1825Using his patented
tunnelling shield,
Marc Brunel begins construction of the
Thames Tunnel under the River Thames between
Wapping and
Rotherhithe. Progress is slow and will be halted a number of times before the tunnel is completed.
1843The
Thames Tunnel opens as a pedestrian tunnel.
1845Charles Pearson, Solicitor to the
City of London, begins promoting the idea of an underground railway to bring passenger and goods services into the centre of the City.
1854Metropolitan Railway (MR) is incorporated and granted powers to construct an underground railway from
Paddington to
Farringdon.
1856Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) opens a line from
Leyton to
Loughton.
1860Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway (A&BR) is incorporated.
1862Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR) is incorporated to build a railway between
Finsbury Park and
Edgware.
1863MR opens the first underground railway in the world.
1864MR opens the Hammersmith & City Railway, its first extensions to Hammersmith and to Kensington Olympia.
District Railway (DR) is incorporated.
1865MR extends to
Moorgate.East London Railway (ELR) purchases the Thames Tunnel for conversion to a railway tunnel.ECR extends to
Ongar.
1867EH&LR opens between
Finsbury Park and
Edgware.
1868MR opens the Metropolitan and St John's Wood Railway, a short branch northward from
Baker Street to Swiss Cottage, the first section of the company's eventual extensions into
Middlesex,
Hertfordshire and
Buckinghamshire.DR opens between
South Kensington and
Westminster. The MR extends to connect to the DR at South Kensington and both companies operate services over the other's tracks.A&BR opens between
Aylesbury and
Verney Junction.
1869DR extends from
Gloucester Road to
West Brompton.ELR opens between
New Cross Gate and Wapping. First use of Thames Tunnel for trains.
London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opens line from West London Line to Richmond.
1870Tower Subway opens, briefly, using a cabled-hauled carriage before conversion to pedestrian use. Constructed using a circular tunnelling shield developed by
Peter W. Barlow and
James Henry Greathead and lined with segmental cast-iron rings, this short tunnel under the River Thames successfully demonstrated new tunnelling techniques that would be used to construct most of the subsequent underground lines in London.DR extends from
Westminster to Blackfriars.
1871DR extends from Blackfriars to
Mansion House.
Brill Tramway opens between the A&BR's station at
Quainton Road and
Wood Siding.
1872Brill Tramway extends to Brill.DR extends from
Earl's Court to Kensington Olympia.
Great Northern Railway (GNR) extends E&HLR from
East Finchley to
High Barnet.
1873GNR extends EH&LR from
Highgate to Alexandra Palace.
1874DR extends from
Earl's Court to Hammersmith.
City of London financiers establish Metropolitan Inner Circle Completion Railway to complete the Inner Circle by linking the DR's terminus at
Mansion House with the MR's planned terminus at Aldgate.
1875MR extends to Liverpool Street.
1876MR extends to Aldgate.ELR extends from Whitechapel to
Shoreditch.
1877DR extends from Hammersmith to connect to the L&SWR at
Ravenscourt Park. DR and MR commence services over the L&SWR to Richmond.
1879MR extends to
Willesden Green.MR takes over Metropolitan Inner Circle Completion Railway.DR extends from
Turnham Green to
Ealing Broadway.
1880MR extends to
Harrow on the Hill.DR extends from
West Brompton to
Putney Bridge.ELR opens a spur to
New Cross (South Eastern Railway)
1882MR extends from Aldgate to
Tower of London.
1883DR commences a service over
Great Western Railway (GWR) via
Slough to Windsor & Eton Central.DR extends from
Acton Town to
Hounslow Town.
1884City of London and Southwark Subway established to build a railway from the City of London to Elephant & Castle.DR extends from
Osterley & Spring Grove to
Hounslow West.MR and DR connect Mansion House with
Tower of London, completing the Inner Circle.MR and DR extend east to St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) and connect to ELR with services running to
New Cross and
New Cross Gate.DR extends to Whitechapel.
1885MR extends to
Pinner.DR withdraws
Ealing Broadway to Windsor & Eton Central service.
1886DR closes
Hounslow Town spur.
1887MR extends to
Rickmansworth.
1889MR extends to
Chesham.DR connects to L&SWR at
East Putney and commences services to
Wimbledon.
1890City of London and Southwark Subway changes name to
City and South London Railway (C&SLR), and opens between
Stockwell and
King William Street, the world's first deep-level underground and electric railway.
Central London Railway (CLR) incorporated to build a tube railway from Bank to
Shepherd's Bush.
1891MR takes over A&BR between
Aylesbury and
Verney Junction.
1892MR extends from Chalfont & Latimer to Aylesbury.Great Northern & City Railway (GN&CR) granted powers to build a tube railway from Finsbury Park to
Moorgate.
1893Charing Cross,
Euston and
Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR) granted powers to build a tube railway from
Strand to Hampstead.
Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (BS&WR) granted powers to build a tube railway from
Waterloo to
Baker Street.
1897Brompton and
Piccadilly Circus Railway granted powers to build a tube railway from Piccadilly Circus to South Kensington.DR obtains powers to construct a tube railway from
Gloucester Road to Mansion to run below its sub-surface line.Anarchists bomb a MR train which explodes at
Barbican, injuring 60 and killing one.
Whitaker Wright's London & Globe Finance Corporation purchases BS&WR.
1898City and Brixton Railway granted powers to build a tube railway from
King William Street to
Brixton.
Waterloo and City Railway opens between Waterloo and Bank.
1899Great Northern and
Strand Railway granted powers to build a tube railway from
Wood Green to Strand.MR services commence over the Brill Tramway.
1900C&SLR closes King William Street and extends north to Moorgate and south to
Clapham Common.CLR opens between Bank and
Shepherd's Bush.Consortium led by
Charles Yerkes takes over CCE&HR.London & Globe Finance Corporation and BS&WR collapse following
Whitaker Wright's fraudulent concealment of large losses.
1901C&SLR extends to
Angel.
Yerkes consortium takes over DR, Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway and Great Northern and Strand Railway and merges the tube routes to form the
Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (GNP&BR).
1902Yerkes consortium takes over BS&WR.Yerkes establishes the
Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) as the holding company of the tube lines under his consortium's control.DR extends from Whitechapel to
Bromley-by-Bow and commences a service from there over the
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway to
Upminster.
Edgware & Hampstead Railway incorporated to build a railway from
Golders Green to Edgware.
1903C&SLR takes over
City and Brixton Railway and allows its plans to lapse.DR extends from
Ealing Common to
South Harrow.DR reopens Hounslow Town spur.
Watford and Edgware Railway incorporated to build a railway from Edgware to
Watford.CCE&HR takes over Edgware & Hampstead Railway.
Great Eastern Railway opens Fairlop Loop from
Ilford to
Woodford via Hainult.
1904GN&CR opens between Finsbury Park and Moorgate.MR opens branch from
Harrow-on-the-Hill to
Uxbridge.Whitaker Wright commits suicide by swallowing
cyanide after being convicted of fraud.
1905UERL opens
Lots Road Power Station to provide electricity for the DR and the UERL's forthcoming tube lines.MR and DR replace steam trains with electric over majority of routes.DR withdraws service between
East Ham and
Upminster.DR opens branch from
Acton Town to South Acton.DR withdraws service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) and New Cross.Charles Yerkes dies and is replaced as Chairman of the UERL by
Edgar Speyer.
1906Sir George Gibb becomes Managing Director of UERL.
Frank Pick, later Managing Director and Vice Chairman of London Transport, begins work at UERL.MR withdraws services between Hammersmith and Richmond.BS&WR opens between Elephant & Castle and Baker Street. It becomes known as the Bakerloo tube.GNP&BR opens between Finsbury Park and Hammersmith. It becomes known as the Piccadilly tube.MR withdraws service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) and New Cross, pending electrification of the ELR.
1907Albert Stanley, later Chairman of London Transport, begins work at UERL.C&SLR extends to
Euston.CCE&HR opens between
Golders Green,
Archway and
Charing Cross. It becomes known as the Hampstead tube.Piccadilly tube opens branch from
Holborn to Aldwych.Bakerloo tube extends to
Edgware Road.
1908CLR extends to Wood Lane.DR restarts service between
East Ham and Barking.The underground railway companies begin to use the "Underground" brand for joint marketing.First version of the Underground roundel comes into use—a solid red disk with a bar carrying station names is based on a device used by the
London General Omnibus Company.
1909DR closes Hounslow Town spur again.
1910District line extends from
South Harrow to connect to the MR at
Rayners Lane and commences services to
Uxbridge.
District line starts excursion services from Upminster to
Southend-on-Sea.Separate managements of the Bakerloo tube, Hampstead tube and Piccadilly tube companies merge into a single company—the London Electric Railway (LER). The lines continue to be identified by individual names.
1911First escalators come into use at Earl's Court.
1912CLR extends to Liverpool Street.
1913UERL purchases the C&SLR and CLR.MR takes control of the ELR and the GN&CR.Following electrification of the ELR, MR restarts service between St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) and New Cross. MR starts service from Whitechapel to
Shoreditch and Surrey Quays to New Cross Gate.Bakerloo tube extends to Paddington.
1914Hampstead tube extends to
Embankment.
1915Bakerloo tube extends to
Willesden Junction.MR begins publication of
Metro-land its annual guide promoting the use of its line for commuting and leisure. The name becomes synonymous with the developing suburbs north-west of the capital served by the railway.Sir
Edgar Speyer resigns as Chairman of the Underground Group following attacks in the press regarding his Germany origins. He is replaced by
Lord George Hamilton.
1916Edward Johnston designs the "Underground" typeface that now bears his name and is used by
Transport for London for all transport related purposes.
1917Edward Johnston re-designs the Underground's disk and bar roundel, to suit his new typeface, turning the disk into a ring.
1917Bakerloo tube extends to
Watford Junction.
1919Sir
Albert Stanley replaces
Lord George Hamilton as Chairman of the Underground Group.
1920CLR extends from Wood Lane to Ealing Broadway.
1922Underground Group purchases unbuilt
Watford and Edgware Railway to extend the Hampstead tube to
Watford.
1923Hampstead tube extends to
Hendon Central.
1924Hampstead tube extends to Edgware.C&SLR extends from
Euston to connect to Hampstead tube at
Camden Town.
1925MR extends from
Moor Park to Watford.
1926Hampstead tube links
Embankment to
Kennington and C&SLR extends to
Morden, completing the integration of the two lines.
192955 Broadway opens as headquarters of the Underground Group.
1932MR extends to
Stanmore.Piccadilly line extends from Finsbury Park to
Arnos Grove.Piccadilly line extends over District line from Hammersmith to South Harrow.District line services restart between Barking and Upminster.MR ends publication of
Metro-land.
1933Piccadilly line extends from Arnos Grove to
Cockfosters.Piccadilly line extends over District line from Acton Town to
Hounslow West and from South Harrow to Uxbridge. District line service withdrawn between Acton Town and Uxbridge.Underground Group and MR brought under common public control with the formation of the
London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB). Lord Ashfield and
Frank Pick, formerly chairman and managing director of the Underground Group, become the LPTB's chairman and vice chairman.LPTB publishes
Harry Beck's first design for the Tube Map.
1935Brill Tramway closes.LPTB announces the
New Works Programme, a five-year plan to modernise and extend the Underground network and to take over and electrify a number of main line routes.
1936Metropolitan line closes from Aylesbury to Verney Junction.
1937The combined Hampstead tube and C&SLR routes are officially renamed the
Northern line and the CLR is renamed the
Central line.
1938Collision of two trains between Embankment and
Temple kills six and injures 45 due to an incorrectly wired signal control.
1939Bakerloo line extends from Baker Street to
Finchley Road and takes over
Metropolitan line services to
Stanmore.
Northern line extends from
Archway to
East Finchley.LPTB suspends majority of
New Works Programme following outbreak of Second World War.District line ends excursion services to
Southend-on-Sea.
1940Northern line extends over former EH&LR route to
High Barnet.Metropolitan line services withdrawn between
Latimer Road and Kensington Olympia following bomb damage at
Uxbridge Road.Londoners use the deep tube platforms as air-raid shelters in the London Blitz. Hits by German bombs during this period kill passengers and shelterers at
Charing Cross (7 killed),
Bounds Green (19 killed),
Balham (68 killed), Tottenham Court Road (1 killed) and
Camden Town (1 killed).Frank Pick retires from LPTB.
1941Northern line extends over former EH&LR route to
Mill Hill East.Uncompleted new Northern line depot at Aldenham converted for the construction of
Halifax bombers.
Plessey uses unopened
Central line tunnels between
Wanstead and
Gants Hill as an underground factory.A German bomb explodes in the Central line ticket hall at Bank, killing 56 people.
1943Panic in a crowd entering the air-raid shelter at the unopened station at
Bethnal Green causes the death of 173 people by crushing.
1946Central line extends from Liverpool Street to
Stratford.
1947Central line extends from
Stratford over former ECR and GNR routes to
Woodford and
Newbury Park and from
North Acton over GWR route to
Greenford.Lord Ashfield retires from LPTB.
1948The government nationalises all London Transport operations and the
London Transport Executive (LTE) replaces LPTB.Central line extends over former ECR and GNR routes to
Roding Valley and
Loughton and over GWR route to
West Ruislip.
1949Central line extends over former ECR route to
Ongar.
Circle line appears on tube maps as a separate service for the first time.
1950LTE abandons New Works Programme Northern line extension to
Bushey Heath due to introduction of the
Metropolitan Green Belt preventing development in the areas to be served.
1953LTE abandons take-over of former EH&LR line between
Mill Hill East and Edgware due to diminished expected passenger numbers and lack of funds.A rear-end collision between two trains on the Central line between Stratford and
Leyton kills 12 passengers.
1955Aldenham depot opens as bus overhaul works.
1956Parliament grants approval for the construction of the
Victoria line.
1957Electric tube trains replace steam-hauled shuttles between
Epping and Ongar.
1959District line spur between Acton Town and South Acton is closed.
1960The last published underground map designed by
Harry Beck is released.Electric tube trains replace steam-hauled shuttles between Chalfont & Latimer and
Chesham.
1961Metropolitan line services withdrawn between Aylesbury and
Amersham.
1963London Transport Board (LTB) replaces LTE.
1964District line services withdrawn between Acton Town and Hounslow West.
Northern City line services withdrawn between
Drayton Park and Finsbury Park to allow the tunnels to be reused for the
Victoria line.Experimental automatic ticket gates installed at
Stamford Brook,
Chiswick Park and
Ravenscourt Park stations.World's first automatic trains brought into service on Central line between
Hainault and Woodford to test
Victoria line operating systems.
1968Victoria line opens between Walthamstow Central and
Warren Street.
1969Victoria line extends to Victoria.
1970Greater London Council (GLC) takes control of management of London Underground from London Transport Board controlling the Underground through a new
London Transport Executive (LTE).
1971Victoria line extends to
Brixton.London Underground withdraws last operational steam locomotives from service.
1975Moorgate tube crash kills 43 when a southbound Northern line (Highbury Branch) train fails to stop and crashes into the headwall of the tunnel.Piccadilly line extends from Hounslow West to
Hatton Cross.
1976Northern line (Highbury Branch) transfers to
British Rail operation.During a bombing campaign against the Underground, an
Irish Republican Army (IRA) gunman detonates a bomb on a train and kills the driver and injures a bystander while trying to escape.
1977Piccadilly line extends from Hatton Cross to Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3.
1979Jubilee line opens between Baker Street and
Charing Cross and takes over Bakerloo line service to Stanmore.
1980London Transport Museum opens in
Covent Garden.
1981GLC introduces
Fares Fair policy to reduce ticket prices by increasing London Transport subsidies from local
rates.
1982Fares Fair policy ends following legal challenge from
Bromley London Borough Council, which does not have any Underground services.Bakerloo line withdraws services between
Stonebridge Park and Watford Junction.
1983LTE introduces
Travelcard and divides network into five fare zones.
1984Bakerloo line restarts services between Stonebridge Park and Harrow & Wealdstone.
Fire at Oxford Circus guts the northbound Victoria line platform and damages adjacent northbound Bakerloo line platform.
London Regional Transport (LRT) replaces LTE, removing control of transport in London from the GLC.
1985LRT establishes its wholly owned subsidiary, London Underground Limited, to manage the Underground.
1986Piccadilly line opens Heathrow loop and
Heathrow Terminal 4.
1987Fire at King's Cross kills 31 people when a blaze breaks out in a Piccadilly line escalator.
1990Hammersmith & City line appears on the
Tube map independently of the Metropolitan line for the first time.
1991Travelcard Zone 5 split to create a new Travelcard Zone 6.
1994Waterloo & City line transfers from
British Rail to London Underground ownership.Piccadilly line's Aldwych branch closes.Central line's
Epping to Ongar section closes.
1995East London line closes for repairs to Thames Tunnel.
1998East London line reopens.
1999Jubilee line extends from
Green Park to Stratford. The section from
Green Park to Charing Cross closes.
2000Last service operates with a train guard.Transport for London (TfL), an executive body of the
Greater London Authority, is established to take over responsibility for London's transport from LRT. London Underground Limited moves to direct control by the
Department for Transport.
2002Lots Road Power Station closes.
2003TfL takes control of London Underground Limited from the Department for Transport.
Oyster card smart card ticket system begins operation.Public Private Partnership infrastructure companies Metronet and
Tube Lines take over responsibility for maintenance of underground system. Train operations remain the responsibility of TfL.A Central line train derails at
Chancery Lane when a motor falls from the underside of a carriage. Following investigations, modifications are made to all
1992 stock trains.
2005Suicide bombers detonate bombs on three tube trains and one bus, killing 52 and injuring more than 770. Two weeks later four further bombers fail when their bombs do not explode.
2006East London line closes from Shoreditch to Whitechapel.
2007East London line closes completely for conversion into part of
London Overground network.Metronet goes into administration following failures to manage the costs and programmes of its projects. TfL takes over control.
2008Piccadilly line extends to
Heathrow Terminal 5.Wood Lane station opens.
2009Construction begins on
Crossrail.Circle line extends to Hammersmith.
2010East London line reopens as part of
London Overground network.TfL takes over
Tube Lines.
2016All-night
Night Tube services begin operating on sections of some lines on Fridays and Saturdays.
