The newcomer steals the crown
The Elizabeth Line tops the list of London Underground lines according to a new YouGov poll of 1,010 adult Londoners.
The line, London’s newest, having opened in 2022, is liked by 67% of those who say they have ever used it, with only 4% having a generally negative impression.
Some readers at this point may be calling foul, for the Elizabeth Line is not, at least according to former Crossrail CEO Mark Wild, a London Underground or ‘Tube’ line. Nevertheless, at the time the line opened in May 2022, Londoners told us they consider the Lizzie Line to be a part of the Tube by 56% to 21% – by contrast they were closely divided on using that label to describe either the DLR or London Overground.
Coming second on our list of top Tube lines is the London Overground, at 52%, with only 6% of current and former riders having a negative view of the now-formerly orange lines.
The top undisputedly ‘Tube’ line to feature on our list is the fourth-placed Jubilee Line, which 45% have a positive opinion of versus 9% a negative one. Our study is a repeat of one we conducted in 2017, at which point the Jubilee Line took the top spot.
The top five from our list comprises all of the ‘newer’ Tube lines, all having opened from the late ‘60s onwards, in contrast to the lower portion of the table, which all date back to the late 19th and early 20th century.
At the bottom of our league table is the Central Line, which more Londoners who say they have ever used it say they dislike (30%) than like (25%) the red line. The Central Line has been beset by issues in recent years, with significant delays and overcrowding caused by aging trains, and a reputation for being noisy and sweltering in the summer.
The Northern Line is a close second, with capital residents divided 26% in favour and 27% opposed, with attitudes also divided for the Bakerloo line, with the 22% favourable views balanced by 19% unfavourable ones. All three of these lines also came bottom of our league table in 2017.
Which is the BEST tube line?
In terms of which line is specifically the best, when we asked Londoners directly, the Elizabeth Line again comes out on top, with 29% of the vote. The Victoria line comes a distant second, on 9%, followed by the Jubilee line and London Overground on 7% each.
The poor Waterloo & City line has the fewest advocates in the capital, scoring 0% overall. This should not necessarily be seen as a negative point – few (9%) of those familiar with riding the line give it a bad review. It more likely reflects the lower user base, with 24% of Londoners saying they don’t recall ever having used the line.
What do you think of the London Underground, transport in the capital in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
