Refurbishments

I timed everything much better this morning and ended up getting to ROV with a brief wait for the next train. Happily, this next train was one of the last (might even have been the penultimate) through services and was bound for WER (West Ruislip). It really does make the journey much faster and much smoother having the through train (it was a little busy mind you). In fact, all in all, it was a very smooth trip - we were driven "on the handle" (i.e. in coded manual) "upstairs" and it really did make a nice change. I was a little tired and sleepy, but it was generally a nice trip and I happily took a good look at the crossover at BEG (Bethnal Green) and the reversing sidings at LIS (Liverpool Street), since I'd had to stand :P

Speaking of LIS, whatever improvement works they were doing have been finished, which is very nice (well some of them, I don't now about any others). As of today, I believe, the area at the top of the escalators from/to the Central line is all shiny and new. Something tells me - although I could be hopelessly wrong - that the control room used to be there and I'm sure it used to have clear glass windows. Whether or not the control room still is there, I have no idea, but it's all solid wall now, with a few doors leading to whatever's there. Still, it's nice to have a bit more space. I was also delighted to see that they've finally reopened what used to be the main entrance/exit at King's X (I think it was called the Euston Road exit - might still be, or at least one of the Euston Road exits). I don't know when they did this, since it's the first time I've been there in three weeks, but it was due to re-open months ago (maybe October?) and was delayed, which used to mean a little bit more of a walk from the sub-surface line platforms to the new entrance/exit. Actually the new one is nice, and the whole redevelopment going on there - making it much more spacious - is rather pretty. You can also see straight through to the mainline terminating platforms from the street and concourse. It is lovely, but I'm definitely glad to have the old entrance back as well - eases up the traffic a bit as well.

Anyway, where was I? LIS was actually a lot less busy than I was expecting - another plus - and I was able to board the first train through - a Met line train for all stations to Watford. I probably wouldn't have been able to get on a Circle or H&C train, to be honest, mind. This took me all the way to King's X, where I was disappointed to see a C stock standing in the opposite platform, just as I thought I'd be able to go another whole journey without seeing one of the blighters. Saw one on the way back too :P

Anyway - the way back. Slight wait at King's X for a Barking-bound H&C train. Changed at LIS for a LOU (Loughton) train to WOO. Simple, pleasant journey as the weather was clearing up. Lovely. At WOO, though, we've been having problems with the destination indicators and the one on EB3 wasn't showing anything at all this morning. I had a couple of lads ask me where the LOU train was going as I stepped off, since they'd been in the waiting room and obviously had no way of knowing its destination. Very odd it was, standing on the platform, looking at the HAI train in 21 road without the first clue as to when it would be coming out. Of course, the helpful CSA did make an announcement as it pulled in (well, I say CSA, I'm not really 'in the know' about who holds what grade at WOO station and there's gonna be a big reshuffle with the 'night tube' and its attendant ticket office closures and station staff alterations anyway, but, whatever his job description, he was on hand) and I - not having sat in the waiting room - knew where it was going when it did arrive, anyway; but it's nice to know how much longer you're gonna be in the cold for :P I hope they get that fixed soon. Those boards at WOO do seem to be some of the more temperamental ones. Though I think they were broken at BEG EB yesterday, as well.