Waterloo & City Line - Features

Features

The Waterloo & City is colloquially known as The Drain. The origin of this name is obscure. One theory is that it arose when the line was operated by train crew in a link that otherwise operated normal surface suburban routes. Unlike surface railways, the Waterloo & City has underground tube tunnels. Messroom conversation would include discussion of what turn a driver would be working tomorrow, and if it was a Waterloo & City turn of duty, it was an obvious metaphor to say that the driver was working "down the drain". Another theory is that it was given this name by the maintenance staff, because the tunnels, passing under the River Thames, leak considerably allowing much water to enter. This water has to be continually pumped out, and causes a musty smell "of drains". Incidentally the Waterloo and City line has sometimes been closed due to flooding.

Uniquely among London's Underground lines, the Waterloo & City runs underground for its entire length, including both stations. (The Victoria line comes closest to this, with the only non-underground section being that to the depot.)

The Waterloo & City has no direct rail connection to the rest of the rail network, and vehicle exchanges require the use of road vehicles. Before the construction of Waterloo International terminal in 1990, the vehicles were hoisted individually by the Armstrong lift outside the north wall of Waterloo main line station. The procedure is now carried out using a road-mounted crane in a shaft adjacent to the depot, south of Waterloo main line station on Spur Road. This is only necessary for major maintenance work that requires lifting of the car body, as the Waterloo depot is fully equipped for routine maintenance work.

The Waterloo & City originally had its own electric power station, and coal was delivered from Waterloo main line station using a second, smaller lift (known as the Abbotts Lift), which explains the continued presence of a wagon turntable in Waterloo depot. The remaining stub of the siding tunnel that led to the Armstrong Lift can still be seen on the left-hand side of the train shortly after leaving Waterloo for Bank. The lift itself was buried (along with the entire Western sidings) in 1992 due to the construction of Waterloo International – the former Eurostar terminal.

In January 2003, the Waterloo & City was closed for over three weeks for safety checks after a major derailment on the Central line, which required all 1992 tube stock trains to be modified. That same year, responsibility for the line's maintenance was given to the Metronet consortium under the terms of a public–private partnership arrangement.