tubechallenge.com

Hi,

My first post - not sure where to post this, and I can't find it posted already, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Upcoming changes to the tube map that I know about:

• East London Line closing 23 December 2007 - will be extended and will re-open as part of the London Overground (and will presumably not be part of the Tube Challenge from then on)
  Heathrow Terminal 5 station (Piccadilly Line) opening 27 March 2008
  Wood Lane station (Hammersmith & City Line) opening late 2008

God help us with Guinness ...

There have been numerous debates on this forum about ELL closure and changes in config to the overall network in the next 12 months. My attitude is that there is really no point in discussing this any further. If anyone wishes to attempt a full network after 23rd December just write to Guinness and see what rules they send you, if it says you need to take the ELL replacement bus then we can forget any challenges until 2010.

Hi doublecross - welcome to this forum.

As you've already heard, this one's been discussed before, and no-one is quite sure how Guinness will handle it - they insisted that Shoreditch had to be visited despite the fact that it had closed permanently!

I don't get down to have a go at the whole network much any more, but might be around for a smaller challenge or two in the future, they're usually put on fairly often by some of the more enthusiastic posters - you'd be welcome to come to any of the events advertised here and maybe meet you then.

Soup Dragon wrote:If anyone wishes to attempt a full network after 23rd December just write to Guinness and see what rules they send you

If only reality worked that way. My best guess is that you will be sent a set of rules containing, but not limited to, the following erroneous/obsolete points:
* That "The record is for the fastest time to cover all networks of the London Underground. The (SW Trains) Waterloo and City line, the (West Anglia) Finsbury Park to Moorgate line and the Docklands Light Railway are not included."
* That "On the Bakerloo line you are expected to go as far as Harrow and Wealdstone."
* That you can use British Rail under certain circumstances.
* That "Stations which are geographically separate and not linked but which have the same name must each be visited. This applies to Shepherd´s Bush and Edgware Road."
* That, last but not least, a special paragraph on the Heathrow T4 closure2005/2006

Bottom line is that there will probably be no information on ELL or even Shoreditch, there will probably not be mentioned the requirement to visit both Paddingtons or Hammersmiths nor that you can use National Rail under certain circumstances. To find these things out, you'd have to explicitly ask GWR about each of them - and maybe - get them confirmed.

I, for one, would also not be surprised if it turns out that GWR would not be consistent over time in their answers...

So Good Luck in establishing the post-ELL rules!