The beginnings of the first underground railway
The origins of the London Underground lie in the Industrial Revolution and the city’s growth during the nineteenth century. Rising population, commercial activity and travel worsened street congestion. Arriving at a mainline terminus did not solve the final journey into central London and the City. A railway beneath the streets offered a way to connect these areas without adding more vehicles above ground.
Charles Pearson, solicitor to the City and a leading advocate, helped promote the project and secure support. His role should not be confused with engineering responsibility, which belonged to John Fowler. The railway that opened used steam locomotives, not carriages propelled by compressed air.
The first line opened to the public on 10 January 1863 as the Metropolitan Railway, between Paddington, then Bishop’s Road, and Farringdon Street. King’s Cross was an intermediate stop, not the eastern terminus. See the history documented by TfL’s archives.
The move from steam to electricity enabled another kind of underground railway. In 1890, the City & South London Railway opened as the world’s first electric underground railway. Its route later became part of the Northern line. Electrification happened in stages across different lines; it should not be described as if today’s entire network had been electrified at once in 1905. The London Museum explains this technological change.
Today, TfL describes London Underground as a network of 11 lines, 402 kilometres and 272 stations. It remains the world’s oldest metro, but should not be presented as the largest or busiest. DLR, London Overground and the Elizabeth line are complementary networks, not extra kilometres to add as Underground lines. Check current figures in TfL’s network description.
London Underground: changing stations and routes
The London Underground, also called the Underground or Tube, did not begin as one complete network. It developed through lines built in different periods, extensions, connections and rebuilding. Its history therefore includes stations that closed, changed names, moved or gained new interchanges.
One example is British Museum, a former Central line station between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn. It closed in 1933, when new Central line platforms at Holborn allowed passengers to change to the Piccadilly line within the station. Do not confuse it with the museum, which remains a visitor destination.
Down Street, on the Piccadilly line between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner, closed in 1932, a year before British Museum. Low passenger numbers and nearby stations help explain its closure. TfL records its history in the Down Street documentation.
Many stations have been renamed to better reflect their location, avoid confusion or accompany service changes. A period map shows names and connections at that time; it should not be used as a current itinerary.
The expression “ghost stations” covers different cases: closed stations, abandoned entrances or replaced facilities. It does not describe a fixed list of about 40 intact stations that you can visit. Some structures disappeared; others were reused. The London Museum explains several examples.
How the London Underground was built
Engineering advances produced two broad construction methods that still help explain the network: shallow tunnels built from the surface and tunnels bored at greater depth.
What does cut and cover mean?
With cut and cover, a trench is excavated, the tunnel is built and the ground above is covered again. The 1863 Metropolitan Railway used this method between Paddington and Farringdon. Large masonry tunnels and sections close to the surface suited the needs of that steam railway.
Construction disrupted the streets above. This was not simply a matter of taking advantage of unrelated street works: the railway needed its own route, stations and structure. Pearson promoted the project; Fowler was its engineer.
Deep-level tunnels
Running steam locomotives underground made removing smoke and gases difficult. Electric traction removed the smoke produced by a steam locomotive inside a tunnel and helped deep-level lines develop. It did not eliminate every need for ventilation.
Tunnelling shields made it possible to advance while constructing the tunnel lining. James Henry Greathead played an important part in developing these techniques, which used compressed air on certain projects. The London Transport Museum library holds historical material on shields and tunnelling. Compressed air used during construction should not be confused with train propulsion.
The Brunels’ tunnel beneath the Thames
The Thames Tunnel, between Wapping and Rotherhithe, was the work of Marc Isambard Brunel, with his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel also involved. It opened to pedestrians in 1843 and began carrying trains in 1869. It was not originally an electric Underground tunnel. The Brunel Museum documents its transformation.
Today it forms part of the Windrush line on London Overground. This separates two often-confused milestones: building the tunnel and introducing trains. It also explains why infrastructure older than the 1863 Underground remains part of London’s transport network.
What “Tube” means and how to read a historical map
In everyday usage, the Tube is an accepted name for London Underground, used by TfL itself. There is no need to correct someone using it for the whole network.
In a technical or historical context, distinguish deep-level tube lines, with generally circular tunnels separated by direction, from shallower sub-surface lines. Stations, junctions and extensions may use different arrangements; not every part of a line follows one geometric description.
This distinction appears on older maps. The 1929 map retained below shows the network and its categories at that time. It is not a map for planning today’s journeys.
London Underground Map(1929)
A timeline to keep the dates clear
| Year | What happened | What to distinguish |
|---|---|---|
| 1843 | The Thames Tunnel opened to pedestrians. | It was not yet an Underground line. |
| 1863 | The Metropolitan Railway opened between Paddington and Farringdon. | It used steam trains. |
| 1869 | Trains began running through the Thames Tunnel. | The tunnel itself was older. |
| 1890 | The electric City & South London Railway opened. | The deep-level electric railway did not open at the same time as the Metropolitan. |
| 1932 and 1933 | Down Street and British Museum closed respectively. | They did not close in the same year. |
Recognising that history during a visit
- Paddington–Farringdon: locate the first route on today’s map. This does not mean its trains, stations and interchanges are unchanged since 1863.
- Holborn: the Central–Piccadilly connection helps explain why British Museum station became unnecessary. To visit the museum, check today’s access and walking route.
- Wapping–Rotherhithe on Windrush: the train passes through the historic Thames Tunnel. Riding through it is not the same as walking through it or freely visiting its facilities.
For disused-station tours, check dates, requirements and conditions with Hidden London, run by London Transport Museum. Not all stations offer tours or can be visited without booking. For regular travel, see our line directory and Overground guide.
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026.
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