London 'Drain' to open Sundays for Olympics after 70 years

[John Ashworth]

Tube link not used for 70 years to reopen for Olympics to stop overcrowding

London Evening Standard
13 June 2012

A Sunday train service last used nearly 70 years ago at the end of World War ll is to provide a major transport link during the Olympics and Paralympics.

The Waterloo & City line - known as "The Drain" - the direct one-stop link between Waterloo main line station and Bank is to open on Sundays throughout the nine week long Games.

Historically, the busy commuter route serving the Square Mile does not open on Sundays because transport chiefs say there is no demand.

Sunday services last operated regularly on Sundays between 1943 and 1947.

The Sunday service will provide a major boost for the 80,000 extra passengers a day expected to use Waterloo main line station during the Games.

It will provide spectators with direct access to the Docklands Light Railway and Central line at Bank - and onto the Olympic Stadium at Stratford - while avoiding the overcrowded and unreliable Jubilee line.

They will also avoid London Bridge - forecast to be one of the most overcrowded stations throughout the entrire Games and which commuters have been advised to avoid at all cost.

The move sparked demands for the line to operate every Sunday to provide a regular service for Londoners and visitors to the capital.

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Lib Dem group on the London Assembly and the Assembly's transport committee, said: "Opening this short Tube line on Sundays during the Games is a welcome development.

"Transport for London (TfL) should use this opportunity to examine potential weekend demand and see whether there is a case for regularly running trains every weekend."

More than 30,000 City commuters also make the four minute trip every weekday.

Opened in 1989 "The Drain" was originally operated as a main line route, later by British Rail, and transferred to the London Underground (LU) network in 1994.

There will also be increased train services with 18 trains per hour during weekday peak times with extended operation until 1.15 am on all Olympic and Paralympic days including Sundays.

Mike Brown, LU managing director, said: "By opening up the Waterloo & City line on Sundays and running later during the Games, we will be able to provide extra capacity on an area of the network where we know there will be significant demand and interchanges between lines.

"This means we can spread the load between lines at busy pinch-points like Bank, Waterloo and London Bridge."

He warned, however: "Even so, customers need to check out their travel options now - don't adopt a 'wait and see' approach, plan ahead and check before you travel."

"The Drain" passes under the Thames and water has to be continually pumped out - just one of a number of possible reasons given for its nickname.