150th Anniversary of the world's first underground urban railway
On January 9th 1863 the first train pulled out of Paddington station for its maiden journey to Baker Street, Kings Cross and Farringdon, marking the opening of the world’s first completely underground urban railway.
Built to relieve congestion in London’s cobbled streets, it proved very popular from the start, the line carrying more than 25,000 passengers a day in its first 6 months. Unlike London’s later tube lines, the Metropolitan was built around 20 feet below ground level by digging a trench along road alignments and covering it over with a roof – just as well as the trains were steam-powered for the first 40 years of the line’s existence. Despite the frequent smoke vents the atmosphere remained perpetually grimy and sulphurous until the Inner Circle was electrified in 1905.
The anniversary is being marked by the London Transport Museum with a series of exhibitions including “behind-the-scenes” visits to the museum’s Acton depot and souvenirs. Special runs on the line recreate the first trains with an 1898 Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive (No 1) which has just been extensively restored at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean.
Those who are interested in a wider view of the London Underground system may like to follow up a very interesting blog here.