London's Transport system, has a new circle line
no, not on the Underground
but on the London Overground network instead
the extension from Surrey Quays through south London to Clapham Junction
forming a circular route around London
and we came up with a fun way of trying out the new line
so we are here at Clapham Junction today
where we have two teams ready to have a race around the Overground
we have Jon and Hannah Hello!
and .. Matt and Kate! Hi!
one team would go clockwise going through Willesden Junction first
the other anti-clockwise going via canada water
the most important thing is who's going in which directions, so ...
Hannah, heads or tails? Errr, tails
Tails it is!
Which direction do you want to go?
ooh, which way, shall we go? shall we go east first
So .. anti-clockwise, east!
Matt and Kate, you're going clockwise, west
there's been a new Platform 2 built at Clapham Junction
which is where the trains on the new part of the line start from
out train to highbury & islington
going anti clockwise, should be in at 12:30
but the board says 12:14
we'll be getting the 12:16 which should go direct
to Highbury and Islington and it looks like
it will arrive at 13:02
Jon and Hannah left first, two minutes earlier than Matt and Kate
but both teams seemed confident of success though
So do you think you're going to win? we're totally going to win!
and we're on the new bit first, so i think that's gonna run really smoothly
so you should be back here in about an hours and halfs time
and i think we make it that the losers ... get the tea in
Well we're gonna win so, doesn't bother us not a problem
OK! good luck
Jon and Hannah have just gone on their train
you're about to get on your train, are you feeling confident?
i'm getting a little bit scared, but we'll get over that when the train starts moving
we gave both teams mini video cameras to capture some of their travels
So this is, Jon and Hannahs train leaving
Nooooo! they've left before us, oh no
Glad i wore my orange coat today so it's coordinated with the overground
the new line adds five exisiting stations to the Overground network
it part replaces a service known as the south london line
that used to run between Victoria and London Bridge
the stop at Clapham High Street also offers
a short walking connection to the Northern line
but there's no connection at Brixton
the train passes tantalisingly over it, instead
with the trams dispatched onto their respective Overground trains
it occured to us that we might be able to have a bit of fun ourselves
so whilst Jon and Hannah, and Matt and Kate
have gone off in separate directions on the Overground
which we can probably see just through the window here
there we go! there's one of them
we've actually figured out that the quickest way to Highbury & Islington
is to go to Vauxhall
and get the Victoria line all the way up
we went one stop on a South West Train service
to Vauxhall, and changed onto the Victoria line
which sped us quickly up to Highbury & Islington
using the Overground ...
it will get you there, but
it just takes the long way round really
it's not obvious from the map, because
Clapham Junction and Vauxhall aren't linked
I wonder if they have frogs here?
so we've just been through Queens Road Peckham
that i've noticed is a road full of Queens
but you've also got Walthamstow Queen's Road
which is clearly owned by the Queen
and then also, Queen's Park
again owned by the Queen
and Shepherd's Bush
owned by .. Shepherd
it took us less than 20 minutes to get up from Vauxhall to H&I
ok! we're here
it's 12:44, let's see if they've arrived
so we left clapham junction at around 12:20
we left Vauxhall around 12:25
and we've arrived here at H&I
at about 12:45
and we think we've got about fifteen minutes until the first team arrives
time enough, to read the newspaper!
suddenly, just after one o'clock Matt and Kate arrive first
oh my god, what are you doing here!
where have you been? what!
which train are you getting!
this one
John and Hannah already got here
Nooooo!
and literally a few seconds later
Jon and Hannah came from their train
what you doing here ?!
where have you been? this one!
at this point though, things went a little bit awry
as Jon and Hannah, got on the wrong train
so ... slight problem
Hannah and Jon got on the wrong train
the train there is that our train?
they're going the wrong way, they're going back where they've just been
and they should have come to this platform
let's just check ... that they are getting off
here's the train that they were on
to go round ... via Camden Road
i think they're now running over onto the other platform
Clapham Junction!
they're having to get off at the next station
and come back
so they should be able to get a train in 3 minutes
and they'll be alright
So we got on the wrong train
but, we're now back at Canonbury
and we can get on this train
in three minutes time
and that's probably the one we would have got anyway
now, i'm not sure if this gives Matt and Kate the advantage
but i'm just gonna ask them if they've got enough change on them for tea later
Whoops ...
so we're back at Clapham Junction
we were here an hour and a half ago
which is when we set the teams off, we made our way
back from H&I on the Victoria as we did going up
and once again we're the first ones here
Jon and Hannah wasted 10 minutes changing trains at Willesden Junction
as westbonud trains alternate between Richmond and Clapham Junction
meanig that, Kate and Matt ... got back first!
Helloo!
well are we we here first? do you think you're the first?
i don't know, we might be ...
well, seeing as the others got a train going in compltely the wrong direction, maybe!
going the wrong way briefly though hadn't actually put them behind
as they crossed the river just after imperial wharf
the timetable was consulted
and we realised they had caught the same train that would have done anyway
so Geoff was saying that basically
the train that we though we missed at H&I
actually wasn't stopping
so this train, was the original train we would have got on anyway
hello?
helloooo! you're back
unfortunately, you were just pipped to the postby Matt and Kate How long?
about 10 minutes? No. Yeah, 10 minutes
so Matt and Kate were the winners
completing the circle in 1 hour, 45 minutes
with Jon and Hannah taking just 9 minutes longer
which meant, the teas were on them
but what did they ACTUALLY think of the new line?
it was good, i was quite impressed with how
quick, the trains were really
and it didn't take us long as i'd expected to get to H&I
definetely going along the new bit was quite good fun
Good views Nice views!
Smooth ... efficient ...
it's longer than taking the Tube, obviously
but if you've got the time to do it
you need to go from south London to north London
it's a good alternative to the Tube
It's Orange and Round!
Orange and round it is!
and we liked it so much ... that we all got back on it to go home again
this is Vicki Pipe going round in Circle ...
on the London Overground