London Transport Executive
Encyclopedia
The London Transport Executive (LTE) was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London
area, UK
, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport
.
, the London Passenger Transport Board
was nationalised and renamed the London Transport Executive, becoming a subsidiary organisation of the British Transport Commission
, which was formed on the same day. Another subsidiary of the Commission was the Railway Executive (which traded as British Railways), which meant that London Transport and the main-line railways were under the same management for the first and last time in their respective histories.
A great deal of the early work of the LTE was spent repairing and replacing stock and stations damaged during the war. LTE also oversaw the completion of the delayed Central Line
expansion, which had been part of the 1935-40 New Works Programme
begun by the LPTB. By 1949, the westbound extension to West Ruislip and the eastbound extension to Ongar was finished.
However most of the uncompleted projects which were part of the New Works programme were postponed or shelved. These included plans to extend the Bakerloo line
to Camberwell, and to extend the Northern line
to Bushey Heath, linking up the separate branches terminating at Edgware
and Mill Hill East in the process.
The only other significant accomplishment of the LTE, with regard to the maintenance of the London Underground network, was the completion of the electrification of the system. This project mostly consisted of electrifying the outer sections of the Central line
and the Metropolitan line
.
On the Central line steam locomotives were still operating between Greenford and West Ruislip in the west and between Leytonstone and Ongar in the east when the LTE took over. Electrification to West Ruislip was completed in 1948, leading to the start of passenger trains which did not require locomotive changes on 21 November of that year. On the same day electrification round the "Fairlop loop" in the east was completed. And from 25 September 1949 electric tube trains were in operation between Loughton and Epping. This left a steam shuttle service operating between Epping and Ongar
which was not electrified until 18 November 1957. New trains were introduced on to the line in 1959.
The modernisation of the Metropolitan Line, the final part of the New Works programme which had not been completed or scrapped, was finally given the go-ahead by the BTC in 1956. This consisted of electrification between Rickmansworth and Amersham and Chesham, some station reconstruction and the replacement of the rolling stock. Steam locomotives were fully withdrawn from the Underground network on 9 September 1961. By the end of 1962 new A stock trains had replaced all the pre-war stock on the Metropolitan Line.
The London Transport Executive started direct recruitment in Ireland and the Caribbean
in the 1950s.
The LTE oversaw the elimination of London's tram
s in 1952 and trolleybus
es in 1962. In terms of bus transport the iconic Routemaster
bus was first introduced in 1956.
and timetabling). It was abolished by Harold Macmillan
's Conservative
government under the Transport Act, 1962. This replaced the LTE with the London Transport Board
, which was directly accountable to the Ministry of Transport.
that ran public transport in London between 1970 and 1984.
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport
London Transport (brand)
London Transport was the public name and brand used by a series of public transport authorities in London, England, from 1933. Its most recognisable feature was the bar-and-circle 'roundel' logo...
.
Creation
On 1 January 1948, under the provisions of the Transport Act 1947Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
, the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
was nationalised and renamed the London Transport Executive, becoming a subsidiary organisation of the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
, which was formed on the same day. Another subsidiary of the Commission was the Railway Executive (which traded as British Railways), which meant that London Transport and the main-line railways were under the same management for the first and last time in their respective histories.
Projects
The main priority of the BTC was to modernise its main-line railways. This led to nearly two decades of chronic underinvestment in the London Transport infrastructure.A great deal of the early work of the LTE was spent repairing and replacing stock and stations damaged during the war. LTE also oversaw the completion of the delayed Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
expansion, which had been part of the 1935-40 New Works Programme
New Works Programme
The "New Works Programme, 1935 - 1940" was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board , commonly known as London Transport, which had been created in 1933 to coordinate underground train, tram, trolleybus and bus services in the capital and the surrounding areas...
begun by the LPTB. By 1949, the westbound extension to West Ruislip and the eastbound extension to Ongar was finished.
However most of the uncompleted projects which were part of the New Works programme were postponed or shelved. These included plans to extend the Bakerloo line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
to Camberwell, and to extend the Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
to Bushey Heath, linking up the separate branches terminating at Edgware
Edgware
Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
and Mill Hill East in the process.
The only other significant accomplishment of the LTE, with regard to the maintenance of the London Underground network, was the completion of the electrification of the system. This project mostly consisted of electrifying the outer sections of the Central line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and the Metropolitan line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
.
On the Central line steam locomotives were still operating between Greenford and West Ruislip in the west and between Leytonstone and Ongar in the east when the LTE took over. Electrification to West Ruislip was completed in 1948, leading to the start of passenger trains which did not require locomotive changes on 21 November of that year. On the same day electrification round the "Fairlop loop" in the east was completed. And from 25 September 1949 electric tube trains were in operation between Loughton and Epping. This left a steam shuttle service operating between Epping and Ongar
Epping Ongar Railway
The Epping Ongar Railway operates on a preserved railway along the final section of the old Great Eastern Railway and London Underground Central Line branch line between Epping and Ongar, with an intermediate station at North Weald...
which was not electrified until 18 November 1957. New trains were introduced on to the line in 1959.
The modernisation of the Metropolitan Line, the final part of the New Works programme which had not been completed or scrapped, was finally given the go-ahead by the BTC in 1956. This consisted of electrification between Rickmansworth and Amersham and Chesham, some station reconstruction and the replacement of the rolling stock. Steam locomotives were fully withdrawn from the Underground network on 9 September 1961. By the end of 1962 new A stock trains had replaced all the pre-war stock on the Metropolitan Line.
The London Transport Executive started direct recruitment in Ireland and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
in the 1950s.
The LTE oversaw the elimination of London's tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s in 1952 and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es in 1962. In terms of bus transport the iconic Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
bus was first introduced in 1956.
Abolition
By the late 1950s the BTC was in serious financial difficulties, which were largely due to the economic performance of the railways. It was criticised as an excessively bureaucratic system of administering transport services which had failed to develop an integrated transport system (such as integrated ticketingIntegrated ticketing
Integrated ticketing allows a person to make a journey that involves transfers within or between different transport modes with a single ticket that is valid for the complete journey, modes being buses, trains, subways, ferries, etc...
and timetabling). It was abolished by Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
's Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government under the Transport Act, 1962. This replaced the LTE with the London Transport Board
London Transport Board
The London Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1963-1969. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-History:The...
, which was directly accountable to the Ministry of Transport.
Reuse of name
The 'London Transport Executive' name was also the title of the arm of the Greater London CouncilGreater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
that ran public transport in London between 1970 and 1984.