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Waterloo & City Line: Waterloo to Bank

The Millennium Bridge
The Millennium Bridge

The Waterloo & City line is a funny one, having just two stations, Waterloo and Bank. At only 1.5 miles long, it is easily the shortest line on the Underground, and it is the only line that runs underground for its entire length (the Victoria line almost manages this, but it runs overground to its depot, while the entire Waterloo & City line is underground). It also has no direct connection to the rest of the rail network, so carriages are hoisted in and out using a road-mounted crane just south of Waterloo railway station, and even weirder, it's the only Tube line whose speed limits and speedometers are in kilometres per hour; the rest of the network uses miles per hour.

Waterloo to Bank

Graffiti in the skate park under Queen Elizabeth Hall
Graffiti in the skate park under Queen Elizabeth Hall

The journey by Tube might be short and sweet, but it's quite a lot slower by foot, as there's so much to see. When walking through the centre of town on the District line, I was slightly uninspired by the tourist areas of the City itself, having seen them so many times before; but I never tire of walking along the river, so that's where I headed from Waterloo station. The best exit to head for is the one that comes out in the middle of the main line station, as all you need to do is turn left onto the pedestrian bridge over York Road, pop down the steps to the left, and then turn right into Jubilee Gardens, home of the London Eye.

Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge
Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral