Navigating the London Underground map can be a bit of a minefield. It’s not always straightforward to gauge travel times or distances just by looking at it.
You might find yourself taken aback by the long journey between two stations, or the seemingly never-ending walk between platforms.
Those little white dots indicating where you can switch Tube lines could mean a quick dash across the platform or a lengthy trek.
Not every interchange is as smooth as the Finsbury Park transition from the Piccadilly to Victoria line (is there a better-designed station layout?)
If you’re thinking about switching from the Bakerloo line to the Hammersmith and City at Paddington, you might want to reconsider.
Changing lines at Paddington can be a headache if you don’t know your way around
(Image: Construction Photography/Avalon)
It’s simply not worth the hassle. Paddington, one of London’s busiest stations, may have the longest walk from line to line in the entire city.
Paddington’s unique design includes two separate London Underground stations within the National Rail station.
It’s hard to see why you’d need to make this change, as the District and Circle lines serve the same stations heading west.
But if you’ve travelled from the Elephant and Castle end of the Bakerloo line and then realised you need to get back to the Barbican on the eastbound Circle or Hammersmith and City line train, you might find yourself in this predicament.
A Freedom of Information request to TfL has revealed the longest platform interchanges across the Tube network, as reported by CityAM.
As such, Paddington has emerged as London’s top station for making commuters walk the extra mile, literally, with a staggering 15-minute stroll needed to switch platforms.
Regulars on this route could find themselves clocking up to two and a half hours of walking each week.
Hot on its heels, Bank station also demands a 10-minute hike between services.
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