London Underground Turns 150 Years - Jan 9,1863 - Jan 9,2013

The London Underground (also colloquially known as the Tube) is a Rapid Transit System in the UK  serving a large part of Greater London  and some parts of Buckinghamshire,Hertfordshire and Essex.

The London Underground (also colloquially known as the Tube) incorporates the oldest section of underground railway in the world, which opened in 1863 and now forms part of the Circle,Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines and the first line to operate Electric Trains in 1890, now part of the Northern Line.

The earlier lines of the present London Underground network were built by various private companies. They became part of an integrated transport system in 1933 when the London Passenger Transport Board  (LPTB) or London Transport was created.

The London Underground became a separate entity in 1985, when the UK Govt created London Underground Limited (LUL). Since 2003 LUL has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), the statutory corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London, which is run by a board and a commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London

The London Underground (also colloquially known as the Tube) has 270 Stations covering 402 Kms(250 Miles) of track, 45 % of which is underground.

 

The London Underground's 11 lines are divided into 2 classes -
1)Subsurface Routes
The subsurface lines were dug by the cut-and-cover method, with the tracks running about 5 m (16 ft 5 in) below the surface
2)Deep-Tube Routes
The deep-level or tube lines, bored using a Tunnelling Shield, run about 20 m (65 ft 7 in) below the surface (although this varies considerably), with each track in a separate tunnel

The London Underground (also colloquially known as the Tube)is the 4th largest Metro System in the World after -
1)Seoul Metropolitan Subway
2)Beijing Subway and
3)Shanghai Metro

A heritage run will take place to mark 150 years since the first Underground journey was made. But only a lucky number of ticketholders will be able to ride on the special service between Kensington Olympia and Moorgate.

The journey will see Metropolitan Locomotive No 1 pull the Metropolitan Railway Jubilee carriage No 353, which was built in 1892 and is being restored thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the London Transport Museum Friends.

Royals Attend the 150th Anniversary of the London Underground