Timeline of the London Underground - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The transport system now known as the London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

began in 1863 with the Metropolitan Railway

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

, the world's first underground railway. Over the next forty years, the early sub-surface lines reached out from the urban centre of the capital into the surrounding rural margins, leading to the development of new commuter suburbs. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, new technology—including electric locomotive

Electric locomotive

An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...

s and improvements to the tunnelling shield

Tunnelling shield

A tunnelling shield is a protective structure used in the excavation of tunnels through soil that is too soft or fluid to remain stable during the time it takes to line the tunnel with a support structure of concrete, cast iron or steel...

—enabled new companies to construct a series of "tube" lines deeper underground. Initially rivals, the tube railway companies began to co-operate in advertising and through shared branding, eventually consolidating under the single ownership of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited , known operationally as The Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube"A "tube" railway is an underground railway constructed in a circular tunnel by the use...

(UERL), with lines stretching across London.

In 1933, the government brought the UERL and the Metropolitan Railway together as a single organisation, 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...

. The London Underground has since passed through a series of administrations, expanding further by the construction of new extensions and through the acquisition of existing main line routes, culminating in its current form as part of Transport for London

Transport for London

Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

, the capital's current transport administration, controlled by the Greater London Authority

Greater London Authority

The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...

.

This timeline lists significant dates in the history of the network. Station names shown are current names; many stations have previously had different names.

1820s

1825:Using his patented tunnelling shield

Tunnelling shield

, Marc Brunel

Marc Isambard Brunel

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, FRS FRSE was a French-born engineer who settled in England. He preferred the name Isambard, but is generally known to history as Marc to avoid confusion with his more famous son Isambard Kingdom Brunel...

begins construction of the Thames Tunnel

Thames Tunnel

The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...

under the River Thames between Wapping

Wapping

Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...

and Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...

. Progress is slow and will be halted a number of times before the tunnel is completed.

1840s

1843:The Thames Tunnel

Thames Tunnel

opens as a pedestrian tunnel.
1845:Charles Pearson

Charles Pearson

Charles Pearson was Solicitor to the City of London, a reforming campaigner, and – briefly – Member of Parliament for Lambeth...

, Solicitor to the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

, begins promoting the idea of an underground railway to bring passenger and goods services into the centre of the City.

1850s

1854:Metropolitan Railway

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

(MR) is incorporated and granted powers to construct an underground railway from Paddington to Farringdon

Farringdon station

Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...

.
1856:Eastern Counties Railway

Eastern Counties Railway

The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...

(ECR) opens a line from Leyton

Leyton tube station

Leyton tube station is a London Underground station at Leyton. Situated opposite Leyton Mills at the end of Leyton High Street. It is on the Central Line between Stratford and Leytonstone. It is in zone 3.-History:...

to Loughton

Loughton tube station

Loughton is a London Underground station, some two miles north of the Greater London boundary, in the Epping Forest district of Essex.It is served by the Central Line and lies between Buckhurst Hill and Debden...

1860s

1860:Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway

Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway

The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway was an English railway located in Buckinghamshire, England operating between Aylesbury and Verney Junction.-History:...

(A&BR) is incorporated.
1862:Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

The Edgware, Highgate and London Railway was a railway in north London. The railway was a precursor of parts of London Underground's Northern Line and was, in the 1930s the core of an ambitious expansion plan for that line which was thwarted by the Second World War...

(EH&LR) is incorporated to build a railway between Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...

and Edgware

Edgware railway station

Edgware railway station was a London and North Eastern Railway station in Station Road, Edgware, Greater London. It is not to be confused with the London Underground Northern line Edgware station approximately 200 metres to the north east.-History:...

.
1863:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

opens the first underground railway in the world.
1864:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

opens the Hammersmith & City Railway, its first extensions to Hammersmith

Hammersmith tube station (Hammersmith & City Line)

Hammersmith is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. It is the western terminus of the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. The station is in Travelcard Zone 2 and is a short walk from the station of the same name on the Piccadilly and District lines. The two stations are separated by...

and to Kensington Olympia.

Metropolitan District Railway

The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...

(MDR) is incorporated.

1865:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Moorgate

Moorgate station

Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...

East London Railway (ELR) purchases the Thames Tunnel

Thames Tunnel

for conversion to a railway tunnel.

ECR

Eastern Counties Railway

extends to Ongar.

1867:EH&LR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

opens between Finsbury Park and Edgware.
1868:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

opens the Metropolitan and St John's Wood Railway

Metropolitan and St John's Wood Railway

The Metropolitan & St. John's Wood Railway was a subsidiary holding company for the first northward branch extension from Baker Street of the Metropolitan Railway ....

, a short branch northward from Baker Street

Baker Street tube station

Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 1 and is served by five different lines...

to Swiss Cottage

Swiss Cottage (Metropolitan Line) tube station

Swiss Cottage is a disused London Underground station. It was opened in 1868 as the northern terminus of the Metropolitan and St John's Wood Railway, the first northward branch extension from Baker Street of the Metropolitan Railway...

, the first section of the company's eventual extensions into Middlesex

Middlesex

Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...

, Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

and Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

opens between South Kensington

South Kensington tube station

South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...

and Westminster

Westminster tube station

Westminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in...

. The MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to connect to the MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

at South Kensington and both companies operate services over the other's tracks.

A&BR

Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway

The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway was an English railway located in Buckinghamshire, England operating between Aylesbury and Verney Junction.-History:...

opens between Aylesbury

Aylesbury railway station

Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station...

and Verney Junction

Verney Junction railway station

Verney Junction was a railway station at a junction serving four directions between 1868 and 1968 and from where excursions as far as Ramsgate could be booked...

1869:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Gloucester Road

Gloucester Road tube station

-Deep-level station:By the beginning of the 20th century, the MDR had been extended to Richmond, Ealing Broadway, Hounslow West and Wimbledon in the west and to New Cross Gate in the east...

to West Brompton

West Brompton station

West Brompton is a Network Rail West London Line and London Underground District Line station in west London. It is located on Old Brompton Road immediately south of Earls Court Exhibition Centre and to the west of Brompton Cemetery....

ELR opens between New Cross Gate and Wapping

Wapping tube station

Wapping railway station is on the northern bank of the river Thames in Wapping, East London, England. It is in Zone 2, and on the East London Line of London Overground between and ....

. First use of Thames Tunnel for trains.

London and South Western Railway

The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...

(L&SWR) opens line from West London Line

West London Line

The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...

to Richmond

Richmond station (London)

Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....

1870s

1870:Tower Subway

Tower Subway

The Tower Subway is a tunnel, dug in 1869, beneath the River Thames in central London, close to the Tower of London. Its alignment runs between Tower Hill on the north side of the river and Vine Lane to the south...

opens, briefly, using a cabled-hauled carriage before conversion to pedestrian use. Constructed using a circular tunnelling shield

Tunnelling shield

developed by Peter W. Barlow

Peter W. Barlow

Peter William Barlow was an English civil engineer.He was born at Woolwich, the son of an engineer and mathematician, professor Peter Barlow of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich...

and James Henry Greathead

James Henry Greathead

James Henry Greathead was an engineer renowned for his work on the London Underground railway.-Early life:Greathead was born in Grahamstown, South Africa; of English descent, Greathead's grandfather had emigrated to South Africa in 1820. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown, and the...

and lined with segmental cast-iron rings, this short tunnel under the River Thames successfully demonstrated new tunnelling techniques that would be used to construct most of the subsequent underground lines in London.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Westminster

Westminster tube station

to Blackfriars.

1871:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Blackfriars to Mansion House

Mansion House tube station

Mansion House is a London Underground station in the City of London, near Mansion House . It is a sub-surface station served by trains on the Circle and District Lines. It is between Blackfriars and Cannon Street stations. The station is located at the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Cannon...

Brill Tramway

The Brill Tramway, also known as the Quainton Tramway, Wotton Tramway, Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad and Metropolitan Railway Brill Branch, was a six-mile rail line in the Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, England...

opens between the A&BR's station at Quainton Road

Quainton Road railway station

Quainton Road railway station was opened in 1868 in undeveloped countryside near Quainton, Buckinghamshire, from London. Built by the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway, it was the result of pressure from the 3rd Duke of Buckingham to route the railway near his home at Wotton House and to open a...

and Wood Siding

Wood Siding railway station

Wood Siding railway station was a small halt in Bernwood Forest, Buckinghamshire, England. It was opened in 1871 as a terminus of a short horse-drawn tramway built to assist the transport of goods from and around the Duke of Buckingham's extensive estates in Buckinghamshire and to connect the...

1872:Brill Tramway

Brill Tramway

extends to Brill

Brill

Brill is a village and civil parish in Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the boundary with Oxfordshire. It is about north-west of Long Crendon and south-east of Bicester...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Earl's Court

Earl's Court tube station

Earl's Court tube station is a London Underground station in Earls Court. The station is located between Earls Court Road and Warwick Road . It is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2 and is in both zones....

to Kensington Olympia.

Great Northern Railway

Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)

The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....

(GNR) extends E&HLR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

from East Finchley

East Finchley tube station

East Finchley is a London Underground station in East Finchley in north London. The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Highgate and Finchley Central stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-History:...

to High Barnet

High Barnet tube station

High Barnet tube station is a London Underground station located in High Barnet in North London. The station is the terminus of the High Barnet branch of the Northern line and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the northernmost station on the Northern line and is situated 10.2 miles north north-west...

1873:GNR

Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)

extends EH&LR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

from Highgate

Highgate tube station

Highgate tube station is a London Underground station on Archway Road, Highgate, not far from Highgate Village in north London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and East Finchley, in Travelcard Zone 3....

to Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace railway station (Muswell Hill branch)

Alexandra Palace railway station is a former station in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the Muswell Hill area of north London...

.
1874:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Earl's Court to Hammersmith.

City of London financiers establish Metropolitan Inner Circle Completion Railway to complete the Inner Circle by linking the MDR's

Metropolitan District Railway

terminus at Mansion House

Mansion House tube station

with the MR's

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

planned terminus at Aldgate

Aldgate tube station

Aldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line...

1875:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Liverpool Street

Liverpool Street station

Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...

.
1876:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Aldgate

Aldgate tube station

ELR extends from Whitechapel

Whitechapel tube station

Whitechapel is a London Underground and London Overground station on Whitechapel Road in the Whitechapel neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line and Hammersmith and City line and is on...

to Shoreditch

Shoreditch tube station

Shoreditch tube station was a London Underground station in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. It was in Travelcard Zone 2. The station closed permanently at the end of traffic on 9 June 2006....

1877:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Hammersmith to connect to the L&SWR

London and South Western Railway

at Ravenscourt Park

Ravenscourt Park tube station

Ravenscourt Park is a London Underground station located in west Hammersmith, west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Hammersmith and Stamford Brook stations....

. MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

and MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

commence services over the L&SWR

London and South Western Railway

to Richmond

Richmond station (London)

Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....

.
1879:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Willesden Green

Willesden Green tube station

Willesden Green tube station is a London Underground station in Willesden. It is served by the Jubilee Line and is between Dollis Hill and Kilburn. Metropolitan Line trains also pass through the station, but do not usually stop...

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

takes over Metropolitan Inner Circle Completion Railway.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Turnham Green

Turnham Green tube station

Turnham Green is a London Underground station in Chiswick in west London. The station is located on Turnham Green Terrace, but the actual green is much closer to Chiswick Park station. The station is served by the District and Piccadilly Lines although Piccadilly Line trains normally only stop at...

to Ealing Broadway

Ealing Broadway station

Ealing Broadway is an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. The station is located in Haven Green , at the termination of The Broadway, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...

1880s

1880:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Harrow on the Hill

Harrow-on-the-Hill station

Harrow-on-the-Hill station is a London Underground station served by National Rail and London Underground trains. It is located between College Road and Lowlands Road in the Greenhill area of Harrow, about half a mile north of the locality from which it takes its name.-Railway geography:The...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from West Brompton

West Brompton station

to Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge tube station

Putney Bridge is a London Underground station on the branch of the District Line. It is between and stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which...

ELR opens a spur to New Cross (South Eastern Railway)

1882:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends from Aldgate

Aldgate tube station

to Tower of London

Tower of London tube station

Tower of London tube station was a station in London situated where Tower Hill station is located today.It was opened in 1882 during the construction of the Metropolitan Railway to the north...

.
1883:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

commences a service over Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

(GWR) via Slough

Slough railway station

Slough railway station, in Slough, Berkshire, England, is served by local services operated by First Great Western from to and intercity services on the Great Western Main Line, the original line of the Great Western Railway...

to Windsor & Eton Central.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

Acton Town is a London Underground station in Acton, west London, served by the Piccadilly and District lines. The station is at the junction of Gunnersbury Lane and Bollo Lane and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...

to Hounslow Town

Hounslow Town tube station

Hounslow Town was a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station was at the east end of Hounslow High Street at the junction with Kingsley Road...

1884:City of London and Southwark Subway established to build a railway from the City of London

City of London

to Elephant & Castle.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Osterley & Spring Grove

Osterley tube station

Osterley is a London Underground station in Osterley in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line, between Boston Manor and Hounslow East. The station is located on Great West Road close to the National Trust-owned Osterley Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 4...

to Hounslow West

Hounslow West tube station

Hounslow West is a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line, between Hatton Cross and Hounslow Central stations. The station is located on Bath Road about 600m from the junction of Bath Road, Great West Road and Great...

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

and MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

connect Mansion House

Mansion House tube station

with Tower of London

Tower of London tube station

Tower of London tube station was a station in London situated where Tower Hill station is located today.It was opened in 1882 during the construction of the Metropolitan Railway to the north...

, completing the Inner Circle.

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

and MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extend east to St Mary's (Whitechapel Road)

St Mary's tube station

St Mary's was a station on London Underground's District line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East.-History:...

and connect to ELR with services running to New Cross and New Cross Gate.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends to Whitechapel

Whitechapel tube station

1885:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Pinner

Pinner tube station

Pinner tube station is a London Underground station on the Metropolitan Line in zone 5. The station was opened in 1885 as part of the Victorian expansion of dormitory suburbs, and was one of the stations included in the Metro-land project in the early 20th century...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

withdraws Ealing Broadway

Ealing Broadway station

to Windsor & Eton Central service.

1886:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

closes Hounslow Town

Hounslow Town tube station

Hounslow Town was a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station was at the east end of Hounslow High Street at the junction with Kingsley Road...

spur.
1887:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth station

Rickmansworth is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Rickmansworth, in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire to the north-west of London...

.
1889:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Chesham

Chesham tube station

Chesham lies at the end of the Metropolitan Line Chesham branch, and opened on 8 July 1889 as the original northern terminus of the Metropolitan Railway from . The station is a Grade II listed building. There is no station starter signal at Chesham. The branch has no intermediate stations...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

connects to L&SWR

London and South Western Railway

at East Putney

East Putney tube station

East Putney is a London Underground station on the branch of the District line. It is between to the north, and to the south. The station is on Upper Richmond Road...

and commences services to Wimbledon

Wimbledon station

Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...

1890s

1890:City of London and Southwark Subway changes name to City and South London Railway (C&SLR), and opens between Stockwell

Stockwell tube station

Stockwell tube station is a London Underground station in Stockwell, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on the Northern Line between Oval and Clapham North, and on the Victoria Line between Brixton and Vauxhall. It is the southernmost station on the London Undergound that serves more...

and King William Street

King William Street tube station

King William Street was the original but short-lived northern terminus of the City & South London Railway , the first deep tube underground railway in London and one of the component parts of the London Underground's Northern Line. It was in the City of London, on King William Street, just south...

, the world's first deep-level underground and electric railway.

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

(CLR) incorporated to build a tube railway from Bank to Shepherd's Bush.

1891:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

takes over A&BR

Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway

The Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway was an English railway located in Buckinghamshire, England operating between Aylesbury and Verney Junction.-History:...

between Aylesbury

Aylesbury railway station

and Verney Junction

Verney Junction railway station

Verney Junction was a railway station at a junction serving four directions between 1868 and 1968 and from where excursions as far as Ramsgate could be booked...

.
1892:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends from Chalfont & Latimer

Chalfont & Latimer station

Chalfont & Latimer station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Travelcard Zone 8 on the Metropolitan Line, in Buckinghamshire. It is the junction between the through service to and a shuttle service every half an hour to...

to Aylesbury

Aylesbury railway station

Great Northern & City Railway (GN&CR) granted powers to build a tube railway from Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

to Moorgate

Moorgate station

1893:Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) granted powers to build a tube railway from Strand

Strand, London

Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...

to Hampstead

Hampstead

Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

(BS&WR) granted powers to build a tube railway from Waterloo to Baker Street.

1897:Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway granted powers to build a tube railway from Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus tube station

Piccadilly Circus tube station is the London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner...

to South Kensington.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

obtains powers to construct a tube railway from Gloucester Road

Gloucester Road tube station

-Deep-level station:By the beginning of the 20th century, the MDR had been extended to Richmond, Ealing Broadway, Hounslow West and Wimbledon in the west and to New Cross Gate in the east...

to Mansion

Mansion House tube station

to run below its sub-surface line.

Anarchists bomb a MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

train which explodes at Barbican, injuring 60 and killing one.

Whitaker Wright

James Whitaker Wright was an exceptionally wealthy English mining company owner. He became infamous when he committed suicide at the Royal Courts of Justice in London immediately following his conviction for fraud....

's London & Globe Finance Corporation purchases BS&WR

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

1898:City and Brixton Railway

City and Brixton Railway

The City & Brixton Railway was an authorised underground railway line in London planned to run from King William Street in the City of London under the River Thames to Brixton via The Borough, Lambeth and The Oval...

granted powers to build a tube railway from King William Street

King William Street tube station

to Brixton

Brixton

Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....

Waterloo and City Railway opens between Waterloo

Waterloo tube station

Waterloo tube station is a London Underground station located at Waterloo station. It is the second busiest station on the network and is served by the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and the Waterloo & City lines...

and Bank.

1899:Great Northern and Strand Railway granted powers to build a tube railway from Wood Green

Wood Green

Wood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...

to Strand

Strand, London

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

services commence over the Brill Tramway

Brill Tramway

1900s

1900:C&SLR closes King William Street

King William Street tube station

and extends north to Moorgate

Moorgate station

and south to Clapham Common

Clapham Common tube station

Clapham Common tube station is a station on London Underground's Northern Line. It lies between Clapham North and Clapham South stations and is in Travelcard Zone 2.-History:...

CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

opens between Bank and Shepherd's Bush.

Consortium led by Charles Yerkes

Charles Yerkes

Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...

takes over CCE&HR.

London & Globe Finance Corporation and BS&WR

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

collapse following Whitaker Wright

Whitaker Wright

's fraudulent concealment of large losses.

1901:C&SLR extends to Angel

Angel tube station

Angel tube station is a London Underground station in The Angel, Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, between Old Street and King's Cross St. Pancras stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The tube stop serves as a portal to several Off West End, or fringe theatre, venues,...

Yerkes

Charles Yerkes

Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...

consortium takes over MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

, Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway and Great Northern and Strand Railway and merges the tube routes to form the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway

Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway

The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...

(GNP&BR).

1902:Yerkes

Charles Yerkes

Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...

consortium takes over BS&WR

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

Yerkes

Charles Yerkes

Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...

establishes the Underground Electric Railways Company of London

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

(UERL) as the holding company of the tube lines under his consortium's control.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Whitechapel

Whitechapel tube station

to Bromley-by-Bow

Bromley-by-Bow tube station

Bromley-by-Bow tube station is a London Underground station on the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach Road in the Bromley-by-Bow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, with both services sharing a...

and commences a service from there over the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway

London, Tilbury and Southend Railway

The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...

to Upminster

Upminster station

Upminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and in London fare zone 6. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and the eastern terminus of the District...

Edgware & Hampstead Railway incorporated to build a railway from Golders Green

Golders Green tube station

Golders Green tube station is a London Underground station in Golders Green, north London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line between Hampstead and Brent Cross...

to 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....

1903:C&SLR takes over City and Brixton Railway

City and Brixton Railway

and allows its plans to lapse.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

extends from Ealing Common

Ealing Common tube station

Ealing Common is a London Underground station on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly Line, and on the Ealing Broadway branch of the District Line...

to South Harrow

South Harrow tube station

South Harrow is a London Underground station on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly Line. The station is between Sudbury Hill and Rayners Lane. It is located on Northolt Road . The station is in Travelcard Zone 5...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

reopens Hounslow Town

Hounslow Town tube station

Hounslow Town was a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station was at the east end of Hounslow High Street at the junction with Kingsley Road...

spur.

Watford and Edgware Railway

The Watford and Edgware Railway was a railway company established in the 1860s that intended to build a railway that would run between Edgware and Watford, via Bushey...

incorporated to build a railway from Edgware

Edgware

to Watford

Watford

Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...

CCE&HR takes over Edgware & Hampstead Railway.

Great Eastern Railway

The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...

opens Fairlop Loop

Fairlop Loop

The Fairlop Loop was a 6.5-mile branch line of the Great Eastern Railway . It opened to freight on 20 April 1903 and to passengers on 1 May 1903. It connected Woodford on the Ongar branch to Ilford on the Main Line, along with an eastward freight connection for freight, excursions and stock...

from Ilford

Ilford railway station

Ilford railway station is a suburban National Rail station located in Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge. Passenger services are operated by National Express East Anglia and most trains run between Shenfield and Liverpool Street...

to Woodford

Woodford tube station

Woodford is a London Underground station in Woodford in the London Borough of Redbridge, United Kingdom.The station is on the Central Line between South Woodford and Buckhurst Hill. The station is also a terminus for services via the Hainault loop....

via Hainult

Hainault tube station

Hainault is a London Underground station on the Central Line in Hainault in the London Borough of Redbridge. Since 2 January 2007 the station is in Travelcard Zone 4. This station is home to one of the three Central Line depots.-History:...

1904:GN&CR opens between Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

and Moorgate

Moorgate station

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

opens branch from Harrow-on-the-Hill

Harrow-on-the-Hill station

to Uxbridge

Uxbridge tube station

Uxbridge is a London Underground station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, north-west London. The station is the terminus of the Uxbridge branches of both the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. The next station towards London is Hillingdon. The station is 15.5 miles west of...

Whitaker Wright

commits suicide by swallowing cyanide

Cyanide poisoning

Cyanide poisoning occurs when a living organism is exposed to a compound that produces cyanide ions when dissolved in water. Common poisonous cyanide compounds include hydrogen cyanide gas and the crystalline solids potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide...

after being convicted of fraud.

1905:UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

opens Lots Road Power Station

Lots Road Power Station

Lots Road Power Station is a disused coal and later oil-fired power station on the River Thames at Lots Road in Chelsea, London in the south-west of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which supplied electricity to the London Underground system...

to provide electricity for the MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

and the UERL's forthcoming tube lines.

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

and MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

replace steam trains with electric over majority of routes.

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

withdraws service between East Ham

East Ham tube station

East Ham tube station is a London Underground station on the District and Hammersmith and City lines, located in East Ham, east London. It is in both Zone 3 and Zone 4. The station exit is on High Street North....

and Upminster

Upminster station

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

opens branch from Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

to South Acton

South Acton railway station

South Acton railway station is in the London Borough of Ealing in South Acton, west London. It is on the North London Line, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

withdraws service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road)

St Mary's tube station

St Mary's was a station on London Underground's District line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East.-History:...

and New Cross.

Charles Yerkes

Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...

dies and is replaced as Chairman of the UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

by Edgar Speyer

Edgar Speyer

Sir Edgar Speyer, 1st Baronet was an American-born financier and philanthropist. He became a British subject in 1892 and was chairman of Speyer Brothers, the British branch of his family's international finance house, and a partner in the German and American branches...

1906:Sir George Gibb

George Gibb

Sir George Stegmann Gibb was a Scottish transport administrator who served as the general manager of the North Eastern Railway, managing director of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, and as chairman of the former British Road Board.-Early life:George Gibb was born in Aberdeen,...

becomes Managing Director of UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

Frank Pick

Frank Pick LLB Hon. RIBA was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London in 1906...

, later Managing Director and Vice Chairman of London Transport, begins work at UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

withdraws services between Hammersmith

Hammersmith (Grove Road) station

Hammersmith railway station was on the London and South Western Railway . It was located in Grove Road , Hammersmith, adjacent to the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines station....

and Richmond

Richmond station (London)

Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....

BS&WR

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

opens between Elephant & Castle

Elephant & Castle tube station

Elephant & Castle tube station is a station on the London Underground system. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark and on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2...

and Baker Street

Baker Street tube station

. It becomes known as the Bakerloo tube.

GNP&BR

Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway

opens between Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

and Hammersmith. It becomes known as the Piccadilly tube.

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

withdraws service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road)

St Mary's tube station

St Mary's was a station on London Underground's District line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East.-History:...

and New Cross, pending electrification of the ELR

East London Line

The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...

1907:Albert Stanley

Albert Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield

Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield, PC, TD , born Albert Henry Knattriess, was a British-American who was managing director, then chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London from 1910 to 1933 and chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board from 1933 to 1947.Although...

, later Chairman of London Transport, begins work at UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

C&SLR extends to Euston

Euston tube station

Euston tube station is a London Underground station served by the Victoria Line and both branches of the Northern Line. It directly connects with the Euston mainline station above it. The station is in Travelcard Zone 1....

CCE&HR opens between Golders Green

Golders Green tube station

Golders Green tube station is a London Underground station in Golders Green, north London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line between Hampstead and Brent Cross...

, Archway

Archway tube station

Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....

and Charing Cross

Charing Cross tube station

Charing Cross tube station is a London Underground station at Charing Cross in the City of Westminster with entrances located in Trafalgar Square and The Strand. The station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines and provides an interchange with the National Rail network at station...

. It becomes known as the Hampstead tube.

Piccadilly tube

Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway

opens branch from Holborn

Holborn tube station

Holborn is a station of the London Underground in Holborn in London, located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway. Situated on the Piccadilly Line and on the Central Line , it is the only station common to the two lines, although the two lines cross each other three times elsewhere...

to Aldwych

Aldwych tube station

Aldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...

Bakerloo tube

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

extends to Edgware Road

Edgware Road tube station (Bakerloo Line)

Edgware Road is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Bakerloo line and is between Paddington and Marylebone stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is located on the north-east corner of the junction of Edgware Road, Harrow Road and Marylebone Road...

1908:CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

extends to Wood Lane

Wood Lane (Central Line) tube station

Wood Lane tube station is a disused station on the Central Line of the London Underground. It was built to serve the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 and the 1908 Summer Olympics....

MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

restarts service between East Ham

East Ham tube station

and Barking

Barking station

Barking station is a railway station served by National Rail and London Underground services. It is located in Barking in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in east London, England. The station is in Zone 4, has nine platforms, and is managed by c2c. It has been proposed that ownership of...

The underground railway companies begin to use the "Underground" brand for joint marketing.

First version of the Underground roundel comes into use—a solid red disk with a bar carrying station names is based on a device used by the London General Omnibus Company

London General Omnibus Company

The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.- Overview :...

1909:MDR

Metropolitan District Railway

closes Hounslow Town

Hounslow Town tube station

Hounslow Town was a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station was at the east end of Hounslow High Street at the junction with Kingsley Road...

spur again.

1910s

1910:District line

District Line

The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...

extends from South Harrow

South Harrow tube station

to connect to the MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

at Rayners Lane

Rayners Lane tube station

Rayners Lane is a London Underground station in the district of Rayners Lane in north west London, amid a 1930s development originally named Harrow Garden Village. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan Line, between Eastcote and West Harrow stations, and the Piccadilly...

and commences services to Uxbridge

Uxbridge tube station

District line

District Line

starts excursion services from Upminster to Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...

Separate managements of the Bakerloo tube

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

, Hampstead tube and Piccadilly tube

Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway

companies merge into a single company—the London Electric Railway

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

(LER). The lines continue to be identified by individual names.

1911:First escalators come into use at Earl's Court

Earl's Court tube station

.
1912:CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

extends to Liverpool Street

Liverpool Street station

.
1913:UERL

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

purchases the C&SLR and CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

takes control of the ELR and the GN&CR.

Following electrification of the ELR

East London Line

, MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

restarts service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road)

St Mary's tube station

St Mary's was a station on London Underground's District line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East.-History:...

and New Cross. MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

starts service from Whitechapel

Whitechapel tube station

to Shoreditch

Shoreditch tube station

and Surrey Quays

Surrey Quays tube station

Surrey Quays railway station is a railway station in Rotherhithe near Southwark Park. It is in Zone 2, on the East London Line. The next station to the north is , and to the south it splits into branches to and...

to New Cross Gate.

Bakerloo tube

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

extends to Paddington.

1914:Hampstead tube extends to Embankment

Embankment tube station

Embankment is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, known by various names during its history. It is served by the Circle, District, Northern and Bakerloo lines. On the Northern and Bakerloo lines, the station is between Waterloo and Charing Cross stations; on the Circle and...

.
1915:Bakerloo tube

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

extends to Willesden Junction

Willesden Junction station

Willesden Junction station is a Network Rail station in Harlesden, northwest London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and the Bakerloo line of the London Underground.-History:The station developed on three contiguous sites:...

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

begins publication of Metro-land its annual guide promoting the use of its line for commuting and leisure. The name becomes synonymous with the developing suburbs north-west of the capital served by the railway.

Sir Edgar Speyer

Edgar Speyer

resigns as Chairman of the Underground Group

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

following attacks in the press regarding his Germany origins. He is replaced by Lord George Hamilton

Lord George Hamilton

Lord George Francis Hamilton GCSI, PC, JP was a British Conservative Party politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Background:...

1916:Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston, CBE was a British-Uruguayan craftsman who is regarded, with Rudolf Koch, as the a father of modern calligraphy, in the form of the broad edged pen as a writing tool, a particular form of calligraphy....

designs the "Underground" typeface

Johnston (typeface)

Johnston is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by and named after Edward Johnston. It is well known for its use by Transport for London....

that now bears his name and is used by Transport for London

Transport for London

for all transport related purposes.
1917:Edward Johnston

Edward Johnston

re-designs the Underground's disk and bar roundel, to suit his new typeface, turning the disk into a ring.
1917:Bakerloo tube

Baker Street and Waterloo Railway

The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...

extends to Watford Junction

Watford Junction railway station

On 23 January 1975, an express train from Manchester to Euston derailed just south of Watford Junction after striking some stillages that had fallen on to the track. It then collided with a sleeper service from Euston to Glasgow. The driver of the Manchester train was killed, and eight passengers...

.
1919:Sir Albert Stanley

Albert Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield

replaces Lord George Hamilton

Lord George Hamilton

Lord George Francis Hamilton GCSI, PC, JP was a British Conservative Party politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Background:...

as Chairman of the Underground Group

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

1920s

1920:CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

extends from Wood Lane

Wood Lane (Central Line) tube station

Wood Lane tube station is a disused station on the Central Line of the London Underground. It was built to serve the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 and the 1908 Summer Olympics....

to Ealing Broadway

Ealing Broadway station

.
1922:Underground Group

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

purchases unbuilt Watford and Edgware Railway

Watford and Edgware Railway

The Watford and Edgware Railway was a railway company established in the 1860s that intended to build a railway that would run between Edgware and Watford, via Bushey...

to extend the Hampstead tube to Watford

Watford

.
1923:Hampstead tube extends to Hendon Central

Hendon Central tube station

Hendon Central tube station is a London Underground station in North West London on the A41.The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Colindale and Brent Cross stations, and is on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 3 and Zone 4. Its postcode is NW4 2TE...

.
1924:Hampstead tube extends to Edgware

Edgware tube station

Edgware tube station is a London Underground station in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, in North London. The station is the terminus of the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and the next station towards central London is . Edgware is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Location:The station is in...

C&SLR extends from Euston

Euston tube station

to connect to Hampstead tube at Camden Town

Camden Town tube station

Camden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...

1925:MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends from Moor Park

Moor Park tube station

Moor Park is a London Underground station in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire. The station is outside the Greater London boundary but is in both Zone 6 and Zone 7....

to Watford

Watford tube station

Watford is a station at the end of the Watford branch of London Underground's Metropolitan Line in the north-western part of the network in Zone 7, previously zone A.-Location and description:...

.
1926:Hampstead tube links Embankment

Embankment tube station

to Kennington

Kennington tube station

Kennington tube station is a London Underground station in Newington/ Walworth on Kennington Park Road, on both the Charing Cross and Bank branches of the Northern Line. Its neighbours to the north are Waterloo on the Charing Cross branch and Elephant & Castle on the Bank branch; the next station...

and C&SLR extends to Morden

Morden tube station

Morden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...

, completing the integration of the two lines.
1929:55 Broadway

55 Broadway

55 Broadway is a notable building overlooking St. James's Park in London. It was designed by Charles Holden and built between 1927 and 1929, and in 1931 the building earned him the RIBA London Architecture Medal...

opens as headquarters of the Underground Group

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

1930s

1932: MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

extends to Stanmore

Stanmore tube station

Stanmore tube station is a London Underground station at Stanmore. It is the northern terminus of the Jubilee Line; the previous station is Canons Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 5...

Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...

extends from Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

to Arnos Grove

Arnos Grove tube station

Arnos Grove is a London Underground station on the Piccadilly line between Bounds Green and Southgate. It is in Travelcard Zone 4 and is located in Arnos Grove, near Arnos Park on Bowes Road, London. The station and surrounding neighbourhood of Arnos Grove take their names from the Arnos Grove...

Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends over District line

District Line

from Hammersmith to South Harrow

South Harrow tube station

District line

District Line

services restart between Barking

Barking station

and Upminster

Upminster station

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

ends publication of Metro-land.

1933:Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends from Arnos Grove

Arnos Grove tube station

to Cockfosters

Cockfosters tube station

Cockfosters is a London Underground station on the Piccadilly Line for which it is the northern terminus. The station is located on Cockfosters Road approximately 9 miles from central London and serves Cockfosters in the London Borough of Barnet although it is actually located a short distance...

Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends over District line

District Line

from Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

to Hounslow West

Hounslow West tube station

and from South Harrow

South Harrow tube station

to Uxbridge

Uxbridge tube station

. District line

District Line

service withdrawn between Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

and Uxbridge

Uxbridge tube station

Underground Group

Underground Electric Railways Company of London

and MR

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

brought under common public control with the formation of 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...

(LPTB). Lord Ashfield

Albert Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield

and Frank Pick

Frank Pick

, formerly chairman and managing director of the Underground Group, become the LPTB's chairman and vice chairman.

LPTB

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...

publishes Harry Beck

Harry Beck

Henry Charles Beck , known as Harry Beck, was an English engineering draftsman best known for creating the present London Underground Tube map in 1931. Beck drew up the diagram in his spare time while working as an engineering draftsman at the London Underground Signals Office...

's first design for the Tube Map

Tube map

The Tube map is a schematic transit map representing the lines and stations of London's rapid transit railway systems, namely the London Underground , the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground....

1935:Brill Tramway

Brill Tramway

closes.

LPTB

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...

announces the 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...

, a five-year plan to modernise and extend the Underground network and to take over and electrify a number of main line routes.

1936: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...

closes from Aylesbury

Aylesbury railway station

to Verney Junction

Verney Junction railway station

Verney Junction was a railway station at a junction serving four directions between 1868 and 1968 and from where excursions as far as Ramsgate could be booked...

.
1937:The combined Hampstead tube and C&SLR routes are officially renamed 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...

and the CLR

Central London Railway

The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...

is renamed 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...

.
1938:Collision of two trains

Charing Cross (District Line) tube crash

The Charing Cross tube crash occurred on 17 May 1938 at about 09:55 hours, between Charing Cross and Temple stations...

between Embankment

Embankment tube station

and Temple

Temple tube station

Temple is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, between Victoria Embankment and Temple Place. It is on the Circle and District lines between Embankment and Blackfriars and is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station entrance is from Victoria Embankment...

kills six and injures 45 due to an incorrectly wired signal control.
1939: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...

extends from Baker Street

Baker Street tube station

to Finchley Road

Finchley Road tube station

Finchley Road tube station is a London Underground station at the corner of Finchley Road and Canfield Gardens in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is on the Jubilee Line, between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage and on the Metropolitan Line between Baker Street and Wembley Park. It is...

and takes over Metropolitan line

Metropolitan Line

services to Stanmore

Stanmore tube station

Stanmore tube station is a London Underground station at Stanmore. It is the northern terminus of the Jubilee Line; the previous station is Canons Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 5...

Northern line

Northern Line

extends from Archway

Archway tube station

to East Finchley

East Finchley tube station

LPTB

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...

suspends majority of New Works Programme

New Works Programme

following outbreak of Second World War.

District line

District Line

ends excursion services to Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea

1940s

1940:Northern line

Northern Line

extends over former EH&LR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

route to High Barnet

High Barnet tube station

Metropolitan line

Metropolitan Line

services withdrawn between Latimer Road

Latimer Road tube station

Latimer Road Station is a London Underground station in North Kensington on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines between Wood Lane and Ladbroke Grove stations...

and Kensington Olympia following bomb damage at Uxbridge Road

Uxbridge Road tube station

Uxbridge Road was a London Underground station on a branch of the Metropolitan Line. It was located at the eastern end of the Uxbridge Road in Shepherd's Bush, west London, UK, just before the start of Holland Park Avenue, a short distance from Shepherd's Bush station on the Central Line...

Londoners use the deep tube platforms as air-raid shelter

Air-raid shelter

Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...

s in the London Blitz

The Blitz

The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...

. Hits by German bombs during this period kill passengers and shelterers at Charing Cross

Charing Cross tube station

(7 killed), Bounds Green

Bounds Green tube station

Bounds Green tube station is a London Underground station, located at the junction of Bounds Green Road and Brownlow Road, in North London.The station is on the Piccadilly Line, between Wood Green and Arnos Grove stations, and is on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 3 and fare_zone 4.Like all ...

(19 killed), Balham

Balham station

Balham station consists of two adjacent stations located in the Balham area of south London, England...

(68 killed), Tottenham Court Road

Tottenham Court Road tube station

Tottenham Court Road is a London Underground station in central London. It is an interchange between the Central line and the branch of the Northern line.On the Central line it is between and , and on the Northern line it is between and...

(1 killed) and Camden Town

Camden Town tube station

Camden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...

(1 killed).

1941:Northern line

Northern Line

extends over former EH&LR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

route to Mill Hill East

Mill Hill East tube station

Mill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...

Uncompleted new Northern line

Northern Line

depot at Aldenham

Aldenham Works

The Aldenham Works, or Aldenham Bus Overhaul Works, was the main London Transport Bus overhaul works. It was located on the edge of the Hertfordshire village of Elstree and not Aldenham despite being officially called Aldenham Works. In its heyday, 50 buses a week were overhauled there, and it was...

converted for the construction of Halifax bombers

Handley Page Halifax

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...

Plessey

The Plessey Company plc was a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after the second world war by acquisition of companies and formed overseas companies...

uses unopened Central line

Central Line

tunnels between Wanstead

Wanstead tube station

Wanstead tube station is a London Underground station in Wanstead, on the Hainault loop of the Central Line. It is in Zone 4.Construction of the station had started in the 1930s, but was delayed by the onset of World War 2. Wanstead was not opened until December 14, 1947...

and Gants Hill

Gants Hill tube station

Gants Hill tube station is a London Underground station in Gants Hill, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is served by the Central Line and is in Zone 4. It is the easternmost station to be entirely below ground on the London Underground network....

as an underground factory.

A German bomb explodes in the Central line

Central Line

ticket hall at Bank, killing 56 people.

1943: Panic in a crowd entering the air-raid shelter at the unopened station at Bethnal Green

Bethnal Green tube station

Bethnal Green tube station is a station on the Central Line of the London Underground in Bethnal Green, East London. It lies between Liverpool Street and Mile End stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. The station was opened as part of the long planned Central Line eastern extension on 4 December...

causes the death of 173 people by crushing.
1946:Central line

Central Line

extends from Liverpool Street

Liverpool Street station

to Stratford

Stratford station

Stratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...

.
1947:Central line

Central Line

extends from Stratford

Stratford station

over former ECR

Eastern Counties Railway

and GNR

Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)

routes to Woodford

Woodford tube station

and Newbury Park

Newbury Park tube station

Newbury Park tube station is a London Underground station in Newbury Park, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is on the Hainault loop of the Central Line, in Zone 4....

and from North Acton

North Acton tube station

North Acton tube station is in North Acton, west London in the London Borough of Ealing. The station is on the Central line of the London Underground, between East Acton and Hanger Lane...

over GWR

Great Western Railway

route to Greenford

Greenford station

Greenford station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Greenford, Greater London, and is owned and managed by LUL. It is the terminus of the National Rail Greenford Branch Line, and is in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...

Lord Ashfield

Albert Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield

retires from LPTB.

1948:The government nationalises

Nationalization

Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...

all London Transport operations and the London Transport Executive

London Transport Executive

The London Transport Executive 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.-Creation:On 1...

(LTE) replaces LPTB

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...

Central line

Central Line

extends over former ECR

Eastern Counties Railway

and GNR

Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)

routes to Roding Valley

Roding Valley tube station

Roding Valley is a London Underground station situated in Buckhurst Hill in the Epping Forest district of Essex immediately to the north of the border with Woodford in the London Borough of Redbridge. The station is between Chigwell and Woodford stations, on the Central Line. It is located in...

and Loughton

Loughton tube station

and over GWR

Great Western Railway

route to West Ruislip

West Ruislip station

West Ruislip is a Network Rail station located on Ickenham Road between Ickenham and Ruislip in western Greater London; it is served by both London Underground and National Rail trains on independent platforms....

1949:Central line

Central Line

extends over former ECR

Eastern Counties Railway

route to Ongar.

Circle line appears on tube maps as a separate service for the first time.

1950s

1950:LTE

London Transport Executive

abandons New Works Programme

New Works Programme

Northern line

Northern Line

extension to Bushey Heath

Bushey Heath tube station

Bushey Heath tube station was an unbuilt London Underground station in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire. The planned location of the station was at the junction of the A41 and A411 roads.-History:...

due to introduction of the Metropolitan Green Belt

Metropolitan Green Belt

The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...

preventing development in the areas to be served.
1953:LTE

London Transport Executive

abandons take-over of former EH&LR

Edgware, Highgate and London Railway

line between Mill Hill East

Mill Hill East tube station

and Edgware

Edgware tube station

due to diminished expected passenger numbers and lack of funds.

A rear-end collision

Stratford tube crash

The Stratford tube crash occurred on 8 April 1953, on the Central Line of the London Underground. 12 people were killed as a result of a rear-end collision in a tunnel, caused by driver error after a signal failure....

between two trains on the Central line

Central Line

between Stratford

Stratford station

and Leyton

Leyton tube station

kills 12 passengers.

1955:Aldenham depot

Aldenham Works

opens as bus overhaul works.
1956:Parliament grants approval for the construction of the Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

.
1957:Electric tube trains replace steam-hauled shuttles between Epping

Epping tube station

Epping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...

and Ongar.
1959:District line

District Line

spur between Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

and South Acton

South Acton railway station

is closed.

1960s

1960: The last published underground map designed by Harry Beck

Harry Beck

is released.

Electric tube trains replace steam-hauled shuttles between Chalfont & Latimer

Chalfont & Latimer station

and Chesham

Chesham tube station

1961: Metropolitan line

Metropolitan Line

services withdrawn between Aylesbury

Aylesbury railway station

and Amersham

Amersham station

Amersham station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Amersham, in the Chiltern district of Buckinghamshire, England.Amersham station is a terminus of the London Underground's Metropolitan Line...

.
1963: 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...

(LTB) replaces LTE

London Transport Executive

.
1964: District line

District Line

services withdrawn between Acton Town

Acton Town tube station

and Hounslow West

Hounslow West tube station

Northern City line

Northern City Line

The Northern City Line is a railway line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park in London, once part of the Great Northern Electrics line. It should not be confused with the City branch of the Northern line, nor with the North London Line...

services withdrawn between Drayton Park

Drayton Park railway station

Drayton Park railway station is on the Network Rail Northern City Line which carries First Capital Connect services between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City or Hertford via Finsbury Park...

and Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park station

to allow the tunnels to be reused for the Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

Experimental automatic ticket gates installed at Stamford Brook

Stamford Brook tube station

Stamford Brook is a London Underground station on the eastern edge of Chiswick in west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Ravenscourt Park and Turnham Green stations. The main entrance is located on Goldhawk Road with a secondary entrance on Prebend Gardens. It is in...

, Chiswick Park

Chiswick Park tube station

Chiswick Park is a London Underground station in Chiswick in west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Turnham Green and Acton Town stations...

and Ravenscourt Park

Ravenscourt Park tube station

Ravenscourt Park is a London Underground station located in west Hammersmith, west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Hammersmith and Stamford Brook stations....

stations.

World's first automatic trains brought into service on Central line

Central Line

between Hainault

Hainault tube station

and Woodford

Woodford tube station

to test Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

operating systems.

1968:Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

opens between Walthamstow Central

Walthamstow Central station

Walthamstow Central is a London Underground and commuter rail station. It is the terminus of the Victoria line, and is on the branch of the London commuter rail network operated by National Express East Anglia...

and Warren Street

Warren Street tube station

Warren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...

.
1969:Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

extends to Victoria.

1970s

1970: Greater London Council

Greater 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...

(GLC) takes control of management of London Underground from London Transport Board

London Transport Board

controlling the Underground through a new London Transport Executive

London Transport Executive (GLC)

The London Transport Executive was the executive agency within the Greater London Council, responsible for public transport in Greater London from 1970 to 1984...

(LTE).
1971:Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

extends to Brixton

Brixton tube station

Brixton tube station, a station on the London Underground opened on July 23, 1971, is the southern terminus of the Victoria line.It is located in Brixton Road, and is about 100m from Brixton railway station . From the ticket hall, three escalators take passengers to and from the platforms...

London Underground withdraws last operational steam locomotives from service.

1975:Moorgate tube crash

Moorgate tube crash

The Moorgate tube crash was a railway disaster on the London Underground, which occurred on 28 February 1975 at 08.46 am.A southbound train on the Northern Line crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station...

kills 43 when a southbound Northern line (Highbury Branch)

Northern City Line

train fails to stop and crashes into the headwall of the tunnel.

Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends from Hounslow West to Hatton Cross

Hatton Cross tube station

Hatton Cross tube station is on the Heathrow branch of the London Underground Piccadilly line. It is in Travelcard Zones 5 and 6 and stands between the Great South West Road and the Heathrow Airport Southern Perimeter Road....

1976:Northern line (Highbury Branch)

Northern City Line

transfers to British Rail

British Rail

British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...

operation.

During a bombing campaign against the Underground, an Irish Republican Army

Irish Republican Army

The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...

(IRA) gunman detonates a bomb on a train and kills the driver and injures a bystander while trying to escape.

1977:Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends from Hatton Cross to Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3.
1979:Jubilee line

Jubilee Line

The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...

opens between Baker Street and Charing Cross

Charing Cross tube station

and takes over Bakerloo line

Bakerloo Line

service to Stanmore

Stanmore tube station

Stanmore tube station is a London Underground station at Stanmore. It is the northern terminus of the Jubilee Line; the previous station is Canons Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 5...

1980s

1980:London Transport Museum opens in Covent Garden

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...

.
1981:GLC

Greater London Council

introduces Fares Fair policy to reduce ticket prices by increasing London Transport subsidies from local rates

Rates (tax)

Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...

.
1982: Fares Fair policy ends following legal challenge from Bromley London Borough Council

London Borough of Bromley

The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...

, which does not have any Underground services.

Bakerloo line

Bakerloo Line

withdraws services between Stonebridge Park

Stonebridge Park station

Stonebridge Park station is a Network Rail station in Tokyngton, in the London Borough of Brent. It is served by London Overground and London Underground services, which use the same platforms....

and Watford Junction.

1983: LTE

London Transport Executive (GLC)

The London Transport Executive was the executive agency within the Greater London Council, responsible for public transport in Greater London from 1970 to 1984...

introduces Travelcard

Travelcard

The Travelcard is an inter-modal travel ticket for unlimited use on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink, London Buses and National Rail services in the Greater London area. Travelcards can be purchased for a period of time varying from one day to a year,...

and divides network into five fare zones.
1984:Bakerloo line

Bakerloo Line

restarts services between Stonebridge Park and Harrow & Wealdstone.

Fire at Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus fire

The Oxford Circus fire occurred on Friday 23 November 1984 at 9:50 p.m. at the London Underground Oxford Circus station. Oxford Circus station is in the heart of London's shopping district and is served by three deep-level tube lines; the Bakerloo Line, Central Line and Victoria Lines...

guts the northbound Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

platform and damages adjacent northbound Bakerloo line

Bakerloo Line

platform.

London Regional Transport

London Regional Transport was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, UK from 1984-2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.The organisation was...

(LRT) replaces LTE

London Transport Executive (GLC)

The London Transport Executive was the executive agency within the Greater London Council, responsible for public transport in Greater London from 1970 to 1984...

, removing control of the transport in London from the GLC

Greater London Council

1985:LRT

London Regional Transport

establishes its wholly owned subsidiary, London Underground Limited, to manage the Underground.
1986:Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

opens Heathrow loop and Heathrow Terminal 4

Heathrow Terminal 4 tube station

Heathrow Terminal 4 is a London Underground station at Heathrow Airport on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line. The station is situated in Travelcard Zone 6.The station opened on the 12 April 1986 to serve the then recently opened Heathrow Terminal 4...

.
1987:Fire at King's Cross

King's Cross fire

The King's Cross St. Pancras tube station fire was a fatal fire on the London Underground. It broke out at approximately 19:30 on 18 November 1987, and killed 31 people....

kills 31 people when a blaze breaks out in a Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

escalator.

The first lines of the Docklands Light Railway

Docklands Light Railway

The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...

open, between Tower Gateway

Tower Gateway DLR station

Tower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway station near the Tower of London. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is on the site of the closed Minories railway station....

, Stratford

Stratford station

and Island Gardens

Island Gardens DLR station

Island Gardens DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station on the Isle of Dogs, just north of the River Thames. It is in Travelcard Zone 2.The station is close to the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs and the River Thames...

1990s

1990:Hammersmith & City line

Hammersmith & City Line

The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...

appears on the Tube map independently of the Metropolitan line

Metropolitan Line

for the first time.
1991:Travelcard Zone 5

Travelcard Zone 5

Fare zone 5 is an outer zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. The zone was created in May 1983 and in January 1991 part...

split to create a new Travelcard Zone 6

Travelcard Zone 6

Fare zone 6 is an outer zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. The zone was created in January 1991; from May 1983 it had...

.
1994:Waterloo & City line

Waterloo & City Line

The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...

transfers from British Rail

British Rail

to London Underground ownership.

Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

's Aldwych

Aldwych tube station

branch closes.

Central line

Central Line

's Epping

Epping tube station

to Ongar

Ongar tube station

Ongar tube station is a former London Underground station in the town of Chipping Ongar, Essex. Until its closure in 1994, it was the easternmost point of the Central line, and from 1961 until closure, it held the distinction of being the London Underground station farthest from Central...

section closes.

1995:East London line

East London Line

closes for repairs to Thames Tunnel

Thames Tunnel

.
1998:East London line

East London Line

reopens.
1999:Jubilee line

Jubilee Line

extends from Green Park

Green Park tube station

Green Park tube station is a London Underground station located on the north side of Green Park, close to the intersection of Piccadilly and the pedestrian Queen's Walk...

to Stratford

Stratford station

. The section from Green Park

Green Park tube station

Green Park tube station is a London Underground station located on the north side of Green Park, close to the intersection of Piccadilly and the pedestrian Queen's Walk...

to Charing Cross

Charing Cross tube station

closes.

2000s

2000:Last service operates with a train guard.

Transport for London

(TfL), an executive body of the Greater London Authority

Greater London Authority

, is established to take over responsibility for London's transport from LRT

London Regional Transport

. London Underground Limited moves to direct control by the Department for Transport

Department for Transport

In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...

2002:Lots Road Power Station

Lots Road Power Station

closes.
2003:TfL

Transport for London

takes control of London Underground Limited from the Department for Transport.

Oyster card

The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...

smart card ticket system begins operation.

Public Private Partnership infrastructure companies Metronet

Metronet

Metronet Rail was one of two companies in a public-private partnership with London Underground.Metronet was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure on nine London Underground lines from 2003 to 2008. This included track, trains, signals, civil work and stations...

and Tube Lines

Tube Lines

Tube Lines Limited, initially known as 'Infraco JNP', has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London since May 2010. Tube Lines is an asset-management company responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of the infrastructure, including track, trains, signals, civil work and...

take over responsibility for maintenance of underground system. Train operations remain the responsibility of TfL

Transport for London

A Central line

Central Line

train derails at Chancery Lane

Chancery Lane tube station

Chancery Lane is a London Underground station in central London. It is on the Central Line between St. Paul's and Holborn stations. The station is located at the junction of High Holborn, Hatton Garden and Gray's Inn Road with subway entrances giving access to the ticket office under the roadway...

when a motor falls from the underside of a carriage. Following investigations, modifications are made to all 1992 stock

London Underground 1992 Stock

The 1992 Tube Stock is the type of train used on the Central line and Waterloo & City line of the London Underground.-Construction:The 1992 Stock was built by ABB for the Central line as the result of the extensive testing of the three 1986 tube stock prototype trains...

trains.

2005:Suicide bombers detonate bombs

7 July 2005 London bombings

The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....

on three tube trains and one bus, killing 52 and injuring more than 770. Two weeks later four further bombers fail

21 July 2005 London bombings

On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch...

when their bombs do not explode.
2006:East London line

East London Line

closes from Shoreditch

Shoreditch tube station

to Whitechapel

Whitechapel tube station

.
2007:East London line

East London Line

closes completely for conversion into part of London Overground

London Overground

London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...

network.

Metronet

goes into administration following failures to manage the costs and programmes of its projects. TfL

Transport for London

takes temporary control.

2008:Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

extends to Heathrow Terminal 5

Heathrow Terminal 5 station

Heathrow Terminal 5 station is a shared railway station at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 which was opened on 27 March 2008. It was designed by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners....

.
2009:Construction begins on Crossrail

Crossrail

Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...

Circle line extends to Hammersmith.

Wood Lane station opens.

2010s

2010:East London line

East London Line

reopens as part of London Overground

London Overground

network.

TfL

Transport for London

takes over Tube Lines

Tube Lines

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See also