If you haven’t looked Kickstarter project to create my London’s Railways Circles 2025 map for a while, check it out. I’ve been updating it weekly with new illustrations and comments.

Parallel lines touching used to mean that lines share platforms. Now, on the TfL London railways map, it’s just random. It can’t be a contrast issue. Dark blue/magenta on Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines are not the easiest colours to distinguish.

Attention to detail makes a difference. When I design a map, size of gap between lines has meaning and I attempt to apply this consistently. Here, on the official TfL London railways map, the gaps just look random. It all adds up to a clumsy incoherent design.

The official London railways map has a serious bundling problem. This increases informational load and reduces coherence. Two examples in East London: Woodgrange Park to Barking – lines share tracks; Liverpool Street to Hackney – lines run in parallel.

East London Circles! Proof of concept for my all-London railways map on Kickstarter. Compared with the official Tube Map, three lines added, but only seven new stations. This is much much more geographically accurate than the official design, which goes a bit crazy in places.

I think I can safely conclude from the lack of interest in this post that hardly anyone wants to see this map finished. That’s a shame, but I would be foolish not to heed the clear message. Time to shut down Tube Map Central?.

With my Kickstarter London Railways Circles 2025 project deadline a few weeks away, I made a test sketch for east London. See why I chose this area on my Kickstarter updates. If you want this map completed, spread the word and/or make a pledge.

Delighted to report that my place has been confirmed on the MBA programme at the University of Essex, starting October 2025. After thirty-four years in academia, I’m very excited to move onwards and add to my skills. This should be a great pathway to my next career.

Here is another way of doing it. I can give Bonn a distinctive identity – a grid – without disintegrating the map: coherence is one of my five criteria for effective design.

Tube Map Central wins SME UK Enterprise Award: Best Transit Mapping Company 2025 – London & the South East Awards press release here:

Brand new books for sale. Paris Metro Style (OoP).Mr Beck’s Underground Map (OoP).Underground Maps After Beck (OoP).Airline Maps. Descriptions: Any book: £10.00 +postage, £5 for each extra book. Email orders@tubemapcentral.com to reserve/receive invoice

I was delighted when my Köln circles rail map design was officially adopted in 2021. Now it has been extended to include Bonn but breaking the design rules. I think that a neater design is possible, circles and spokes all the way down, it's more geographically accurate too.

One-quarter of the way there, one month to go, still everything to play for!

Just a few minor amendments. The Kickstarter map will be carefully proof-checked by several volunteers!

Here is a map of London showing all the rail services that DO NOT appear on the official Tube Map. If you would like to see ALL of London’s tube and other local railways on a brand new concentric circles map, check out my Kickstarter campaign.

3600 followers and 24 votes, I think that that by itself is a good reason to put Twitter to one side.

For my summertime project, what would be the most exciting? All London's railways as circles (only if my Kickstarter is funded), London in Art Nouveau style, or a secret project to map the rail network of a mystery European country as circles? Interesting to see how the votes go!.

Here’s one that slipped by, a mention in the Best Of London 2024: It's The Annual Londonist Awards! I kept some interesting company!

Great news! London Railways Circles Map 2025 is officially a Kickstarter #ProjectWeLove. Let’s make this exciting map a reality

What a difference sixteen years makes. My first decorative map was a celebration of Art Nouveau applied to the London Underground. This summer, I hope to complete an upgrade, featuring improved interchange tangles and my own design of authentic lettering based on period signage.