The London Underground journey between Charing Cross and Embankment is so pointless that transport officials say passengers should walk instead. The 300-metre trip is both quicker and more economical than boarding a Tube train, even though the Bakerloo and Northern lines connect the two stations. Transport for London (TfL) advises that anyone heading from Trafalgar Square to the Thames should avoid the costly, sluggish and frequently packed route, which is often crammed with tourists, and instead enjoy a pleasant three-minute stroll.
Why the Tube journey makes little sense
The short hop between the two central London stations is a legacy of the Underground's fragmented early history. During its formative years, the network was operated by several competing companies, each running rival railway services across different districts. This led to multiple competing terminals emerging within the same vicinity to capture passenger traffic, including Embankment and Charing Cross. Both stations have undergone name changes over the decades to differentiate themselves from one another.
For pedestrians, the walk offers more than just time and money savings. There are many restaurant choices lining Northumberland Avenue or Villiers Street, making it easy to grab a bite along the way. The route is also far more pleasant than being packed into a crowded carriage with tourists during peak hours.
Other Tube journeys better done on foot
While the Charing Cross to Embankment journey is among the shortest on the network, it is not the closest pairing of stations. That distinction belongs to Leicester Square and Covent Garden, which are separated by a mere 250 metres, making a Tube ride between them rather unnecessary. Regular commuters and visitors alike often find it quicker to walk the short distance than to navigate the escalators, platforms and ticket barriers.
West London presents its own confusion at Edgware Road, where one station serves the Bakerloo line while another caters to the Circle, District and Hammersmith and City lines. This arrangement is a proper headache for unsuspecting visitors who step off a Bakerloo line train only to realise they are at the incorrect station for their Circle line connection.
Hammersmith's baffling split stations
Hammersmith is another puzzle, being two separate stations, and travelling between them on the Tube requires 10 stops and three different line changes. This makes walking the short distance between the two stations a far more sensible option for most passengers.
There are a few other Tube journeys in London that could easily be faster to walk, though they are considerably less complicated. The trip between Shepherd's Bush Market station and Goldhawk Road station on the Circle and Hammersmith and City line takes only one minute by train, but walking the short distance is often just as quick and avoids the need to wait on the platform.
