100 London Underground facts to remember for the virtual pub quiz

2020 so far has been the strangest of years. But is it the year we fell in love with quizzing? Quizzing is an important part in British culture, Pointless and The Chase dominating tea time viewing, and all you have to do is go on Twitter when somebody takes the minus offer to demonstrate how popular testing your knowledge has become. Quiz shows vary in format, prizes and ability, from tricky sequences in Only Connect, to the almost impossible on University Challenge, or testing your knowledge and practice of the penny slots on a British seaside pier in Tipping Point, everybody has their favourite and I think secretly everybody ultimately wants to appear on a quiz show, or maybe just me!

Lockdown has seen a rise in virtual pub quizzes, and it doesn't look like we have got bored of them just yet. But what is a pub quiz without a London Underground question? In this post I have rattled my brain and answer the top 100 London Underground facts to remember for the virtual pub quiz.

The classic questions
1) How many stations are there on the London Underground?
270. I have entered and exited 242 of them so far. You can follow my journey on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where I am @TubeSpottingDan

2) What percentage of the London Underground is actually Underground?
Roughly 45%. 

3) How many London Underground stations are south of the river Thames?
27 or 10%. Most of these are on the northern line.

4) Who was influential in creating the modern London Underground map?
Harry Beck. It became official in 1933.

6) Which famous celebrity was born at East Finchley station?
Jerry Springer. His mum was taking shelter during World War Two.

6) What is the only London Underground station to be named after a football club?
Arsenal. In 1932 the Arsenal chairman Herbert Chapman led a campaign to rename Gillespie Road station to Arsenal (Higbury Hill).

7) How many London Underground stations lie outside of the M25?
Five. Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chesham, Chorleywood and Epping are located outside of the orbital motorway often described as the boundary of London.

8) What do the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Lewisham, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton have in common?
Only boroughs to have no London Underground stations. Out of 32 boroughs and the City of London, that comprise the Greater London Authority, six boroughs do not have a London Underground station.

9) Which station became the first to be entirely staffed by women?
Maida Vale. When the station opened in 1915 it became the first to be staffed entirely by women.

10) The river Westbourne flows above the platforms at which station?
Sloane Square. The iron pipe that was built to funnel the river when the station was built is still in place today.

Word questions
11) What is the only London Underground station that does not include any of the letters in the word Underground?
Balham. This is my favourite fact about the tube!

12) What is the only London Underground station that does not include any of the letters in the word Mackerel?
St John's Wood. I could go on for ages about which station does not include letters in the word xxxx, but this is a classic fact.

13) Name a station that contains all of the vowels?
Mansion House or South Ealing.

14) What is the most common station name ending?
Park. 23 stations feature Park at the end of their name.

15) Which station was originally named Gillespie Road?
Arsenal. Despite many stations having different names, this is perhaps the most common change of name questions I have came across.

16) Which station was originally named Post Office?
St Paul's. When the now named St Paul's station opened the station we now know as Blackfiars was called St Paul's.

17) Which station was originally named Euston Road?
Warren Street. The station opened in 1907 as Euston Road but was changed to Warren Street in 1908.

18) Which station was originally named Walham Green?
Fulham Broadway. The station was renamed to Fulham Broadway in 1952.

19) What is the first station alphabetically?
Acton Town.

20) What is the last station alphabetically?
Woodside Park.

Which line... question
21) The Viking line was proposed for which tube line?
Victoria line. 

22) Which line is entirely Underground?
Waterloo & City line. This question is a slight trick question as all of the stations and public areas on the Victoria line is underground, however the depot and therefore some of the track is above ground at Seven Sisters.

23) Which line has the most stations?
District line. From Upminster to Ealing Broadway, there is 60 stations on the District line.

24) Which line is the longest?
Central line. From Epping to West Ruislip the Central line is 74km in length.

25) Which line is the shortest?
Waterloo & City line. At just 2.37km in length, the Waterloo & City line is the shortest. With just Bank and Waterloo as stations, the line also features the lowest number of stations.

26) Which line requires the most trains to run the peak service?
Northern line. The Northern line requires 91 trains during the peak service.

27) Which line records the hottest temperatures during the summer?
Bakerloo line. Contrary to popular belief that the Central line is the hottest, during the 2018 heatwave the Bakerloo line recorded an average temperature of 31.04C, with the Central line recording 30.47C.

28) Which line is the oldest?
Metropolitan line. Opening between Paddington and Farringdon in 1863, the Metropolitan Railway, which became the Metropolitan line, is the oldest line on the network.

29) Which line contains the longest continuous tunnel?
Northern line. From East Finchley to Mordon (via. Bank), the longest tunnel is over 17 miles long.

30) Which two lines are the only lines to connect with all of the other lines?
Central line and Jubilee line. Until the East London line closed in 2007, the only line to connect with all lines was the Jubilee line.

Year questions
31) When did the London Underground open?
1863. The first section of the network opened from Paddington to Farringdon on 10 January 1863 and was built using a 'cut and cover' method of construction.

32) When was the Oyster card introduced?
2003. The payment card that is now used for transport across London, buses, tubes, even river services, was first introduced in 2003.

33) When was alcohol banned on the London Underground?
2008. Thousands celebrated the final day you could drink on the tube by hosting a party on the Circle line.

34) When was steam last used on the London Underground?
1961. The final steam services ran from Rickmansworth to Aylesbury until 1961. The line was then electrified from Rickmansworth to Amersham, and services onto Aylesbury were transferred to British Rail.

35) What year did Hannah Dadds become the first female tube driver?
1978. Hannah Dadds worked on the District line and her sister Edna also drove trains on the tube.

36) In what year did the latest station open on the network?
2008. Wood Lane opened in October 2008 and is located near to former station that closed in 1959.

37) When did 'Night Tube' services first start?
2016. Services on the Central and Victoria lines began on 19 August 2016.

38) The Jubilee line, that comprises of former Bakerloo and Metropolitan line track and new tunnels, opened in which year?
1979. The latest line to join the network opened to the public on 1 May 1979.

39) Although the stations opened between 1863 and 1902 as part of the Metropolitan Railway, when did the Hammersmith & City open as a separate line?
1990. The line features 29 stations.

40) The Waterloo & City Railway opened in 1898, however when did the operations of the line transfer to London Underground?
1994. The line shares the same stock of trains as the Central line.

Escalator questions
41) Where was the first escalator installed?
Earl's Court. In 1911 the first escalator on the London Underground was installed at Earl's Court.

42) Each week escalators on the London Underground travel the equivalent distance of how many trips round the world?
Two.

43) Which was the last station to use wooden escalators?
Greenford. In 2014 the wooden escalators were replaced in 2014 and Greenford became the first station in 2015 to install an inclinator.

44) Where is the longest escalator on the network?
Angel. It is over 60m long!

45) Where is the shortest escalator on the network
Stratford. It is one of just two stations to feature escalators that go up from street-level to an underground platform.

46) Where did they trial a spiral escalator?
Holloway Road. The remains of the trial can be found at the Transport Museum Depot in Acton.

47) Which station has the most escalators?
Waterloo. With an impressive 23.

48) How many moving walkways are there on the network?
4. Two are at Bank and two are at Waterloo.

49) How many escalators are there on the network?
451.

50) How many passenger lifts are there across the network?
202. 

The tube and pubs
51) Name a London Underground station named after a pub?
Angel, Elephant & Castle, Manor House, Royal Oak or Swiss Cottage

52) What is the only London Underground station to feature a pub attached to the building?
Kew Gardens. The Railway pub was renamed The Tap on the Line in 2013.

53) The tiles on the platform of which Victoria line station were inspired by a pub?
Stockwell. The tile motif features a swan after the nearby The Swan pub.

54) Which former station building is now 'Market Hall' where you can purchase a beer from a former ticket booth?
Fulham Broadway. The refurbished former station building reopened in 2018.

55) The Hole in the Wall pub closed in 1985, but where would you find it?
Sloane Square. A pub was located on the westbound platform at Sloane Square.

Station architecture
56) Who designed the station buildings of Arnos Grove, Cockfosters and Southgate?
Charles Holden. Holden designed 47 stations across the network, 26 on the Piccadilly line.

57) Who designed the station buildings of Belsize Park, Caledonian Road and Covent Garden?
Leslie Green. Green designed 45 stations on the Underground, 18 on the Piccadilly line.

58) Who financed the different tile patterns of central London Northern and Piccadilly line stations?
Charles Yerkes. The American financier financed the different station colour patterns to help literate passengers.

59) What colour tiles did Leslie Green use in his station building designs?
Red. The red tiled facades became synonymous with the London Underground.

60) Who designed Boston Manor, Osterley and St. John's Wood?
Stanley Heaps. Heaps worked with Green and later Holden, but he had his own influence across the network.

Roundels
61) Where will you find the largest roundels on a station platform?
Canary Wharf. A YouGov survey in 2013 revealed Canary Wharf as the 'most loved'.

62) Where will you find the largest roundel anywhere on the network?
Brixton. The roundel at the entrance of Brixton station is the largest anywhere on the London Underground networks.

63) Name a station that does not feature roundels on the platforms?
Barking, Richmond, Upminster and Wimbledon. These stations are not operated by Transport for London.

64) Where was the first roundel installed?
St James's Park. The first roundel was installed in 1908.

65) Where is the only place on the network you would find a roundel that breaks the pattern rule regarding diamonds?
Arsenal. The diamonds above and below the letters fall in between each letter, except on the mosaic at Arsenal station where the diamonds are spread evenly out.

Passenger usage
66) Which station is the busiest?
King's Cross St. Pancras. With just under 90 million passengers in 2018.

67) Which station is the least used on the London Underground?
Roding Valley. The Central line station received around 280,000 passengers in 2018.

68) What is the most used station that is on just one line?
Canary Wharf. Just under 45 million people used Canary Wharf in 2018.

69) What is the least used Zone 1 station?
Regents Park. 3.7 million people used the Bakerloo line station in 2018, the second least used station in Zone 1 is Lambeth North.

70) Which line is the busiest?
Central line. With over 260 million annual passengers, the Central line is the busiest, followed by the Northern.

Longest and shortest
71) What is the shortest distance between two adjacent stations on the network?
260m. Leicester Square and Covent Garden are connected by the Piccadilly line.

72) And how much does this journey cost per mile?
£29.81. A staggering £100,000 is spent each year by people taking this short journey by train.

73) Which two stations are the closest on the network?
Bayswater and Queensway. Although on separate lines, Bayswater and Queensway are less than 100m apart.

74) Which two adjacent stations are furthest apart?
Chesham and Chalfont & Latimer. The two stations are nearly four miles apart!

75) What is the longest possible journey?
Epping to West Ruislip. The journey on the Central line takes you over 34 miles of track.

Height
76) Which station is the deepest?
Hampstead. The Northern line station is 58.5 meters deep

77) Which station has the most steps?
Hampstead. Being the deepest it is no surprise that with 320 steps, Hampstead features more than any other station.

78) Which station is the highest above sea level?
Amersham. The Metropolitan line station is 147 meters above sea level

79) What is significant about the Dollis Brook Viaduct?
The highest point above ground a tube train travels. The Dollis Brook Viaduct is 18 meters high.

80) According to signage, the 193 steps at Covent Garden are equivalent to how many floors in a building?
Fifteen. Although this fact crops up at Russell Square and Hampstead despite having 175 and 320 steps respectively.

Large stations
81) Which station features the most platforms?
Baker Street. With 10 platforms Baker Street has more platforms than any other station. Note Bank and Monument are classed as two separate stations.

82) Which station is served by the most London Underground lines?
King's Cross St. Pancras. The Zone 1 station is served by six lines - Circle line, Hammersmith & City line, Metropolitan line, Northern line, Piccadilly line and Victoria line.

83) True or False? You can fit One Canada Square inside Canary Wharf station?
True. The station is so big that you could fit the 235 meter building on its side.

84) The construction of the expansion of which station is the deepest excavation ever in central London?
Westminster. A void known as the 'station box' was constructed to accommodate escalators to take passengers from the new Jubilee line platforms to the sub-surface platforms.

85) In 2003 which station was used for a disaster training exercise named Exercise Osiris?
Bank. The exercise involved over 500 emergency response staff.

Rolling stock
86) Which current rolling stock is the oldest?
1972 Stock - Bakerloo line. The Bakerloo line trains are the oldest on the network.

87) Which current rolling stock was introduced most recently?
S7 Stock. The S8 Stock was first introduced on the Metropolitan line in July 2010, with the S7 being used on the Hammersmith & City line in July 2012.

88) Which is the most recent stock to be removed from the network?
D78 Stock. The last D78 Stock train exited service on 21 April 2017 after serving the District line for 37 years.

89) Which four landmarks feature on the moquette of the 1992, 1995 and 1996 Stock trains?
Tower Bridge, Big Ben, London Eye and St Paul's Cathedral. The Barman mosquette, named after TfL's Publicity Officer Christian Barman, is a famous design across London.

90) Which stock became the first to use air-conditioning?
S8 Stock. When introduced in July 2010, the S8 Stock became the first to use air-conditioning ever on the tube.

10 more classic questions
91) Which station that is underground is the only to have sub-surface and deep-level platforms at the same level?
Mile End. The Central line and District/Hammersmith & City line stations uniquely share a cross-platform interchange, taking inspiration from the Moscow metro.

92) Which station has the largest car park?
Epping. With 599 spaces.

93) Which line features the most stations with no station building?
Central line. Bank, Bethnal Green, Chancery Lane, Gants Hill and Notting Hill Gate stations have no station building.

94) Which station is the easternmost to be entirely underground?
Gants Hill. Prior to opening in 1947, this part of the Central line was used as a munitions factory.

95) The tiles at which station are inspired by a nearby Cricket ground?
Oval. Added in 2008, the tiles at Oval station bring a uniqueness to the station.

96) How many London Underground stations feature on the standard monopoly board?
Three. Liverpool Street, King's Cross and Marylebone.

97) Which London Overground station was planned to be the eastern terminus of the Victoria line?
Wood Street. Had the Victoria line of been constructed to Wood Street, it would have been the only station on the line to be above ground.

98) Which station is furthest from central London?
Chesham. The station is 25 miles away from Charing Cross.

99) What is the only station to have Grade 1 listed status?
St. James's Park. The station includes 55 Broadway, the administrative headquarters of the London Underground.

100) Where can you find mosaics dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock?
Leytonstone. The approach to Leytonstone station features many mosaics based on Alfred Hitchcock's works. The mosaics were revealed in 2001.

There you have it. 100 facts that may come up on your next pub quiz. Have I missed any classic facts or pub quiz questions? What is your favourite London Underground? You can get involved by commenting below or following me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook where I am @TubeSpottingDan

Virtual tour of the Piccadilly line

It is now June and we are three months in to major changes to life in the UK. Now the football season should have been all but over I usually find myself spending much of my free time in the summer months travelling to different parts of London and the UK by tube, rail and other forms of public transport. Going on a summer rail adventure would usually bring joy to millions of people in the UK, however, this summer we must resist these urges and continue to avoid public transport unless it is absolutely necessary. Join me today on a virtual tour of one of my favourite London Underground lines, the Piccadilly line.

Spanning over 70km and featuring 53 stations, the Piccadilly line is both the second-longest tube line and the line that features the second-most stations, being second to the Central and District line respectively. The line is served by the 1973 Stock, the second oldest behind the 1972 Stock of the Bakerloo line, and despite the units charm the line is in desperate need of new trains. In July 2017 I wrote that the 1972 and 1973 Stocks "from the inside look decades apart", however major refurbishments of the Bakerloo line units have since taken place. My favourite aspect of the 1973 Stock is that since 2006 the units were fitted with a system that allows the driver to chose between tourist or commuter settings for audio announcements.

Whilst the Piccadilly line serves many tourist attractions (Buckingham Palace, the Museums at South Kensington and Covent Garden) and transport hubs for visitors (King's Cross, St Pancras and Heathrow Airport) I start this virtual journey in zone 5 at a station that's name often brings a smile to somebody's face, you guessed it, Cockfosters. With just under 2 million annual passengers, Cockfosters is the least used terminus on the Piccadilly line, however, is well worth a visit. Cockfosters is one of the many stations to be designed by Charles Holden, a name that will pop multiple times throughout this virtual tour. Holden designed 47 stations on the London Underground, 26 of which are on the Piccadilly line.

Cockfosters to Finsbury Park

This section of the Piccadilly line north of Finsbury Park opened gradually between September 1932 and July 1933. All of these stations feature their own unique colour schemes a nod to the earlier central London stations on the line that feature their own tile patterns to help illiterate passengers know which station to alight at their stop. There are some fantastic stations on this section of the Piccadilly line that I recommend visiting once it is safe to do so.

In July 2018 to celebrate England reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup, oh what could have been, I visited Southgate station. A few days after I visited the station temporarily changed its name on the platform roundels and exterior roundels to 'Gareth Southgate' recognising the England manger's achievements. In my opinion, the exterior of Southgate station is Charles Holden's finest. The impressive circular flat roof is supported by a central column in the ticket hall and the top of the building features a tesla coil that is well worth visiting lit up in the evening. Soutgate is an example of Holden not only designing fantastic looking stations, but stations with commercial potential. The circular design of the station allows for shops, offices and public toilets. Southgate is also the northern most station on the network to feature under ground platforms. For more facts about this fantastic station check out my post from July 2018.

Although I personally think Southgate is Holden's finest, many regard his best to be Arnos Grove. Also circular in design, the exterior clearly combines brick, concrete and glass, materials Holden used across many tube stations. The centre of the ticket hall features a display dedicated to the works of Holden and it is no surprise that in 2007 The Guardian highlighted Arnos Grove as of the 12 'Great Modern' buildings alongside the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Sydney Opera House and New York's Empire State Building.

Arsenal to Caledonian Road

This section can be busy on Arsenal match days. Finsbury Park, Arsenal and Holloway Road are affected as 60,000 people arrive and exit The Emirates Stadium. Holloway Road station, the closest to the ground, closes on event days before kick off and after kick off to avoid huge queues along Holloway Road. A trial spiral escalator was erected at Holloway Road in the 1900s, however it was not successful. The remains of this escalator can be found at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton. 

Arsenal station is rather unique. All classic London Underground logos feature the diamonds above and below the letters fall in between each letter, except on the mosaic at Arsenal station where the diamonds are spread evenly out. When Arsenal Football Club moved from Woolwich to north London in 1913 the now Arsenal station was called Gillespie Road. In 1932 the Arsenal Chairman, Herbert Chapman, led a campaign to change the name of the station to Arsenal (Highbury Hill), meaning that the station is the only London Underground station to be named after a football club. The tiling on the platform walls still read Gillespie Road. 

Caledonian Road station is a classic example of Leslie Green influence on the tube and in particular the Piccadilly line. Green designed 45 stations on the London Underground, 18 on the Piccadilly, and the stations were often unique in design with distinctive red tiled facades. This design is so synonymous with the London Underground that the fictional Walford East station in EastEnders is inspired by Green's design. 

The West End
This section includes the stations between King's Cross St. Pancras and Hyde Park Corner. King's Cross St. Pancras is a big and busy station that includes sub-surface platforms and deep-level platforms for the Victoria line, Northern line and Piccadilly line. On 18 November 1987 a small fire was reported on the escalator taking passengers from the Northern and Piccadilly lines, unfortunately the fire escalated to a fireball and set the ticket hall on fire. 31 people lost their lives in the incident and a memorial is in place in the ticket hall for the deep-level platforms.

Many of the stations on the central core feature the distinctive platform tiling works to assist passengers using the railway that were illiterate. I also cannot discuss the Piccadilly line without mentioning its many now disused and abandoned stations. The most famous is Aldwych, a single station branch line from Holborn, however there were plans to extend this to Temple. Alwych, or Strand as it was originally named, closed in 1994 but has been used as film set for films such as Darkest Hour, The Bank Job and The Krays. When navigating Holborn station today, it may feel like you are going up and down a lot. That is because you are walking around and over the now abandoned platforms for that shuttle down to Aldwych.


Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations are famously close. At a distance of just 260m, they are the closest of two adjacent stations on the network, and it cost £29.81 a mile to complete this journey. Last year travel vloggers Geoff Marshall and Vicky Pipe put this journey to the test and concluded that if you are at Leicester Square from a Northern line train it is still quicker to exit the station and walk to Covent Garden than walk to the Piccadilly platforms, board a train and exit Covent Garden. As a station often used by tourists, Covent Garden is infamous for long waits for the lifts, or brave passengers can test themselves climbing 193 steps or 15 floors. You will see equivalent to 15 floors or storeys across the tube whether its 193 steps at Covent Garden, 175 steps at Russell Square or 320 steps at Hampstead. Geoff did the maths at Covent Garden is equivalent to between 10 or 11 floors.

Most of favourite stations are actually out of Zone 1, however I admire the circular concourse and ticket hall underneath Piccadilly Circus. Whilst here it is worth checking out the world clock, a unique linear clock showing the time across the globe.  Between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner there is another abandoned station, Down Street. The station opened in 1907 but due to being located in a wealthy area where car ownership was high, and close to both Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations, Down Street was never well used. Within two years it was not uncommon for trains to skip the station, it lost its Sunday service in 1918 and finally closed in 1932. Down Street did reopeon in 1939 for a different purpose, the Railway Executive Committee's secret bunker to oversee operations of Britain's railways, and was used to house the Cabinet War Rooms before they were ready in Whitehall. 

Knightsbridge to Acton Town
Knightsbridge station is currently undergoing major station upgrades that were due to be completed in 2021. The station is located in a busy and popular fashion district, with Harrords drawing in 100,000 people per day. Harrods opened in 1849 and until March 2020 never had to close, the store even stayed open throughout First and Second World Wars. The next station west of Knightsbridge, South Kensington, is a classic example of how the London Underground network grew out individual railways. Today you can clearly see the Leslie Green inspired deep-tube entrance adjacent to the sub-surface entrance that opened many years prior.

When I said most of my favourite stations are not in Zone 1 that is true except Westminster and the next station on the Piccadilly line tour, Gloucester Road. In July 2017 when I listed my favourite 10 stations, Gloucester Road came third. The now abandoned sub-surface platform now often displays unique Art on the Underground exhibits, and who could forget the egg inspired display from 2018? The Metro described Gloucester Road as "if there's a Tube station that could double for a church, it's Gloucester Road, which has a serenity you won't find elsewhere on the network". I could not describe the station any better than that!

After emerging from the tunnels after Earl's Court, the Piccadilly line runs in parallel with the District line until Acton Town. Between these stations the Picaddilly line trains do not stop at Ravenscourt Park, Stamford Brook, Chiswick Park and only stops at Turnham Green during Night Tube hours, or really early in the morning or late at night. These stations that the Piccadilly line rushes through will be covered when I do a tour of the District line as they are well worth a mention.

Uxbridge branch
At Acton Central the Piccadilly line splits and heads south west to Heathrow Airport or north west through Brent and joins the Metropolitan line at Rayners Lane to travel out to Uxbridge. Two of my favourite stations are on this branch; North Ealing and Sudbury Town. North Ealing is the built in a unique style and has a calmness unlike any Zone 3 station. The station reminds me of Roding Valley on the Central line, the least used station on the entire network. North Ealing is the fourth least used station on the London Underground network and the least used on the Piccadilly line.



Sudbury Town is unique. It is the only station on the network to have a barometer and the roundels on the platforms use a Johnston Delf Smith font, a wedge-serief version of the classic Johnston font. The station still retains its original ticket booth, heritage signs and a wonderful waiting room, all situated within the classic concrete of Holden's designed building. Just 350m away is Sudbury & Harrow Road station, London's former least used railway station. 



From Rayners Lane the Piccadilly line shares the track with the Metropolitan line. This branch is served by more Metropolitan line trains than Piccadilly line services so will be featured on a future post about the Metropolitan line. The terminus at Uxbridge however, is worth a mention on a tour of the Piccadilly line as it was also designed by Charles Holden and is similar to Cockfosters where we started this journey. With over 7.5 million annual users, Uxbridge is the most used Zone 6 station on the network. 

Heathrow branch
The final section of the Piccadilly line from South Ealing to Heathrow Airport is one of the most interesting aspects of the network, especially the stations in Hounslow. The area is now served by four stations, three stations have been relocated; Osterley, Hounslow East and Hounslow West. I wrote a piece explaining all the changes in the area three years ago - check it out here.


The Piccadilly line extended out to Hatton Cross in 1975. The station is built in brutalist design and interchanges with a busy bus station. When the station opened it was the closest to Heathrow, this is reflected in the tiling on the central support columns that feature the British Airways Speedbird logo. The line was then extended to Heathrow Central, which is now named Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, in 1977.



Heathrow Terminal 4 station opened in 1998 and features two platforms; one for the Heathrow Express and one singular platform for the Piccadilly line. The station at Heathrow Terminal 5 opened in 2008 and unlike the other two stations that serve the airport is entirely staffed by Heathrow Express staff. To facilitate travel between the terminals, since 2012 it is free to travel between the three stations and via. Hatton Cross if you need to access Terminal 4.


There we go, a whilst stop tour of 71km of track and the highlights of 53 stations. With iconic buildings from Charles Holden and Leslie Green there is more to the Piccadilly line than you may think. I will revisit the disused stations on the line in a future blog post and despite needing new stock, the Piccadilly line remains one of my favourite lines with some of my favourite stations. 

150 years of Blackfriars, Embankment and Temple stations

Today marks the 150th Birthday of three zone-1 stations. On 30th May 1870 the Metropolitan District Railway extended their route from Westminster to Blackfriars, with stations in between at Embankment and Temple. The construction of this section of the railway was in conjunction with the building of the Victoria Embankment. Now served by the Circle and District lines, these three stations are busy stations used by commuters and tourists alike. Embankment station also joined deep level railways of the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway in 1906 and the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway in 1914, now part of the Bakerloo and Northern lines respectively.

Embankment

The first station east of the former Metropolitan District Railway (DR) terminus of Westminster is Embankment. When the new DR station opened in May 1870 it was the closest underground station to Charing Cross mainline railway station, which opened in 1864 and to this day links central London to many areas of the South East of England. Due to this proximity, the new DR station we know today as Embankment opened as Charing Cross. In 1906 the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (BS&WR) opened its deep-level tube line and named its station as Embankment despite the platforms being almost directly below the DR platforms.

The naming of the now Embankment station as Charing Cross back in 1870 became confusing when the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), now part of the Northern line, terminated at a station which at the time was called, you guessed it, Charing Cross. The CCE&HR station called Charing Cross is now the station we know today as Charing Cross. When the CCE&HR extended south to connect with the BS&WR Embankment station in 1914 a new station was built to accommodate both the deep-tube lines and this was called Embankment (Charing Cross), but the DR sub-surface station was still called Charing Cross. Things finally became clearer in 1974 when the complex with the now District and Circle lines, Bakerloo and Northern lines became named Embankment. This was also the year that the separate Trafalgar Square Bakerloo line station and Charing Cross northern line station merged to form one station complex under the name Charing Cross. 

I cannot talk about Embankment station without mentioning Oswald Lawrence and Dr Margaret McCollum. Oswald Lawrence is one of the voices behind the famous "mind the gap" announcements that has become synonymous around the world. Oswald's announcement was used on the northern line, but like most things, was gradually replaced or removed, Embankment was the last station to continue using his voice until 2012. Oswald died in 2007, however, when his widow noticed her husbands voice was not being used at Embankment she inquired if Transport for London could provide her with a recording. TfL not only provided a recording but were able to upload the old 40 year old recording to the new system. Once restrictions have been lifted regarding COVID-19 and you visit Embankment station you will now here Oswald Lawrence's voice. 

Temple

The next station travelling east to open on 30th May 1870 is Temple, or as it was called at the time, The Temple. The station name takes its name from the nearby Temple Church, built by the Knights Templar in 1185. The church is believed to be on the site of a former Roman Temple of Londinium. It is also thought that the definite article was rarely used and it is therefore difficult to find a date that the station became Temple as it is known today.

There were plans in the 20th Century for the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway, which is now the Piccadilly line, to extend from Holborn to Temple via. Strand. The only part of this that opened was the branch to Strand, or Aldwych as it was named in 1915, however the branch closed in 1994. Today on the station building you can find a map preserved from 1932 that displays the message "an up-to-date Journey Planner is located inside the station". 

Blackfriars

The final station that has its 150th Birthday today is Blackfriars. When the station opened in 1870 it was named St Paul's, however, this was renamed to Blackfriars in 1937 to avoid confusion with the Central London Railway's station that is closer to St Paul's Cathedral. The Central London Railway station opened in July 1900 as Post Office due to the nearby headquarters of the General Post Office. The mainline station that we know today as Blackfriars opened in 1886 and was also named St Paul's. In 2009 both the underground and mainline stations underwent major refurbishments that were completed in 2012. 

The three stations by being located close to the West End and the river Thames, as well as proximity to office buildings, mean in the 21st Century they are busy for commuting and tourists. 150 years on, the London Underground is currently perhaps more familiar to life as it was constructed, due to amazing heritage preservation, than 2019. As London shut down in spring 2020, Temple station was one of the many stations to temporarily close in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Visiting 'that' station - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Earlier in the year I visited the station that almost everybody in the UK knows but has probably never visited. By travelling to the Isle of Anglesey I ticked off two major things from my bucket list; visiting Wales and a railway station I have always wanted to visit. Whether it is TV weatherman Liam Dutton nailing the village during a weather report in 2015, the numerous times it has cropped up in Buzz Feed style videos - American's try pronounce Welsh place names, or from a general knowledge pub quiz, the station Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is famous throughout the UK and the world, but is it for the correct reason? 

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a village on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales with a population of over 3,000. The village has a railway station that is on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead. With the name of the village being 58 characters in length, not only is it the longest place name in the world, it is the longest railway station name in the world, right?

Well, that is what most people and online articles will make you believe. According to the Guinness World Records, the longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhen in New Zealand. The place that locals have shortened to Taumata does not have a railway station, so the famous station in Wales still takes the record for the worlds longest railway station name, surely? 

If you try to book a ticket to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch online it will come up with an error message saying 'no search results'. That is because there is no such railway station named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, it is actually named Llanfairpwll. Llanfairpwll is not the longest station name in the world, it is not even the longest station name in the UK. The longest station name in the UK is also in Wales, but not as difficult to pronounce as Llanfairpwll and so on, Rhoose Cardiff International Airport.

As for the longest railway station name in the world an article in the Indian Express says a station in Chennai has missed out on the title of the longest station name by just one letter. The station called Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central is 57 letters in length, but the article incorrectly names Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch as the worlds largest station. If you are reading this from Chennai trying to squeeze two more letters into the station name, there is no need.

So where did this incorrect fact come from? According to the Welsh-language poet Sir John Morris-Jones the name was created by a local tailor as a publicity stunt in the Victorian era to encourage tourists to the longest railway station in the country when it opened in 1869. It is believed only Sir John Morris-Jones knew the name of the tailor and unfortunately their name has remained a secret ever since. The translation into English has been some debate, so I will go along with the James Pringle Weavers shop that translate the name as 'St Marys Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave'.

It is amazing in the 21st Century that a 19th Century publicity stunt is still drawing in tourists. Although Llanfairpwll is a request stop, it was certainly not quiet on my visit. I was not the only person to get off the train and when I left the village two couples got on the train to Birmingham International and two individuals joined me on the train to Crewe. I had planned to spend a nice day in the village, go for a walk, have a pint and lunch in a local pub, however, it say it chucked it down would be an understatement.

I did manage to visit the James Pringle Weavers shop. It is an amazing shop, you could buy anything in there, clothes, food, gifts, toys, anything! I had a walk up and down a wet Holyhead Road and learned that over 70% of people in the village can speak Welsh. I also learned that Rocketman star Taron Egerton went to school in the village. Once we return to some sort of normality I highly recommend a visit to the Isle of Anglesey and of course a visit to the famous station, even if it is not officially the longest station name in the world! 

20 years of Tramlink

Today marks 20 years of Tramlink. I had planned to spend the bank holiday weekend travelling around south London when I penciled in key transport related dates in 2020 back in January . If there is one transport related activity I want to do when it is safe and practical to do so, travelling on the trams is high up there. Similar to a challenge I completed in February on the DLR, I would like to try and visit all Tramlink stops as quickly as possible.

The Tramlink network is comprised of 39 stations that are all located in south London. After timetable restructuring in February 2018 there are now 3 routes that catered for over 28 million passengers in 2018/19. The 28km of track serves Croydon and surrounding areas in south London including Wimbledon, Bromley and Sutton.

Route 3 between Croydon and New Addington opened on 10 May 2000 and became the first tram system in London since 1952. Route 2 from Croydon to Beckenham Junction opened on 23 May 2000 and route 1 from Elmers End to Wimbledon opened on 30 May 2000. In June 2012 route 4 opened from Elmers End to Therapia Lane, and onto Wimbledon in 2016. Most of the Tramlink network is comprised of former National Rail lines including the Addiscombe line, Crystal Palace line and West Croydon to Wimbledon line. Part of the former West Croydon to Wimbledon line that is now on the Tramlink network opened in 1802 as the Surrey Iron Railway, a horse-drawn railway that was one of the first public railways in the world.


Transport for London purchased Tramlink in 2008. Prior to this, the network was known as Croydon Tramlink and served by trams with a red and white livery. TfL introduced the green, blue and white livery we know today and the Tramlink first appeared on the tube map in June 2016. BBC News reader, and Tram enthusiast, Nicholas Owen is the voice for the onboard announcements.

With just 62,000 passengers in 2017 Avenue Road is the least used tram stop on the Tramlink network. The next 3 least used stops on the network, like Avenue Road, are located on the route to Beckenham Junction. The Tramlink is the fourth busiest light rail network in the UK behind the DLR, Metrolink in Manchester and the Tyne & Wear Metro. At Addington Village tram stop the buses from the nearby bus station have been scheduled to complement the tram services.

Have you ridden the Tramlink? What is your favourite aspect? Please comment below or join the conversation on Twitter or Instagram where I am @TubespottingDan At the start of this post I said I would like to attempt visiting all 39 stops as quickly as possible. According to explorerticket.co.uk the current fastest time is 1 hour, 35 minutes and 15 seconds.

VE Day - London Underground during World War Two

Today marks Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as VE Day, and recognises the acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's surrender on 8 May 1945. This year marks 75 years since the celebrations across Europe and the first UK May bank holiday was moved to today to signify the occasion. Street parties were encouraged across the country, a Battle of Britain memorial flight planned over Buckingham Palace and an exhibition was due to be set up in St James's Park. As we are currently going through the most unprecedented times in decades, it is as important now as ever to remember what life was like during a global war.

The London Underground, similar to during this current crisis, played an important role during World War Two. The tube has currently modified which services and stations are open to facilitate social distancing, whilst running services for key workers. During World War Two the Underground was used by many as shelter during the Blitz, munitions factories and was even used by the government to host the war cabinet. A lot of lives were also lost on the London Underground network and when things go back to normal there are many things that you should look out for on your tube journeys to signify the London Underground during World War Two.

Air Raid Shelters

Starting in September, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goring ordered a new policy, the bombing of the UK's capital, port cities and industrial cities. Many towns and cities suffered during these aerial attacks, but in London over 20,000 people died and over a million houses were destroyed or damaged. From 7 September 1940 the Luftwaffe carried out bombings on 56 of the next 57 days or nights. By October, the Luftwaffe carried out more nighttime raids to avoid RAF attacks, and they became known as the Blitz, German for lightning, by the British press. The Blitz lasted for over 8 months and ended in May 1941. The London Underground provided shelter for 1000s during the aerial attacks.

World War Two was not the first time London used its underground transport network for shelter during aerial attacks. German airships known as Zeppelins carried out over 50 attacks across Britain, but the UK and London were ill prepared for this. According to the Imperial War Museum over 300,000 people unofficially sheltered in the London Underground, which is double the amount of people who needed shelter at the height of the Blitz. Between the wars, the government  actively discourage Londoners using the tube for shelter in any future aerial attacks.

Liverpool Street

On the second night of bombings on 8 September 1940 many people living in the East End sought shelter at Liverpool Street. Although illegal, station staff opened the gates to people without tickets, however some reports suggest troops and staff initially turned people away. It is believed that the events at Liverpool Street saw the government make a u-turn about the use of the tube as shelter and the station became a principal shelter during the Blitz.

Aldwych and Holborn

The now closed Aldwych station played an important role in both wars. The station was the only station on a branch from Holborn and was closed to trains from 22 September 1940 to June 1946. Aldwych and Holborn were used as an air raid shelter by Westminster City Council, demonstrating how quickly plans to discourage the network for shelter were scrapped. A section of the tunnel between Aldwych and Holborn was converted during the first World War as a shelter for the war cabinet, and never reopened. During World War Two this section was used to house exhibits from the British Museum.

Balham

On the evening of 14 October 1940 a bomb created a crater in the road above the northern end of the platforms at Balham station. The bomb created a large crater that a bus crashed in and lead to the collapse of the tunnel at the northbound platform and a flood due to burst water mains. Over 60 people died as a result of the bomb and a plaque has been in place at the station since 2000. The plaque that is now at the station is the third as some sources say 66 people lost their lives and some say 68, so the plaque now in place does not state a number.

Sloane Square

Sloane Square station opened in 1868 by the District Railway, however, by the 1930s the station needed upgrading as part of the New Works Scheme. The works were completed in March 1940, including a new station building and the first escalators of their kind at a sub-surface station. On 12 November 1940 a bomb heavily destroyed the station building and killed over 35 people who were mostly travelling on a train that was leaving the station. 

Bethnal Green Tube Disaster of 1943

The biggest loss of civilian life in the UK during World War Two did not happen during the Blitz. A heavy RAF raid on Berlin in early March lead to many sheltering in Air Raid Shelters to preempt any retaliation air attacks. On the night of 3 March 1943 air-raid sirens sounded out across East London and many, as they did during the Blitz, headed to the unopened Bethnal Green station. Although eye witnesses say an orderly flow of people entered the station, unfortunately a woman and child fell over on the stairs which caused many others to fall. 173 people lost their lives in this disaster. A memorial plaque has been installed on the south-eastern staircase. In 2017 a more public memorial was installed in Bethnal Green Garden called the Stairway to Heaven. 

Central line extension in East London

Before the start of World War Two the Central line ran from Liverpool Street to Ealing Broadway. Prior to the war, the Central line was being extended further in the east of London with substantial tunneling work and fitting out of stations taking place. Works on the extension were holted in June 1940.  The unopened tunnels from Leytonstone to Newbury Park were used by the Plessey Company as factory for aircraft components that employed 2,000 people. Out west, the unopened Ruislip depot was converted as a factory making anti-aircraft guns. Both the eastern and western extensions of the Central line were completed by the 1950s. 

Making use of a former station - Down Street

Located in Mayfair and opening in 1907, Down Street station is on the now named Piccadilly line and is located between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. The station was rarely used as it served predominantly residential area and both Green Park (at the time was called Dover Street) and Hyde Park Corner stations are just 500 metres away. Within just two years some trains skipped the station altogether and by 1918 it lost a Sunday service. The station was finally closed in 1932, however, it would reopen in 1939 for a different purpose.

Down Street station was a perfect location for a secret bunker; a closed and forgotten about deep-level station, close to central London and the government and able to house telephone connections. The station was fitted out in 1939 and was mainly used by the Railway Executive Committee throughout the war to oversee the operations and logistics of Britain's railways. It is thought that Winston Churchill used Down Street to house the war cabinet before the Cabinet War Rooms were ready underneath Whitehall, although there is some debate as to whether Churchill ever visited or slept at Down Street. 

Many lives were lost on the London Underground network during World War Two. For a more compressive list of these events and analysis of casualty and fatality figures, I highly recommend Nick Cooper's blog. I often conclude my posts with a fun fact or an invitation to my social media pages, however, today I just ask that you pause to reflect upon the lives lost and how life changed during World War Two.