Most Londoners can definitely relate to the busy and hectic rush hour journeys on the tube that only seem to be getting longer and longer. However a recent survey has revealed that those travelling from West London face the longest commutes compared to all other areas of London, with an average commuting time of 30 minutes. Meanwhile, those in South London have the shortest journeys on the tube with an average of 23.7 minutes.
The poll of 1000 people, commissioned by The Watch Hut, aimed to look into user experiences with the London Underground. It found that those travelling from East London come across more tube delays than any other area of London with an average of four delays every single month! Not only do they encounter the most delays, but also the longest. East Londoners revealed that each delay adds an extra 17 minutes onto their journeys. Delays seem to be a common problem across the entirety of London: although North London commuters seem to encounter the least amount of delays, they’re still facing an average of three delays per month. It’s really no wonder that London is considered one of the worst cities in Europe for experiencing stressful commutes!
With a small selection of those living outside London included in the survey, they appear to be pretty lucky with their tube travels. Once they arrive in London they only have an average commuting time of 23.7 minutes on the tube and only see an average of 2.5 delays per month. This may be why towns just outside of London such as Stevenage, Hatfield and Gravesend seem to be increasing in popularity, as they offer affordable options with a reasonably less-stressful commute.
Over 50% of all survey participants claimed that they often use alternative methods of transportation to get to work and 49% of these agree that using other modes of transport saves them time compared to their typical journey on the underground. Interestingly, walking is the most popular option for saving commuting time in North, South and West parts of London. Buses, taxis and cycling were also popular choices for time-saving across all of London.