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London Underground

Before the Underground was built

The first underground railways

London Underground

The London Underground or ‘The Tube’ is a network of underground and overground trains covering the London area. In 1863, it was the first underground railway system in the world and in 1890, it became the first to operate electric trains. The Underground has 270 stations and around 400 kilometres (250 miles) of track, making it the second longest underground metro in the world after the Shanghai Metro. In 2007, more than one billion passenger journeys were recorded, making it the third busiest metro system in Europe after Paris and Moscow. Despite being called ‘The Underground’, about 55% of the network is above ground.

Before the Underground was built

Overground railway construction in the United Kingdom began in the early 1800s and by 1854, six London railway stations had been built: London Bridge, Euston, Paddington, King's Cross, Bishopsgate, Waterloo and Fenchurch Street Station. The idea of building an underground railway to link London with the six railway stations had first been proposed in the 1830s, but it was not until the 1850s when there had been a significant increase in the amount of people travelling into London by road that the idea was taken seriously as a solution to traffic congestion.

The first underground railways

In 1854 construction was started on an underground railway between Paddington Station and Farringdon Street. It was to be called the Metropolitan Railway and it was opened on 10 January 1863. Within a few months of opening, it was carrying over 26,000 passengers a day. Over the next few years more and more underground train lines were constructed. The Hammersmith and City Railway was opened on 13 June 1864 between Hammersmith and Paddington and on 24 December 1868, the Metropolitan District Railway began operating services between South Kensington and Westminster.

In 1890 the first electric trains were introduced. Before this, all trains were steam powered. Can you imagine how hot and dirty it must have been?

The nickname ‘the Tube’ comes from the circular tube-like tunnels and platforms through which the trains travel. The oldest part of today's Underground network is the Central line between Leyton and Loughton, which was opened as a railway seven years before the Underground itself.

After 1900

In 1908, the name ‘Underground’ was used for the first time and electric ticket-issuing machines were also introduced. This was followed in 1913 by the first appearance of the famous circle and horizontal bar symbol, known as ‘the roundel’.

During World War II many Underground stations were used as shelters during air raids. During the bombings each deep level shelter could hold up to 8,000 people. The deep underground platforms protected the people of London, keeping them safe. Emergency medical facilities, beds, food and water were available in case people had to stay in the Underground overnight. One night during World War II, 177,500 people slept in the Underground to escape the bombing.

Day-to-day problems

Overcrowding on the Underground has been considered a problem for many years and quite normal during rush hours. The stations which have a particular problem include Camden Town station and Covent Garden, which at certain times of the day have restrictions on people coming in. In summer, temperatures on the Underground can become very high. In 2006, temperatures as high as 47 °C (117 °F) were reported. Posters on the Underground can be seen asking passengers to carry a bottle of water.