A TFL tube driver has revealed what it’s like driving the famous trains and explained what the public doesn’t get to see
A tube driver has revealed what it’s like to work for the London Underground, revealing when drivers get bathroom breaks and how they get home after late shifts. Sharing an insight into the role, @tubedriversarah regularly posts TikTok videos about her experiences.
In one such video, Sarah, 33, took her followers to work for the day, filming a video talking viewers through one of her shifts on the Bakerloo line. Introducing herself, Sarah said: “My name is Sarah and I’ve been a tube driver on the Bakerloo line for nearly eight years, and I absolutely love it.”
She also explained that she’d worked a late shift on the day the video was filmed, meaning she only headed to work after lunch. “As a whole, I mostly do late shifts because I am a night owl. The late shift patterns tend to suit me better because I sleep a lot better,” Sarah shared.
Upon arrival, she had to book in. “I’ve booked onto work and that’s just to say that I’m fit and healthy, ready for work, nothing in my system that would affect my ability to drive, and then I go and pick up my work bag from my locker and then make my way to my first train,” she explained.
Sarah then filmed videos in-between journeys, explaining where she had been driving. “So I’ve just done an Elephant and Castle to Queen’s Park rounder, and it’s time to then step back onto the next train. I’ve refilled my water bottle because I’m trying to get my two litres of water in, which is quite hard needing to pee all the time when you’re a driver, but we move,” the driver said.
She later added: “So this is my second chain changing ends at Queen’s Park and then back down to Elephant and Castle. So, the first half of my duty was relatively short. Two Queen’s Park rounders is about two and a bit hours, and then it’s time to take my lunch upstairs and eat.”
After an hour’s lunch break, it was time for Sarah to drive again. Her narration continued: “On my second half this evening, I am doing two trips, and this train I am staying on it until the end of the night. So my first trip on this train is up to Stonebridge Park. I didn’t need to go through the wash in the depot. So I just changed ends and had about five minutes and you bet I used those five minutes to read my book before leaving and going south again.
“Back at Elephant and Castle, I’m staying on the same train, and this time it’s back to Queen’s Park. I will be the second to last southbound. Of course, I had to make a quick toilet trip because of the water. Thankfully, everything has been running smoothly this evening.”
Finally, after Sarah finished driving passengers she has to return the train to the depot. “Once I get down to Elephant, now I have to empty the train out, close it up, and shunt the train back to London Road Depot. So this move requires going from Elephant and Castle, past Lambeth North to the limit of the shunt and then you change ends in the tunnel and go back up into the depot,” she explained.
Then, at around one o’clock, she travelled home using a staff taxi. “This has to be pre-booked,” Sarah revealed. As soon as she walked through the door, Sarah wanted to wash her hands.
“The first thing I do when I get home is immediately wash my hands because the amount of dirt that comes off from working on the tube is disgusting,” she said, and with that out of the way, it was time for her to unwind down and go to sleep.
Amazed, viewers had lots of questions for the driver. Someone commented: “Wait so if you need to use the toilet while driving do you just have to wait? My bladder could never. You go girl.” Sarah replied: “Yeah pretty much, but you can call in a physical needs relief if it’s an emergency.”
Another quizzed: “How do you find your hearing after a shift?” and Sarah shared: “I wear ear defenders now! I only started couple months back but I’m so glad I did. I don’t think the Bakerloo is as bad as other lines due to speed but it’s still better to protect.”
