Transport for London is telling passengers to ditch the Tube for London's shortest underground journey - and walk instead. The single stop between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line covers just 260 metres but can take up to 10 minutes by train, compared to four minutes on foot.
The journey has become a tourist trap in more ways than one. Visitors flock to use the iconic Tube between these West End stations, unaware they're paying £2.80 peak fare (£2.70 off-peak) for what amounts to an expensive and time-consuming detour underground.
The culprit is station infrastructure. Passengers must navigate escalators, wait for trains, and queue for Covent Garden's notoriously slow lifts to reach the deep-level platforms. The brief train ride becomes the quickest part of an otherwise lengthy process.
Walking the route above ground offers more than just speed. The picturesque streets between the stations provide a pleasant alternative to crowded platforms, whilst saving money and reducing congestion on one of the network's busiest stretches.
TfL's recommendation forms part of broader efforts to manage passenger flow across the system. Covent Garden station, with its lift-dependent access and tourist crowds, regularly experiences significant delays during peak seasons. Encouraging walking helps ease pressure on overwhelmed infrastructure.
The advice highlights a simple truth often overlooked by both Londoners and visitors: sometimes the most iconic transport option isn't the most practical. For ultra-short distances with good pedestrian links, walking delivers clear benefits in time, cost and convenience.