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Original poster

How safe is Villiers Street Embankment station?

27 replies

Bobbyberta · 28/05/2025 23:06

Hi everyone

I have got a child who will have to change from Charing Cross station to Embankment tube station for getting school in secondary.
How safe (or not safe) is this area in the morning (around 7.30) and in the evening (between 17.00 and 18.30)

Many thanks in advance

OP posts:
EBearhug · 28/05/2025 23:09

Are they going to walk from Charing Cross to Embankment or get the Northern line to Embankment? Either way - horribly busy, usually.

StepsInTime · 28/05/2025 23:09

It’s fine. It will be all office workers and tourists at those times.

JohnnyLuLus · 28/05/2025 23:12

It's extremely safe, full of people doing the same interchange. It's a very short walk. Can you do it with her the first couple of days?

Original poster
Bobbyberta · 28/05/2025 23:17

I am so relieved to hear that it will be office workers and tourists. This is what I thought. I think busy is good, as less chance of pickpockets or assault? I really need to read Anxious Generation by John Haidt to put this fear to rest.
Definitely need to walk the route with her beforehand and drill some safety rules - no texting whilst walking, no headphones on whilst walking etc

OP posts:
MumChp · 28/05/2025 23:18

Very busy but safe.

murasaki · 28/05/2025 23:19

Walk it rather than tube, it will be very safe and takes less than 5 mins.

BeaTwix · 28/05/2025 23:20

Do you never go into central London?

It's completely safe. Loads of CCTV. Busy at all hours of the day and night.

Just tell them to keep their phone in their bag because as I suspect as is common in lots of central London locations phone snatching might be an issue.

And make them wear their zip card round their neck on a lanyard and/or put in place consequences for losing it. My friends teens have all lost at least one. The eldest (who is usually too cool for school) now has a lanyard. When i asked him about this he told me rather sadly "because if I lose it again Dad is going to take all the travel costs out of my allowance until I get a new one".

He is sitting A-levels and I suspect parental indulgence about the serial losses has finally worn thin!

Original poster
Bobbyberta · 28/05/2025 23:22

Thank you everyone. I think it's safe, but my husband thinks it's dangerous so I have started to doubt myself.

OP posts:
murasaki · 28/05/2025 23:26

It really isn't dangerous and at those times it will be follow the crowd. And much quicker than coming off a mainline train, crossing the concourse, reaching the platform, getting onto the northern line and I assume changing to the district. Much much quicker.

GreenSedan · 28/05/2025 23:28

Very safe. Full of office workers and tourists. If they get a taste for coffee, tell them to ignore Starbucks and buy from the Blues and Royals stand. Best coffee round there by miles.

JockyWilsonsaid · 28/05/2025 23:29

Agree with pps, incredibly busy, but v safe. Short walk, so easy to navigate. Impress upon DC the importance of keeping card/phone safe, but other than that, all good.

REDB99 · 28/05/2025 23:31

It’s safe and will be busy with commuters etc. it’s a very short walk.

rubbishtv · 28/05/2025 23:32

I walked there today with my 5 year old granddaughter. It’s a 2 minute walk and full of office workers and tourists. Very safe.

TheM55 · 28/05/2025 23:34

Worked there for 20 years, very safe, very busy, all times of day There is a bit of a short cut from Charing X main station concourse from where the trains come in, down to Embankment where you go to the far left hand corner of the station concourse (as you are looking at the boards) and get an escalator down (past a gym) and it brings you out on Villiers Street, and then it is 2 mins tops to Embankment. Saves you coming out of the front of Charing Cross and walking right round. If you were on an overground train, I think it would take 4-5 mins in total, takes me longer as I am clopping up from the tube. It is a popular area so it is busy (in a good way) until at least midnight. I'd say that there is nothing to worry about here, and it is worth having a look at that short-cut.

Original poster
Bobbyberta · 28/05/2025 23:35

Thank you everyone for all the replies. It is good to see that the consensus seems to be that it is busy but safe. I might try the coffe shop recommended by Green Sedan next time we are there!

OP posts:
eatingpopcorn · 28/05/2025 23:37

Super safe, this is also my tube stop for work. Often there is police presence just around chatting to each other or tourists, I think due to the central location rather than anything ominous. A few shops in the tube station (Oliver bonas, a flower stall, independent coffee), office workers, tourists etc. All very tame.

AuntieSoap · 28/05/2025 23:43

Yes it’s safe. But there are phone thieves about, so she should be very mindful of that all the time, and keep her phone hidden.

MonGrainDeSel · 28/05/2025 23:44

It's perfectly safe, as everyone has said. I am curious as to why your husband thinks it might not be.

Enrichetta · 28/05/2025 23:46

Very safe indeed. I use it all the time on my way home from the theatre, around 10 or 11 pm…

maltravers · 29/05/2025 00:03

I agree with the above, but I also wanted to say that it is good for kids to have a little bit of independence at that age imo. One of my sons had to catch the train to school at 10/11 and walk from the station by himself (but with loads of other schoolboys), also in central London. They absolutely loved it, it was good for them.

The tube will probably be very busy at those times, make sure she knows not to stand too close to the platform edge.

Original poster
Bobbyberta · 29/05/2025 00:24

Thank you everyone. All the replies will hopefully help me convince him that it is ok! Thank you as well for all the extra advice/ things to consider i.e. shortcuts and not standing too cose to the edge of the platform (which is so evident to me as an adult that would have probably not thought of talking about!)

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 29/05/2025 11:22

This may seem like a silly question, but how come you have actually gone all through the process of your DD gaining a place at a school which involves this (or any) journey, without familiarising yourself with it?

But yes to what everyone else has said, it's a short walk, can be very busy, but certainly not something I wouldn't have expected my on DC to navigate safely and they have grown up as visitors to London, rather than residents. And yes to the short cut down from the concourse.

The little café just inside Victoria Embankment Gardens does really nice ice-cream, btw. You may or may not want to tell your DD this...

BlackberrySky · 29/05/2025 11:28

It's always busy and well lit, full of office workers and tourists. Your DD will be fine. Why doesn't your DH go and visit himself if he's concerned?

Londonmummy66 · 29/05/2025 11:30

It will be fine - as PPs have said tell her to keep her phone and card out of sight. It would also be a good idea to plot out an alternative means to get to school in case she gets to Charing Cross and finds the D&C lines are out of action. Maybe walk her through that one as well - eg showing her the bus stop and getting the bus etc etc (and warning her that it will be busy if the tube is down). Also I recommend an emergency £10 tucked out of sight in her phone case.

HonoriaBulstrode · 29/05/2025 11:36

Well Terry and Julie crossed over the river where they felt safe and sound, compared to Waterloo Underground.

Having used Embankment Station on and off since it was called Charing Cross, -is it safe' was not something that ever crossed my mind. At those times, you're just going with the crowd.

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