Despite reports of signal failure, disruption due to snow and leaves on the line, it manages to carry an average of 1,107 million passengers every year.
The very first underground line was the Metropolitan, built in 1863 to link Paddington to Farringdon. Workers used a technique called ‘cut and cover’, which involved digging up the roads where the route was planned for, laying down the railway tracks and then covering them up afterwards. It wasn’t particularly efficient as it created plenty of congestion on the roads, and by the 19th century the method was abandoned completely. These early train carriages had no windows, and were nicknamed ‘padded cells’, however on the flipside waiters served full English breakfasts to those travelling to the City in the mornings. Sitting down to eat a fry-up during the rush hour nowadays seems wholly inconceivable.
The second line ran between Westminster and South Kensington, then called the Metropolitan District, now known as the District and Circle lines. Attempts were made to ban smoking on the line initially, but officials soon had to backtrack after complaints were made about causing unnecessary discomfort to passengers.
There was much rivalry between these two tube lines; the Met line travelled clockwise while the District ran anti-clockwise, but to boost sales tickets would be sold unscrupulously without telling customers what the quickest route was, with passengers often having to travel all the way around the line when their destination could have been two stops away.
Trains remained above ground till 1880, when the first tunnel was between Tower Bridge and Bermondsey. Even today only 45% of the underground is below ground level.
Waterloo and City, the shortest line, opened in 1898. It connects just two stations, Waterloo and Bank, and is only open at peak times. In 1900 the Prince of Wales inaugurated the Central London Railway, which linked Shepherds Bush to Bank, now the Central line. All these trains were steam-powered, however that changed in 1905 when the District and Circle lines started using electricity.
The following year the Bakerloo line opened amid rumours that its purpose was to facilitate MPs’ journeys from Westminster to Lord’s cricket ground. The Piccadilly line between Hammersmith and Finsbury Park followed, along with the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line in 1907, between Golders Green and Highgate to Charing Cross. This was the first line built with a tunnelling machine. Incidentally, tunnels were painted white in the early days to give them a brighter appearance. \n\nThe ‘Underground’ label started appearing at stations from 1908 onwards, along with the now famous circular symbol with a horizontal bar that is recognised around the world. The tube map was devised in 1933 by Harry Beck.
Throughout World War II much of the Underground became a shelter during periods of heavy bombing. A 1940 census calculated that over 177,000 people slept here; accordingly the government provided thousands of bunk beds, food and tea supplies. Libraries were installed and musical performances took place in the evenings. Stations on the Piccadilly line were used to safely store items from the British Museum, for fear of it being devastated.
It was while the Underground was being used as a shelter that it suffered its biggest disaster. In 1943, after an air-raid, people were running into Bethnal Green station for cover. A series of anti-aircraft rockets were fired, startling the crowd who forcefully pushed forward; one woman and her child tripped, causing more to fall while people were still trying to get to the bottom of the steps as fast as they could. There were 173 casualties, who died of suffocation.
A relative latecomer, the Victoria line wasn’t unveiled till 1969. It is the only line (with the exception of the Waterloo & City) that is entirely below ground. A station for Heathrow terminals 1, 2 and 3 was added to the Piccadilly line and opened by the Queen in 1977; Terminal 4 station was completed in 1986. Two years later the Prince of Wales opened the Jubilee line, which commemorated the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. This line was expanded in 1999 to run between Stanmore and Stratford, serving what was then known as the Millennium Dome at North Greenwich.
In 1987 tragedy struck again, when a fire at King’s Cross station killed 31 people. More recently a series of bombings on the 7th of July 2005 resulted in the deaths of 52 people. Three tube trains and a bus travelling through Central London were hit. \n\nOn a more positive note, the Oyster card was introduced in 2003, making it possible to save money on single journeys, and busking at stations was legalised for performers able to secure a licence. A much needed air conditioning system appeared on Metropolitan line trains in 2010.
In 2012, a huge publicity campaign advised passengers to avoid busy stations and use alternative routes during the Olympic Games. Londoners feared the worst - how would the already over-populated roads and transport system cope with an extra influx of people in the summer months, when the city is already at full capacity? Many employers allowed people to work from home, while others went on holiday to avoid the fuss. As it turned out, in the words of one cab driver, “it was much quieter than usual”.
Some random facts
The London Overground (previously the East London line) used to run under the Thames. Sir Marc Brunel and his son Isambard were responsible for this incredible feat of engineering, which despite opening in 1843 went without needing renovation till the 1990s.
There are 16 Grade II listed tube stations, including Bounds Green, Chalk Farm, Belsize Park, Oxford Circus and Covent Garden. Paddington and King’s Cross railway stations are Grade I listed.
Each and every single central London tube station is rammed at peak times, but the busiest is Waterloo, both during rush hour and throughout the day.
In case you’ve ever wondered, the best stations for spotting mice are Waterloo and Oxford Circus.
