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270 stations covered in the fundraising tube challenge

October 2019

Fundraising

We would like to say a massive thank you to Linus and Rachel who on the 21 October took part in the Tube Challenge. Thirteen year old Linus and his mum set themselves a challenge of visiting every tube stop in one day.

Linus has always had a great fascination of the tube and when he decided to raise money for Prospect Hospice, which is caring for his Grandpa, he thought that the Tube Challenge would be an ideal way to do this.

After a month of planning, they set off at 4am to board their first train at Chesham. To enable the challenge to be successful approximately every ten minutes they had to change lines to ensure all of the 270 stations were covered.

Linus said: “The first hour and a half everything went very smoothly. However, as we’d suspected, we fell behind schedule, due to the a few trains being delayed. However we continued on with good spirit, and only really hit a low point at Morden. Still we carried on, and when we got to Shepherd’s Bush we received sustenance from the support crew.

“The ride to Epping and around the loop was good, including seeing people get on and off at the least used underground station, Roding Valley. A good change to Walthamstow followed, and then we decided to change our route. Partly to fit in a twice a day service and also to finish close to home, at Kentish Town. We went ahead with it, and were extremely frustrated to find that the twice a day service was cancelled that day.

“We carried on regardless, and received a pasty from a second support crew at Richmond. Along to Heathrow, back into Paddington and then we fell to earth with a bump. When we got to the platforms at Paddington, we found out there was no service between there and Gloucester Road. Still we continued, and got to Cockfosters at around midnight, before going to High Barnet, and then we discovered that no trains went further than East Finchley.

“We’d done very well, with 261 of the 270 stations done, and none of the nine uncompleted stations we could have done anything about. We ended at our closest station and raised nearly £2,000 for an amazing charity. So overall, job very well done.”

Both Rachel and Linus said the day was exhausting taking over nineteen hours to complete with the biggest challenges being food and rest stops.

In the summer they are planning to try again to see if they can visit all 270 stations and are also considering the overground and DLR.

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