London Tubes: Unexpected locations of underground trains

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

TfL^» (Transport for London - about) multiple branding for all its various services running on rails is becoming progressively confusing and could benefit from being simplified or alternatively properly reclassified, even if 'historical purists' would protest.

Could you explain your belief in this progressive confusion? My observations are that TfL branding has become much less confusing in recent years. All the following have dedicated roundels and comprehensive online and offline information sources.

Tube
Bus
Overground
DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway)
Tramlink
Crossrail
Coaches

That's not an exhaustive list, but the information about each one is comprehensive and accurate. Could you honestly say the same about public transport services outside Greater London?

[didcotdean]

Yes, a lot of people I have to help are totally confused initially by the multiple service names and don't know their DLRs^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) from their Tramlinks. Admittedly they tend to be from places where public transport of any kind doesn't play a big part in their life.

TfL^» (Transport for London - about) Rail, the Overground, Tramlink, Buses and DLR services all have their own separate maps.

The tube doesn't - it shares one with some but not all of the above.

I now give people the Tube plus Rail map and tell them they can use everything on it and explain the exception that is the Emirates Air Line, although the depiction of all of the DLR and Overground in a single colour each is not the most helpful.