London Underground

The London Underground is an electric railway public transport network (a metro or subway system) that runs both above and below ground throughout the Greater London area. It is usually referred to by Londoners as either simply "the Underground" , or (more familiarly, due to the shape of its deep-bore tunnels) as "the Tube". It is the oldest and biggest such underground system in the world. Operations began on 10 January 1863 on the Metropolitan Railway; most of the initial route is now part of the Hammersmith & City Line.

History

The first section of the London Underground (the "Metropolitan Railway", running between Paddington and Farringdon) was the world's first urban underground passenger-carrying railway. After delays for financial and other reasons following the scheme's adoption in 1854, public traffic eventually began on 10 January 1863. 40,000 passengers were carried over the line that day, with trains running every 10 minutes; by 1880 the expanded 'Met' was carrying 40 million passengers a year. Other lines swiftly followed, and by 1884 the Circle Line ("Inner Circle") was completed. All these early lines used steam-hauled trains, which required effective ventilation to the surface. Advances in electric traction later allowed tunnels to be placed deeper underground than the original cut-and-cover method, especially as deep-level tunnel design (including the use of tunnelling shields) improved. The first "deep-level" line, the City & South London Railway, now part of the Northern Line, opened in 1890.

Related Topics:
Metropolitan Railway - Paddington - Farringdon - 10 January - 1863 - Circle Line - Cut-and-cover - Tunnelling shield - City & South London Railway - Northern Line

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In the early 20th century, the presence of six independent operators running different Tube lines caused passengers substantial inconvenience; in many places, passengers had to walk some distance above ground to change between lines. The costs associated with running such a system were also heavy, and as a result many companies looked to financiers who could give them the money they needed to expand into the lucrative suburbs. The most prominent of these was Charles Yerkes, an American tycoon who in 1900–1902 acquired the Metropolitan District Railway and the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway (to become part of the Northern Line) which has yet to be built, Great Northern & Strand Railway, Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (jointly to become the core of the Piccadilly Line) and Baker Street & Waterloo Railway (to become the Bakerloo Line), creating the Underground Electric Railways of London Company Ltd (Underground) on 9 April 1902. That company also owned many tram lines and proceeded to buy the London General Omnibus Company, creating an organisation colloquially known as the Combine.

Related Topics:
20th century - Charles Yerkes - Metropolitan District Railway - Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway - Northern Line - Piccadilly Line - Bakerloo Line - Underground Electric Railways of London Company Ltd - 9 April - 1902

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In 1933, a public corporation called the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was created. The Underground Group, the Metropolitan Railway and all the independent bus and tram lines were placed under the Board, an organisation which approximated in scope the current Transport for London. The Board set in train a scheme for expansion of the network—he 1935–40 New Works plan—which was to provide extensions of some lines, and to take over the operation of other lines from their current operators; however, the outbreak of World War II froze all these scheme. From mid-1940, the Blitz led to the use of many Tube stations as air-raid shelters, first on an ad hoc basis which the authorities tried to prevent, but later with proper bunks, latrines and catering facilities. Following the war, travel congestion continued to rise. The construction of the carefully planned Victoria Line on a diagonal northeast-southwest alignment beneath central London attracted much of the extra traffic caused by expansion after the war. The Piccadilly Line was extended to Heathrow Airport in 1977, and the Jubilee Line was opened in 1979.

Related Topics:
1933 - London Passenger Transport Board - World War II - The Blitz - Air-raid shelter - Bunk - Latrine - Victoria Line - Heathrow Airport - Jubilee Line

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On 7 July 2005, a series of explosions occurred in various locations in the Underground system. It has been speculated that this was a series of deliberate attacks by a group allied to Al-Qaeda, timed to coincide with the opening of the 31st G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Further explosions in various locations occurred on 21 July of the same year.

Related Topics:
7 July - 2005 - Series of explosions - Al-Qaeda - 31st G8 summit - Explosions - 21 July

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