Historical version 4 of Category Tube (view current version)

The London Underground

The Underground, near-universally known as the Tube, is the way most out-of-towners get around, and fairly well used by residents, too. It's unfortunately expensive, crowded at rush hour (and closing time), and it's patchy in its coverage; it's also probably the best value method out there. Sometimes it doesn't work; see the status page at London Transport.

Bits of it are getting on for 150 years old, and it also contains some of the oldest deep tubes in the world. The Tube map and Tube roundel are design classics known the world over.

Lines can be split into two main groups: Subsurface lines were built by 'cut and cover', even in the centre of London. These are the oldest lines on the network. Tube lines are the ones that go deep underground, with the vast majority of the central London sections dug in the 'tube boom' between 1900 and 1915. The following useful table comes from the London Underground page on Wikipedia.

Line Name

Colour on Tube map

Year of Opening

Type

Bakerloo Line

Brown 1906 Deep level

Central Line

Red 1900 Deep level

Circle Line

Yellow 1884 Sub-surface

District Line

Green 1868 Sub-surface

East London Line

Orange 1869 Sub-surface

Hammersmith and City Line

Pink 1864 Sub-surface

Jubilee Line

Silver 1979 Deep level

Metropolitan Line

Purple 1863 Sub-surface

Northern Line

Black 1907 (part) Deep level

Piccadilly Line

Dark blue 1906 Deep level

Victoria Line

Light blue 1969 Deep level

Waterloo and City Line

Teal 1898 Deep level

There's the obligatory official website, or the independent tubeplanner.com or Clive's UndergrounD Line Guides.

Tube things:

Tube Frequently Asked Questions:


1 I heard the "Inspector Sands" announcement at Bank station. Having read the blurb on the Guardian "Any Answers" page (see link above), my first thought was "Yikes!" My second thought was "Double Yikes!" owing to the fact that there was a Firemen's strike on. Then, the doors closed on the tube train I was on and it departed the platform. --IvorW

As someone comments on that Guardian page, "I often hear it at Notting Hill Gate". I can verify this; I have to admit that it's quite worrying. At least they've finally got rid of the wooden escalators now, though. --Earle

This is version 4 (as of 2003-07-03 10:26:27). View current version. List all versions.