Circle Line Extension Eases Monday Morning Blues

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"Lasso line" offers more trains from Hammersmith

Hundreds of people in Hammersmith are benefiting today from the launch of the Circle line extension, which has doubled the number of trains running on the Hammersmith and City Line.

On what has been dubbed the "lasso Line", extra Circle line trains start in Hammersmith and run along the current Hammersmith & City line to Edgware Road.

From there, trains complete a clockwise lap of the Circle line before terminating at Edgware Road. Trains then reverse along the same route - doing an anti-clockwise loop - and finish their journey at Hammersmith.

The launch of the extension means that there is now a train every four minutes running on the Hammersmith & City line.

The extra capacity is great news for the 36% of workers in our borough who travel by tube - the highest proportion in London.

Underground engineers say the changes also benefit the whole Tube network by reducing the number of Circle line trains stuck in tunnels. The 14 mile line opened in 1884 and carries 75 million passengers a year, but up till now its shape could mean crippling delays when a train broke down.

When plans for the extension were announced, Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, said: "The new service on the Circle line will improve the reliability of the line, enabling services to recover more quickly if there is a disruption. The added benefit will be the improved service on the Hammersmith & City line from Edgware Road round to Hammersmith, significantly increasing frequency on that route."

The extension will also accommodate new faster and longer trains which come on stream next year. The first of the new air conditioned, walk-through trains will start serving the Metropolitan line from 2010, the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines from 2011 and the District from 2013.

December 14, 2009