The Waterloo & City line had a stealth reopening this morning, with no advance publicity. The previously announced date
was 21 June. Even the staff had almost no warning, only discovering over the weekend.

Needless to say, there weren't many passengers when I travelled on it this morning. Some who were sweating in the June
heat no doubt enjoyed the winter sports ads in the carriages, dating from 18 months ago. I think the platform ads
promoted West End shows from last year that haven't yet reopened. The trains were clean, but showed no sign of a deep
clean, and at least one of the signs for the line seems to have been covered with a sticky covering that's damaged it on
removal.

I'm wondering if any other public rail lines closed last March because of Covid have remained closed for the whole 14
months?

Some pictures: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157719371032989>

The other thread about driverless trains mentions that this line is a candidate for them. I noticed that the trains are
driven manually in the depot, so the drivers do have work to do. And there were two staff on the arrivals platform to
turf out the less than a handful of passengers on board. They would presumably still be necessary, even if the driver
was no longer in the cab and PEDs added.

In message <lc4sbgldj5r5gm87jqcaen3n8u8fe66c8s@4ax.com>, at 13:43:44 on
Mon, 7 Jun 2021, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:

>The Waterloo & City line had a stealth reopening this morning, with no
>advance publicity. The previously announced date was 21 June.

Wonkypedia claims it opened on the 4th.

>Even the staff had almost no warning, only discovering over the
>weekend.

That's a bit sudden, or have they been turning up anyway, just to sit
drinking tea in the canteen?

>Needless to say, there weren't many passengers when I travelled on it
>this morning. Some who were sweating in the June heat no doubt enjoyed
>the winter sports ads in the carriages, dating from 18 months ago. I
>think the platform ads promoted West End shows from last year that
>haven't yet reopened. The trains were clean, but showed no sign of a
>deep clean,

I expect most viruses will have perished in the mean time.

>and at least one of the signs for the line seems to have been covered
>with a sticky covering that's damaged it on removal.
>
>I'm wondering if any other public rail lines closed last March because
>of Covid have remained closed for the whole 14
>months?
>
>Some pictures:
><https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157719371032989>
>
>The other thread about driverless trains mentions that this line is a
>candidate for them. I noticed that the trains are driven manually in
>the depot, so the drivers do have work to do.

I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.

Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"

Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.

>And there were two staff on the arrivals platform to turf out the less
>than a handful of passengers on board. They would presumably still be
>necessary, even if the driver was no longer in the cab and PEDs added.

--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <lc4sbgldj5r5gm87jqcaen3n8u8fe66c8s@4ax.com>, at 13:43:44 on
> Mon, 7 Jun 2021, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>
>> The Waterloo & City line had a stealth reopening this morning, with no
>> advance publicity. The previously announced date was 21 June.
>
> Wonkypedia claims it opened on the 4th.

Perhaps Wonkypedia was confused by some sort of private test run? Every
other source confirms that it opened to the public early this morning.

<https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/london-undergrounds-waterloo-city-line-20754210>
<https://www.onlondon.co.uk/london-underground-waterloo-city-line-re-opens/>
<https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/07/waterloo-and-city-line-in-london-reopens-for-first-time-since-march-2020>
<https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2021/06/07/the-waterloo-city-line-is-reopening-this-morning/>
<https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/waterloo-city-line-reopens-15-month-closure-b939078.html>
<https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/07/waterloo-and-city-tube-line-reopens-for-first-time-since-pandemic-started-14728277/>
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57381553>
<https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-06-07/waterloo-and-city-line-reopens-in-london-for-first-time-since-march-2020>

>
>> Even the staff had almost no warning, only discovering over the
>> weekend.
>
> That's a bit sudden, or have they been turning up anyway, just to sit
> drinking tea in the canteen?

The line shares its staff with other lines. They were notified about the
reopening over the weekend.

The friendly woman I spoke to said that the other lines she's been working
on lately have been getting quite busy, but the W&C was very quiet during
its unpublicised first stint. She mentioned that journalists had been
there earlier this morning, and wanted to know if I was one.

>
>> Needless to say, there weren't many passengers when I travelled on it
>> this morning. Some who were sweating in the June heat no doubt enjoyed
>> the winter sports ads in the carriages, dating from 18 months ago. I
>> think the platform ads promoted West End shows from last year that
>> haven't yet reopened. The trains were clean, but showed no sign of a
>> deep clean,
>
> I expect most viruses will have perished in the mean time.

I was disappointed that they'd not made more of an effort to spruce it up a
bit.

>
>> and at least one of the signs for the line seems to have been covered
>> with a sticky covering that's damaged it on removal.
>>
>> I'm wondering if any other public rail lines closed last March because
>> of Covid have remained closed for the whole 14
>> months?
>>
>> Some pictures:
>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157719371032989>
>>
>> The other thread about driverless trains mentions that this line is a
>> candidate for them. I noticed that the trains are driven manually in
>> the depot, so the drivers do have work to do.
>
> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>
> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>
> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.

I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?

In message <s9lcs5$v7f$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:09:57 on Mon, 7 Jun 2021,
Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:

>> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
>> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
>> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
>> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>>
>> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>>
>> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
>> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
>> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.
>
>I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?

Maybe on the 150th anniversary.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <lc4sbgldj5r5gm87jqcaen3n8u8fe66c8s@4ax.com>, at 13:43:44 on
> Mon, 7 Jun 2021, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>
>> The Waterloo & City line had a stealth reopening this morning, with no
>> advance publicity. The previously announced date was 21 June.
>
> Wonkypedia claims it opened on the 4th.
>
>> Even the staff had almost no warning, only discovering over the
>> weekend.
>
> That's a bit sudden, or have they been turning up anyway, just to sit
> drinking tea in the canteen?
>
>

The drivers, and presumably many of the other staff, are shared with the
Central Line; while the line's been closed they've been working over there.

Anna Noyd-Dryver

Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <s9lcs5$v7f$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:09:57 on Mon, 7 Jun 2021,
> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>
>>> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
>>> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
>>> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
>>> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>>>
>>> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>>>
>>> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
>>> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
>>> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.
>>
>> I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?
>
> Maybe on the 150th anniversary.

That got me thinking: is the W&C the longest running, unchanged
conventional railway in the UK or even the world?

It's now 123 years old, and for all of that time, it's had exactly the same
route, the same tunnels, the same stations, almost the same (short) length
of trains, which have been EMUs right from the beginning (pretty rare back
then). It's only had three generations of EMU in all those years, and will
probably get to 135+ years before seeing a fourth generation. Even its
track layout has changed very little in 123 years. It's never been extended
or truncated, and it plays exactly the same role as it did in Victorian
times.

Its contemporary Tube neighbours, the CSLR and CLR, have changed out of all
recognition since their early days. They've moved from loco-hauled to EMUs
and have been much extended at each end.

On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 22:50:01 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
<recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:

>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>> In message <s9lcs5$v7f$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:09:57 on Mon, 7 Jun 2021,
>> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>
>>>> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
>>>> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
>>>> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
>>>> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>>>>
>>>> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>>>>
>>>> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
>>>> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
>>>> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.
>>>
>>> I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?
>>
>> Maybe on the 150th anniversary.
>
>That got me thinking: is the W&C the longest running, unchanged
>conventional railway in the UK or even the world?
>
>It's now 123 years old, and for all of that time, it's had exactly the same
>route, the same tunnels, the same stations, almost the same (short) length
>of trains, which have been EMUs right from the beginning (pretty rare back
>then).
>
Plus two different shunting locomotives.

>It's only had three generations of EMU in all those years, and will
>probably get to 135+ years before seeing a fourth generation. Even its
>track layout has changed very little in 123 years. It's never been extended
>or truncated, and it plays exactly the same role as it did in Victorian
>times.
>
>Its contemporary Tube neighbours, the CSLR and CLR, have changed out of all
>recognition since their early days. They've moved from loco-hauled to EMUs
>and have been much extended at each end.

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>> In message <s9lcs5$v7f$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:09:57 on Mon, 7 Jun 2021,
>> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>
>>>> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
>>>> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
>>>> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
>>>> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>>>>
>>>> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>>>>
>>>> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
>>>> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
>>>> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.
>>>
>>> I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?
>>
>> Maybe on the 150th anniversary.
>
> That got me thinking: is the W&C the longest running, unchanged
> conventional railway in the UK or even the world?
>
> It's now 123 years old, and for all of that time, it's had exactly the same
> route, the same tunnels, the same stations, almost the same (short) length
> of trains, which have been EMUs right from the beginning (pretty rare back
> then). It's only had three generations of EMU in all those years, and will
> probably get to 135+ years before seeing a fourth generation. Even its
> track layout has changed very little in 123 years. It's never been extended
> or truncated, and it plays exactly the same role as it did in Victorian
> times.
>
> Its contemporary Tube neighbours, the CSLR and CLR, have changed out of all
> recognition since their early days. They've moved from loco-hauled to EMUs
> and have been much extended at each end.
>
>

The change of electrification from centre third rail then to std LSWR /SR
position on the side and finally to the fourth rail system when the present
batch of stock was introduced could be regarded as
fairly significant. Until that change the holes for the centre rail
insulator baseplates were still visible on some sleepers.

One thing that still makes it look quite different from other tube stations
that are underground is the the lack of suicide pits that were introduced
by the LPTB on the former LER lines and Central.
Visitors to Strand/Aldwych will note the platform that was disused for
years before total closure
also lacks a pit.

GH

On 10 Jun 2021 15:32:33 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:

>Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>> In message <s9lcs5$v7f$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:09:57 on Mon, 7 Jun 2021,
>>> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>
>>>>> I remember going to an open day they had for the centenary in 1998 and
>>>>> we were allowed to wander round the depot (which is very much like a 1:1
>>>>> model trainset) and even climb aboard. They were running a skeleton
>>>>> service that Saturday, and the driver, my son, and I, were in the cab.
>>>>>
>>>>> Strict instructions from the driver to my son "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!"
>>>>>
>>>>> Which became an immediate conundrum for the poor lad, because they would
>>>>> toot their horn once when moving out of the depot to the station, and
>>>>> the driver invited my son to press the horn button. Oops.
>>>>
>>>> I wonder if those depot visits will happen again?
>>>
>>> Maybe on the 150th anniversary.
>>
>> That got me thinking: is the W&C the longest running, unchanged
>> conventional railway in the UK or even the world?
>>
>> It's now 123 years old, and for all of that time, it's had exactly the same
>> route, the same tunnels, the same stations, almost the same (short) length
>> of trains, which have been EMUs right from the beginning (pretty rare back
>> then). It's only had three generations of EMU in all those years, and will
>> probably get to 135+ years before seeing a fourth generation. Even its
>> track layout has changed very little in 123 years. It's never been extended
>> or truncated, and it plays exactly the same role as it did in Victorian
>> times.
>>
>> Its contemporary Tube neighbours, the CSLR and CLR, have changed out of all
>> recognition since their early days. They've moved from loco-hauled to EMUs
>> and have been much extended at each end.
>>
>>
>
>The change of electrification from centre third rail then to std LSWR /SR
>position on the side and finally to the fourth rail system when the present
>batch of stock was introduced could be regarded as
>fairly significant. Until that change the holes for the centre rail
>insulator baseplates were still visible on some sleepers.

There have also been changes in the power rail arrangements on some of the other early LT lines.

>
>One thing that still makes it look quite different from other tube stations
>that are underground is the the lack of suicide pits that were introduced
>by the LPTB on the former LER lines and Central.

Yes, though passengers don't see the track much.

>Visitors to Strand/Aldwych will note the platform that was disused for
>years before total closure
>also lacks a pit.

It's probably more obvious there as you see the track.