New London Underground Map Redesigned to Help Anxious Passengers

A new London Underground map has been published to help people suffering from anxiety or claustrophobia.  

The redesigned map highlights routes that people can take in order to avoid areas with large stretches of tunnels. On the map, there are certain parts that are marked grey, which indicate that they are underground. 

More than half of the Tube’s two hundred and seventy stations are above ground with only the Victoria and Waterloo & City lines being completely underground.  

The redesigned map was created after suggestions from passengers with claustrophobia and anxiety conditions. The new map has been highly appreciated by charities. This is a part of Transport for London’s (TfL) aim to enhance the travel experiences of the people making use of London’s public transport.  

The chief executive of charity Anxiety UK, Nicky Lidbetter, said that for people suffering from claustrophobia and panic attacks, travelling by the Tube can be challenging and problematic. The new map is a fantastic resource for passengers who are hoping to avoid journeys that take them through long tunnels. The map can serve as an excellent pre-journey planning aid and improve their access to public transport.  

Nicky Lidbetter further added that she genuinely hopes that the map is going to encourage those passengers who suffer from panic attacks or claustrophobia who previously kept away from commuting on this type of public transport to reconsider travelling on the Tube.  

Mark Evers, the director of customer strategy at TfL, said that this is one of their top priorities in making the Tube network easily accessible for everyone. The new map is only one of the tools that they have created in response to all the suggestions and feedback that they have received from their customers on ways to make this form of transport network more accessible for people with anxiety conditions. He also said that they are working towards making travelling more comfortable and easier for all of their customers.  

According to the NHS, approximately 10% of the people in the UK have been found to have suffered from claustrophobia at some point in their lives.  

In April, TfL launched its ‘Please Offer Me a Seat’ badge to help all those passengers who are suffering from illnesses, injuries and any other type of hidden health conditions. These badges are aimed at helping disabled customers easily find a place to sit on the Tube. These badges are now available permanently.  

For expectant mothers, TfL has the popular ‘Baby on Board’ badge.  

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