A new interactive tool called 'Tube Tiers' has emerged, allowing Londoners to voice their opinions on the city's extensive public transport network. Created by London-based technologist Rachel Black, the platform aims to settle or, as Black humorously put it on X, 'make it worse,' the ongoing debates about the most and least frustrating London Underground lines.
The tool categorizes 19 different transport services into seven tiers, ranging from A* for the top-ranked to F for the lowest. These services include the 11 London Underground lines, as well as the Elizabeth line, London Overground, DLR, Thameslink, Uber Boat, Trams, Cable Car, and Heathrow Express.
As of the tool's early days, with over 700 votes cast, the Elizabeth Line is the sole service in the A* tier. No services have yet reached the A tier.
In the B tier are the Jubilee and Victoria lines. The C tier comprises a larger group: the London Overground, DLR, District line, Northern line, Metropolitan line, Circle line, Hammersmith & City line, Piccadilly line, and Thameslink.
Further down, the D tier includes the Bakerloo, Central, and Waterloo & City lines, alongside the Uber Boat. The E tier contains the Trams, Cable Car, and Heathrow Express. No services have been placed in the F tier.
Users can participate by visiting the Tube Tiers website and navigating to the 'Make your ranking' tab. There, they can drag and drop the 19 services into their preferred tiers before submitting their rankings with a name or nickname.
The tool has already generated significant discussion on social media. On X, users have expressed surprise at certain rankings, with one questioning the high placement of the Northern line and another calling the low ranking of the DLR 'absolute madness.' Another user commented on the quintessentially London nature of the tool and expressed support for the Elizabeth line, even from Los Angeles.