BBC - The Tube (2012)
InformationThe TubeA
look behind the scenes of the London underground as it undergoes the
biggest overhaul in its history, focusing on key members of staff and
some of the problems they face. The series follows key members of the
London Underground's 19,000-strong staff, from CEO Howard Collins
through to the litter pickers who clear miles of track every night.
Drivers, station staff and emergency response workers reveal their
unique perspective on the travelling public. Capturing the tube in all
its guises, from tourist transport to suburban commute, or the last
train home for partygoers, this series also looks behind the scenes of
the tube's ten billion pound upgrade - and how the process of dragging a
Victorian infrastructure kicking and screaming into the 21st century
doesn't always run on rails.
Part 1: In the last ten
years, the average passenger numbers on the tube over the weekend have
doubled. This is the story of how the tube copes with the public's
changing expectations of the weekend - and the problems it faces during
this time. In this episode, a major track replacement operation
threatens to disrupt the weekday service, while at Leicester square a
busy Saturday night sees a woman pushed on to the live tracks.
Part 2: Every
day, 60,000 journeys are made and not paid for, costing London
Underground £20 million a year in unpaid fares. The programme follows
Diane McConnell and Denese Brunker, two of the Tube's longest-serving
ticket inspectors, and other plain-clothes revenue inspectors as they
pursue fare evaders across the network. Find what happens to the evaders
and how the money from tickets is spent.
Part 3: For
Tube drivers, their worst fear is somebody jumping or falling in front
of their train. We follow what happens when this fear becomes a
distressing reality for two drivers. Also, we meet the crews of the
Tube's specialised emergency response units as they are scrambled to
deal with any eventuality on the Underground, from accidents and
injuries to mysterious obstructions on the line. Plus how the Tube - and
its dedicated British Transport Police officers - copes with the
demands of the Notting Hill Carnival
Part 4: The
number of passengers on the Tube has gone up by a third in the last ten
years. David Waboso, London Underground's head of upgrades, thinks he
has the answer. But new trains on the Victoria Line keep letting him
down because of a problem with the doors - and a newly-installed signal
fails, causing huge delays. At Tottenham Court Road station, supervisor
Barry Griffiths is keeping the crowds moving - in the midst of huge
rebuilding works making the station six times bigger. But will his
customers be impressed with the results?
Part 5: Rush
hour is the Tube's biggest test - but it can be too much for some
passengers. Station Supervisor Bob Weedon at Bank has to deal with five
injuries and faintings in a row during one rush hour crush. Chief
operating officer Howard Collins must muck in when a power failure on
the Jubilee Line threatens to disrupt the evening peak. And the Tube's
most unusual employee, a hawk called Toyah, is put to work on pigeon
patrol.
Part 6: Every night, 10,000
workers descend on the Tube to maintain, repair and clean it. We follow
this invisible overnight army as they work against the clock in the
four-hour window when the power is off - from hard-working Bulgarian
cleaner Vladimir, who is amazed that the British government pays for
people not to work, to 23-year-old Harry leading his gang of 'fluffers'
picking fibres and lint from the tracks. Meanwhile, pest controller Mick
is called to a smelly problem at Hounslow Central, while emergency
response worker Roy gets inside one of the Underground's disused 'ghost'
stations, Down Street.
Further Information
Related Documentaries
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Technical SpecsVideo Codec: XviD ISO MPEG-4
Video Bitrate: 1534 kbps
Video Resolution: 720 x 400
Video Aspect Ratio: 1.800 (16:9)
Frames Per Second: 25
Audio Codec: 0x2000 (Dolby AC3)
Audio Bitrate: 128 kb/s AC3 48000 Hz
Audio Streams: 2
Audio Languages: English
RunTime Per Part: 59.Mins
Number Of Parts: 6
Part Size:702 MB
Encoded by: Harry65
Source: PDTV
Technical Spec for HDVideo Codec: x264 CABAC High@L4.1
Video Bitrate: CRF 19.5 (~3800Kbps)
Video Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1
Video Resolution: 1280x720
Audio Codec: AAC-LC
Audio Bitrate: 160 Kbps ABR 48KHz
Audio Channels: 2
Run-Time: 59 mins
Framerate: 25FPS
Number of Parts: 6
Part Size: 1.66 GB (average)
Source: HDTV
Encoded by: JungleBoy
