Category: London Transport

  • The DLR 30 years ago

    Today is the 30th anniversary of the Docklands Light Railway. It was officially opened by the Queen on 30 July 1987 however due to ongoing issues with the operation of the trains it was decided to defer public services a further month. That date was 31st August 1987. These are some of my views from…

  • When one asks which tube stations are true underground termini, the answer would be Brixton/Walthamstow (both on the Victoria Line) and Bank/Waterloo (both on Waterloo & City Line). Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo Line) plus Heathrow Terminal Five (Piccadilly Line) will also come to mind. It may surprise one to know London once had many more…

  • When one asks which tube stations are true underground termini, Brixton, Walthamstow (both Victoria Line) and Bank, Waterloo (both Waterloo & City Line), Elephant and Castle (Bakerloo Line) plus Heathrow Terminal Five (Piccadilly Line) will most likely also come to mind. There were loads more underground tube station termini at one time but all these…

  • A minor update of the article posted two years ago featuring the Central Line around Wood Lane/White City showing how the area’s changed. Previous overground sections of the Central Line are now underground. The header image shows the Central Line tracks as they approach Ariel Way. This section was the original route of the Central…

  • TfL has just published a new poster commemorating the evolution of the LT roundel. Seems Marylebone’s southbound platform has the only large sized poster so far on the network. There are smaller versions at other tube stations for the escalators as shown here.

  • Pavement Lights The subway’s pavement lights can be seen here in Thurloe Street near the station entrance. It seems there were originally six sets of pavement lights in the subway – including two small lights in the turn from the main tunnel to the steps leading into the station. They can be seen from outside…

  • The Subway’s Route The subway at the South Kensington station end where it joins the station’s ticket hall. This isn’t the original entrance but rather it was from a footbridge below which directly linked to the platforms. There seems no records of when these alterations were effected but it appears it was in the late…

  • The South Kensington subway is the most heavily used foot tunnel in the UK, carrying many millions of people, and it links the tube station at South Kensington with London’s famous museums along Exhibition Road. These are the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. The subway is owned by…

  • 1863 is the year the Metropolitan Railway opened. It consisted of four miles and six through stations. Of these just three were truly underground. Gower Street (Euston Square), Portland Road (Great Portland Street) and the more famous Baker Street.The main entrance was originally at the western end of the station, and this was latterly added…

  • Common knowledge: Q – When was the first  full trial run on London’s Metropolitan Railway? A – 24 May 1862 Many sources use this date as being the date of the first full, official, run along the entire Metropolitan Railway. Sadly the answer is completely wrong! During recent research on the Metropolitan Railway, I set…