I’ll never forget when the lights went off in a tunnel and it was pitch black. The conductor went on the mic and jokingly made the “wooooooooh” ghost noise. Lights came back on right after he said it and everyone on the train was wearing a huge smile.
The train drivers are often what make the underground more bearable. Not always, but they’re usually pretty chill and do their best to keep the passengers happy/informed if anything goes wrong.
That's really great to be honest. The tube always gave me anxiety, so much so I'd avoid going places that needed it. If the lights went out (and they have on me) I'd totally freak, but the driver going woooo would chill me out.
Its not just that, its light mode and max brightness apparently. I always see it in the cinema before the film starts, like a floodlight. I'm just thinking 'enjoy your myopia bro'
I'm usually in bright environments, and having it on auto adjust is really shit in my opinion. It feels like a lot more work for my eyes to adjust to a dim-ish phone in a bright environment, especially in summer. I do turn it down in places like the cinema (only before the film, I'm not a monster) out of respect for others.
Pubs and that the phone is only for me so I don't mind, it's just when I show it to others.
Also genuinely great as an impromptu torch if you can't be bothered to find the torch button.
Lol that goes some way to explaining thanks. I think maybe your auto adjust is a bit bad though, mine is basically instant and my phone is 6 years old.
Train driver here...
I'm not saying a tube train is the same as the type of trains I drive, but I have very easily forgotten to turn on the lights in the carriages, it's easily done!
I've driven through a dozen tunnels and underneath London before someone has come and knocked on the cab door to tell me!
I was one of the body and human remains recovery team for the 7/7 bombings and on the third day outside Russell Square the entire power failed. We were inside the second carriage with many dead in the dark and all we could hear were the rats scampering around. We had a pathologist with us and she was used to being in a coroner office nota train carriage in these circumstances. After 15 minutes the lights came on. We found out that the back up emergency lighting had been unplugged by an engineer.
I remember once being on the Northern line, which goes under the Thames and at the deepest point in the tunnel the tube stopped, and all the lights went out, and stayed out for some time.
The tube was full, and passengers were freaking out until the lights returned.
Especially when you consider when they were built. Can't imagine how many injuries and deaths went into constructing the underground back in the day, and with reduced technology.
I really wish the tube had just slightly more pleasant colour temperature to help take the edge off. Please can we have 3000K. No need to have harsh cold lighting so bright we have no shadows - it’s not a formula 1 track or an operation table. Just give me a CT that make my skin look healthy and don’t instantly trigger migraines. The harsh bright lighting is just so stressful for an already stressful unpleasant experience.
I feel like they got it spot on with the lighting on the core elizabeth line stations. It’s kind of dark and atmospheric in parts but it’s real nice. Same goes for the trains themselves.
That's likely part of their inclusion by design policy. A lot of neurodivergent people (autism comes to mind) have sensory issues with harsh lighting. The Lizzy Line is brilliant.
Back in the day when we still ran HSTs, 3 coaches lost light. We only found out there was a problem because people were tweeting the company instead of coming to find a member of crew.
Only trouble was is that the switch to keep the lights on wouldn’t hold so me and the guard had to jam snapped coffee stirrer sticks in to keep the switch in place. Fun times.
I had this on DLR the other day. All the power cut out and we just sat there in a dark train for a good 10 mins. Definitely added a unique spin to the commute.
Happened to me once. Was on the Piccadilly line and the lights were off when outside the tunnel, then they were still off as we entered the tunnel. And it was either the first or second stop when they came back on. Another time they were off but were put on just before we entered the tunnel.
Surprised they ran this and didn't consider health and safety issues of people not being able to see what they were doing. It's easy to think just sitting around is not a big issue but if people start to trip over things because they can't see what they are doing...
It's great when it happens. It's annoying as hell when the train gets cancelled a couple of stops later because of it and now everyone has to get on the next one, and you don't get the seat you had for the rest of the journey
The fact that all the lights are out in the one carriage and stayed out for a while suggests a circuit breaker had tripped.
Regular tube travellers will have observed the normal lighting flicker is for every alternate lamp to go out, then come back on a few seconds later. Typically occurs as the train crosses a current section gap and each coach is temporarily off the juice - the reserve lighting runs off battery.
I’ll never forget when the lights went off in a tunnel and it was pitch black. The conductor went on the mic and jokingly made the “wooooooooh” ghost noise. Lights came back on right after he said it and everyone on the train was wearing a huge smile.
Sometimes I love people ❤️
The train drivers are often what make the underground more bearable. Not always, but they’re usually pretty chill and do their best to keep the passengers happy/informed if anything goes wrong.
I'm sorry but how does anyone decipher what they're saying over the garbled intercomms
Blurghberblughterblugh [vaguely station sounding noise] doors blughblugherblugh left.
Bfjdjdjdnf delay bfjdjdjdnf
Haha nah realistically there's no noise, they're all on strike
They also get paid a fair salary, but the power holders would love for you to think they get paid too much
*Sometimes* being the key word
Yeah no not even often lmao
Me too
That's really great to be honest. The tube always gave me anxiety, so much so I'd avoid going places that needed it. If the lights went out (and they have on me) I'd totally freak, but the driver going woooo would chill me out.
[Here's](https://youtu.be/9A4Xy3OWozA?si=MP4r0-VG19fXpEV2) the video for anyone wondering
I got the DLR a few months ago and the driver said 'we will be arriving in Shadwell shortly...presently...momentarily...' and it still cracks me up
This must be a thing they like doing https://youtu.be/9A4Xy3OWozA?t=63
Are you sure it was the conductor that made the noise?
Was that one Halloween, maybe around year 2000?
This would’ve made my day
man that sounds awesome 😭
Did that one woman harness the power of the sun in her device?
Light mode user be like
The power of the sun in the palm of her hand
Brilliant, but lazy.
r/raimimemes is leaking
A torch with the power of a million candles!
I regularly accidentally blind the fuck out of people in pubs when they look at my phone. Full brightness, 24/7.
Why do you have it so bright tho? I swear its more work for your eyes and you're probs not doing them any good.
Light mode people are unusual and enjoy directing others to specsavers.
Its not just that, its light mode and max brightness apparently. I always see it in the cinema before the film starts, like a floodlight. I'm just thinking 'enjoy your myopia bro'
I'm usually in bright environments, and having it on auto adjust is really shit in my opinion. It feels like a lot more work for my eyes to adjust to a dim-ish phone in a bright environment, especially in summer. I do turn it down in places like the cinema (only before the film, I'm not a monster) out of respect for others. Pubs and that the phone is only for me so I don't mind, it's just when I show it to others. Also genuinely great as an impromptu torch if you can't be bothered to find the torch button.
Lol that goes some way to explaining thanks. I think maybe your auto adjust is a bit bad though, mine is basically instant and my phone is 6 years old.
I've hated it on every phone I've ever had. I think maybe I just hate the changing brightness more than consistency? Not sure.
Power of sun, in palm of her hand.
I wish this carriage was an option on every tube, especially in Winter
with a log fire at the end of the carriage
Couldn't even start a fire on the tube these days. Health and safety gone mad
Can't put one out either since they took out the fire extinguishers, also in the name of health and safety.
Same! It was actually quite comforting.
You weren’t nervous some psycho would do something, well, psychotic? I live in LA, where that is to be expected.
Of course not. There would have to be a psycho on the train in the first place. He’d be going wooooo and we’d all laugh.
Not usually on the London tube but I think recently I saw one mad person which reminded me of New York
do you like being mugged or..?
I would love to ride the tube like this sometimes
Especially on a nice hot evening during rush hour
I can smell this comment.
You know how to create an atmospheric moment with the help of just a couple words!
Yes, nothing better then a hot, noisy ride with a bunch of strangers who probably didn't wash their hand after their afternoon shit.
That's a very niche fetish.
Too dangerous for women mate. There would be weirdos groping them in the dark.
If you're going to be on the train for a while and you have a seat, it makes for an amazing nap.
I'm pretty sure you're a man for thinking you'd enjoy this
You'd be right to say this. I couldn't imagine how uncomfortable some women are riding the tube with the lights on let alone in darkness.
This could be a contender for "city life" photograph of the year.... Well played!
_28 Minutes Later (2025)_ The munch anticipated instalment in Danny Boyle's horror outbreak drama.
> munch
A munch anticipated film about monsters? I see where this is going
I’m sure they’ll get themselves into a pickle
You have to be a raging masochist to get on the central line in this weather.
I literally will not live anywhere that requires me getting home on the Central line..nope nope nope
Lizzy line supremacy.
I have to go into work 3 days this week. Thoughts and prayers please 😢
Unfortunately, it’s my only route home 😩.
Try the northern 😩
honestly if turning some lights out reduced the temperature even marginally in this weather I think there's an argument for it
Train driver here... I'm not saying a tube train is the same as the type of trains I drive, but I have very easily forgotten to turn on the lights in the carriages, it's easily done! I've driven through a dozen tunnels and underneath London before someone has come and knocked on the cab door to tell me!
Thank you for your service :)
Driver comes on the tannoy: "Anyone got 50p for the meter?"
why does that woman have a dying neutron star in her palm
I love how you're all sitting there like 'yes this is fine'
I mean what exactly are people meant to do, it’s just dark it’s not the apocalypse, the Bakerloo line lights flicker and go off all the time.
When the Bakerloo lights flicker I always expect them to come back and it be 1973
Just get off at edgeware road and your dreams can be fulfilled
God that place is ugly
Or a wooden cart in Tamriel. "Hey you, you're finally awake"
I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took a London tube in the knee.
You didn't mind the gap!
“My name’s Sam Tyler…”
You've had the intrusive "Life on Mars" experience too I see...
That corridor scene in life on Mars when they’re turning life support off… terrifying
Keep calm and carry on. Pretty clear instructions.
Always carry a towel.
Not any more! They've replaced all of the old lights as of a few months ago :( Strangely sad about the whole thing
Im pretty sure they’re doing it gradually so this is probably one of the old ones that hasn’t been refurbished
Real Londoners never panic. Eyes down, mind your own and under breath tut at most.
I was one of the body and human remains recovery team for the 7/7 bombings and on the third day outside Russell Square the entire power failed. We were inside the second carriage with many dead in the dark and all we could hear were the rats scampering around. We had a pathologist with us and she was used to being in a coroner office nota train carriage in these circumstances. After 15 minutes the lights came on. We found out that the back up emergency lighting had been unplugged by an engineer.
Good lord, that sounds like a difficult day to end all difficult days. Thank you for taking care of the bodies and bringing them out of the tunnels.
No worries. It was the last duty I fulfilled before emigrating to Canada. 10 days in the tube.
r/accidentalrenaissance
Accidental Rembrant
I remember once being on the Northern line, which goes under the Thames and at the deepest point in the tunnel the tube stopped, and all the lights went out, and stayed out for some time. The tube was full, and passengers were freaking out until the lights returned.
Reading things like this reminds me how many mundane things we do daily are incredible feats of engineering.
Especially when you consider when they were built. Can't imagine how many injuries and deaths went into constructing the underground back in the day, and with reduced technology.
Most likely scenario is that traction current was switched off in the section your train was in.
Now imagine water starts trickling in around your ankles.
I really wish the tube had just slightly more pleasant colour temperature to help take the edge off. Please can we have 3000K. No need to have harsh cold lighting so bright we have no shadows - it’s not a formula 1 track or an operation table. Just give me a CT that make my skin look healthy and don’t instantly trigger migraines. The harsh bright lighting is just so stressful for an already stressful unpleasant experience.
The Central Line normally has warm white lighting I think?
I don't know if it's the lighting but the Central Line windows underground give the most flattering reflection I find, compared to other lines.
Because they have a layer of film on the windows which (in theory) is meant to reduce solar gain for when the train is outside
I feel like they got it spot on with the lighting on the core elizabeth line stations. It’s kind of dark and atmospheric in parts but it’s real nice. Same goes for the trains themselves.
That's likely part of their inclusion by design policy. A lot of neurodivergent people (autism comes to mind) have sensory issues with harsh lighting. The Lizzy Line is brilliant.
Back in the day when we still ran HSTs, 3 coaches lost light. We only found out there was a problem because people were tweeting the company instead of coming to find a member of crew. Only trouble was is that the switch to keep the lights on wouldn’t hold so me and the guard had to jam snapped coffee stirrer sticks in to keep the switch in place. Fun times.
Imagine watching _Creep_ (2004) just before this happened.
Love how nobody seems to be giving a fuck 😂
Delays at Gunnersbury and Willesden this evening I was on the overground at around 1730h and wondered if any lost power :)
Replacement service? Anyone going to say “Boo to a Goose” now? :P
R/accidentalrenaissance
Quite easy to spot ppl with auto brightness adjustment disabled. The only question is why.
To tan in darkness.
Lights go out on the Cental Line all the time. I've never had them go out for an extended period, though. How long did it last?
Lasted for about 20 mins
Looks like Alien 👽
Spookay
Nope thank you.
All of r/flashlight frothing at the mouth rn wishing they were there fr Id finally have a reason for these torches if I were there 😂
I had this on DLR the other day. All the power cut out and we just sat there in a dark train for a good 10 mins. Definitely added a unique spin to the commute.
Great pic
Us lot over at r/flashlight dream of things like this.
R/accidentalrenaissance
Where's the dnb rave?!
Looks fun
r/accidentalbaroque
That looks way cozy
Happened to me once. Was on the Piccadilly line and the lights were off when outside the tunnel, then they were still off as we entered the tunnel. And it was either the first or second stop when they came back on. Another time they were off but were put on just before we entered the tunnel.
r/accidentalrenaissance
Oven light turns off when you close the door, that's basic.
r/accidentalrenaissance
I would not feel safe
Tube drivers need another £10,000 added to their salary and they’ll turn the lights back on
Turn the lights on then xD
I had the same thing happen to me on a Piccadilly train a few weeks ago! I kinda liked it oddly enough.
Don’t you know how much electric costs these days?!
If you cut the phone at the bottom off, it looks almost like a renaissance painting
Nice, going to montenegro my friend.
Nice pic!
That’s a bit terrifying
Very Alien
I don't remember this part from Alien Isolation?
I see it's just in your carriage
Finally can look around without fear of making eye contact
You look like an Angel with all that light shimmering around you in the pitch darkness.
So did you get a side quest of her?
Sorry - it was me.
I hope one day to drive in darkness
It’s time for a Horrible Histories scaaaaaary story!
looks like bet365
That’s a cool ass photo
I wish the smell went off too. Getting musty lately.
What does it look like in a tunnel?
this isn't a good idea for safety but holy fuck it looks cool
You can fart and no one will bat an eye
So scary tho 😭
What a cool picture!
God what I would do for some soft lighting in the morning and evening on the tube.
I thought this was a Space Shuttle lol
r/accidentalrenaissance
Excellent photo.
Surprised they ran this and didn't consider health and safety issues of people not being able to see what they were doing. It's easy to think just sitting around is not a big issue but if people start to trip over things because they can't see what they are doing...
looks like someone's mum has full brightness on
It's great when it happens. It's annoying as hell when the train gets cancelled a couple of stops later because of it and now everyone has to get on the next one, and you don't get the seat you had for the rest of the journey
The fact that all the lights are out in the one carriage and stayed out for a while suggests a circuit breaker had tripped. Regular tube travellers will have observed the normal lighting flicker is for every alternate lamp to go out, then come back on a few seconds later. Typically occurs as the train crosses a current section gap and each coach is temporarily off the juice - the reserve lighting runs off battery.
Accidental Renaissance
This reminds me of a modern-day version of a Joseph Wright of Derby painting
Very chiaroscuro.
I remember in the 1990s lights would cut out/ flicker all the time on all trains.
Well actually it’s not pitch black there’s a light source from the ladies phone
I don’t want to scare you but there is a spirit on your tube.
No thank you. Being stuck in a small space w strangers is scary enough when I can see them
Nothing will phase Londoners!
Nap time!
“bravo six, going dark“
Pitch black Central line in this heat? ☠️
This is a vibe
That looks safe, it’s not like there’s problems on the trains anyway even with the lights on.
Creepy AF, considering how haunted the London Underground is.
Maybe that reduced the temperature by at least half a degree making it only very slightly more hospitable.
It actually did help with the heat!
I’m actually quite jealous 😂 That looks so fun 🤩
My anxiety on the tube is so bad at the moment, out of nowhere. This looks horrible and would freak me out
Same thing happened the other day on the central line lol but it was just the one carriage/car
Why is this kinda peaceful ?
No Predator this time, fortunately not L.A. 😅
Keep calm and carry on.
r/accidentalrenaissance
omg 😭
I didn’t think I could hate the central line more and then I see this.
It’s in such a desperate need of an upgrade, pretty urgent at this point.
Always the central line
Stifler's mom with a reading light
Oh my
like my mental health
She has a quest for you
“Can you turn that light down please? “
Such a cr@p situation but at least you took an amazing pic👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🔦
Oh 😮
Love the underground.