150 Years of the Tube

At 1.10pm, 150 years ago today, the very first underground train in the world left Paddington for the three mile journey to Farringdon.

This was a significant world first, which went on to inspire similar metros around the world and revolutionise the planning of our city. The second city to develop an underground system was Budapest. The major railway stations were not permitted to be built in the centre of London, so this alternative solution to link the stations and ease the growing traffic problems was funded by the private sector.

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The Metropolitan line was mostly excavated along the route of the Euston Road, taking in seven stops and the 120 trains a day in each direction, carried over 26,000 passengers a day in the early days. The steam powered railway service offered three classes of travel, costing 3d (3 old pence) for 3rd class on the wood benches and 6d for 1st class travel in the teak varnished coaches with red plushed button backed seats.

People were keen to experience the new form of transport although some were anxious at the thought of travelling underground, in the dark, with people not known to them! However, underground was soon developed to link up more of the city and this new network of transport then allowed for the creation of living spaces further away from the centres of work.

In 1890 the City and South London line started a service on a route which had been tunnelled, operating electric cars, this was another world first.

The very first passenger service began on 10th January 1863 and to commemorate this occasion a steam locomotive has been restored and carriages have been borrowed from the Bluebell Railway, to run a special service on the evening of Sunday 13th January from Olympia to Moorgate.  (This is an all ticket event.)  The last passenger steam trains were withdrawn in 1905, but they were kept in use for engineering work until the early 1970s.

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The underground tunnels provided a much needed place to shelter for thousands of people during the bombing raids of the Second World War.

The tube, its iconic branding and simple map designed in 1933 by Harry Beck, is known and loved around the world and is just another aspect of what makes London great.