Energy Saving on the Tube

This may have been someone's idea of an April Fool (if so it wasn't a very good one), but apparently all the clocks at Wood Green London Underground station have been de-commissioned to "save energy".


Martin Deutsch noticed this sign last week and said "Whether or not this is the real reason, the clocks are all out of action, and have little stickers on them saying they're out of service, awaiting removal."

I wonder how much electricity a few clocks actually use up? Maybe Wood Green station covered in clocks? Surely there's some other reason for the clocks being removed. Perhaps it was the maintenance required in keeping them all working. Why de-commission all the clocks and not just leave a couple up.

Maybe there's a more sinister plan in not wanting the commuters at that station to know the time. One day we might arrive at our own local Tube station and find that a broken clock isn't repaired. Then the next week, another clock will be taken out of service & gradually there will be no time on the London Underground and we'll be dependant on the Tube's own version of time.

We all know that London Underground minutes have a life of their own and are actually longer than real time. Have you ever timed the countdowns on London Transport and you'll see that 2 minutes to the next train is often longer than two minutes in reality? If anyone knows why this is, or has the answer to the missing clocks at Wood Green station, I'd love to know.