form as follows:

The awards results page (http://=http://www.londonplanningawards.com/index.php/press-releases) includes a Guardian piece (among others) that concludes thus:

Quite.

I'm not a Londoner, but where do I sign up for my miniature Zeppelin?  :P ;) ;D

Yes, Brucey, I would share your diffidence re personal safety, especially considering that there is probably no mobile signal in these tunnels?  All in all I think this idea's a bit of a non-runner.  (Or even a non-biker...)




Edit note: Quote marks fixed, for clarity. CfN.

Hi All,

Not a tube tunnel , but Wales are thinking about it has well

Plans to reopen abandoned Welsh railway tunnel described as an 'exciting opportunity' by Edwina Hart


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/transport-minister-edwina-hart-describes-8632595

Basset

Those stations that have a spiral emergency staircase could be great fun on a bike if they boarded over the steps.

The Kingsway 'tram tunnel', which is of course nothing whatsoever to do with tube tunnels, would have theoretically made a reasonable cycle route, being originally cut and cover all the way from the entry ramp at Southampton Row to the embankment,  opening out at street level under Waterloo Bridge; however the southern section now contains the Aldwych underpass.  Its remaining length wouldn't benefit many.

(Ignoring my belief that cyclists would prefer to be on the surface.) 

Paul

Also discussed on the Coffee Shop forum, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14989.0  ;)

Interesting map from Transport for London showing where you can take your bike on the inuse tube:

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/bicycle-tube-map.pdf

Basically not in the peak and not in the deep tube lines (presumably because of getting bikes up and down lifts and escalators). Though in that case I am not clear why Hendon Central to Collindale is excluded when you can take bikes of both neighbouring sections (so there should be no problems with either station). 

The reason for this I believe is because it goes through a long tunnel between Hendon and Collindale which for safety reasons cannot convey bikes on this section