Throw away geography and keep only the order of the stops. Horizontal, vertical, 45 degrees, even spacing, nothing else.
Brand Guidelines
Geography is irrelevant. Curves are strictly forbidden. Lines may only travel horizontally, vertically, or at exactly 45-degree angles. Station ticks must be identical in size and evenly spaced along the segment, regardless of real-world distance. Header blocks must be solid navy with white typography.
A geographically accurate map full of squiggly lines, random angles, and uneven station spacing completely destroys the diagram's legibility. Beck realized that underground passengers don't care about the geographical curves of the river or the precise distance between stations—they only need to know how to get from A to B.