Today's London Underground

Reiss O'Neill

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Transport
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781473869523
• Topic: Technik & Maschinenbau
• Subtopic: Eisenbahnverkehr

The Underground network in London has always held a fascination for historians and transport enthusiasts, from the early days of the steam operated system in the 1860s. Today's London Underground covers the network as it is today, with features on the different lines across the capital and the modern day rolling stock in use, which serve London. The book covers all aspects of operation in pictures and text, with features on depots, stations, infrastructure and servicing facilities.

Chapter 1

Metropolitan Line

Eastcote is one of the many of Charles Holden’s classic art deco stations from the 1930s situated on the Uxbridge branch, with A Stock 5024 at the rear of this departing train to Uxbridge. Charles Holden’s design work is often recognisable from the basic drum or box shape surface buildings and platform furniture made out of concrete: however, basic as they are, they still look just as modern and pleasing to look at all these years later, defying the true age of the stations. The Metropolitan Railway reached here when the line was extended from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Uxbridge in 1904, only having one intermediate station at Ruislip, with Eastcote station opening two years later on 26 May 1906. This branch was also served by the District Railway from 1910 but was transferred to the Piccadilly Line in 1933 when it was extended westwards from South Harrow. (Sunday 7 October 2007)

Although it is no longer physically a part of the Metropolitan Line or the Underground network, the East London Line was opened and for many years had been operated by the Metropolitan Line and used its rolling stock. At one time, it ran through services to the line via Aldgate East using a spur off the District Line called St Mary’s Curve, just before the District Line enters the open at Whitechapel. At New Cross, A Stock 5113 departs on the rear of this Whitechapel train. Shoreditch was the East London Line’s terminus but the line only went as far as Whitechapel in off-peak periods. This picture was taken a few weeks before the line closed as an Underground line for refurbishment to become incorporated into the newly created successful London Overground network. The A Stock was first introduced to the line in 1977 replacing four car 1938 Tube Stock units off the Bakerloo Line and over the years the line has used a very varied range of old and new District and Metropolitan Line rolling stocks. (Saturday 15 December 2007)

At Dollis Hill, under the watchful eye of the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in the background, a Baker Street-bound train of A Stock lead by 5094 rattles past at speed, on its uphill slog as far as Kilburn, with a train of Jubilee Line 1996 Tube Stock and a Chiltern DMU bound for Marylebone in pursuit. Besides the District and Piccadilly lines between Hammersmith and Acton Town running a stopping and non-stop service, the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines here are the only other lines that run in a similar manner between Finchley Road and Wembley Park, although the Metropolitan Line runs stopping and non-stopping trains north of Wembley Park to Amersham/Chesham, Uxbridge and Watford. (Thursday 8 October 2009)

With the rebuilding of nearby Wembley Stadium, Wembley Park station, which was previously rebuilt in 1925 and 1948, had to be rebuilt further with a new entrance to the side also being built, allowing this station to be able to cope better with the huge amounts of passengers who use the station during event times. A Stock 5106 leads a ‘Fast Amersham’ train into the station, and has offered a faster journey between Finchley Road and here for those who did not want to take the all-stations Jubilee Line. Note that the brick bridge across the tracks seen in the foreground has been retained and shows some design work from the previous architecture, dating from 1948. (Saturday 31 July 2010)

With the upgrade of the Metropolitan Line and the receipt of new rolling stock, London Underground with the new timetable, decided to run through trains all day to and from Chesham off the Mainline, to give passengers from Chesham a train service at similar intervals as Amersham. With the introduction of the new S Stock being one whole train and not two four-car units coupled together as with the A Stock, the Chesham branch could no longer be ran as a four-car shuttle service with new rolling stock. Here we see unit 5090 arriving back at the now disused Chalfont & Latimer bay platform on the last day of the shuttle. It is a shame London Underground could not keep a few four-car units of A Stock and run the Chesham branch as a heritage line, or even use a steam locomotive with some old coaches. The local Mayor also rode on a journey and issued a special ticket to commemorate its withdrawal, and the depot staff did a splendid job at providing a commemorative headboard. (Saturday 11 December 2010)

On a sunny November day, we see new S Stock 21040 glisten in the sun as it draws to a stop at Harrow-on-the-Hill on its run to the City terminus at Aldgate. Delivery of the S Stock was starting to take effect at this stage but the A Stock was thankfully still plentiful. This station is also served by Chiltern Railways trains on an island platform to the far right of this train and Metropolitan trains are able to use all platforms, with the exception of only being able to reverse in platform 2, due to no current rails being in situ south of the platform. This station was given the art deco treatment for its station buildings in the 1930s. (Sunday 13 November 2011)

On a very snowy day at Preston Road, A Stock 5231 leaves for Baker Street with big chunks of snow still on its roof. The staff are also doing a very good job at clearing the snow from the edges of the platforms to make it safe for the passengers to walk and stand waiting for their trains to come. This stock had a tendency to arc quite a lot in wet and snowy weather and often lit up the night sky. This station was opened in 1931-32. (Sunday 5 February 2012)

Amersham is one the Metropolitan Line’s four branch termini and is situated in Buckinghamshire. Sitting at 150 metres above sea level making it the highest station on the whole network, it is also the most westerly point of the system, being 27 miles from Central London. In the evening peak, A Stock 5119 waits to depart on the rear of this ‘Fast Aldgate’ train. This stock was built specifically for the electrification to this point in 1960, the first batch was classified A60 Stock and started to enter service from June 1961 with a second batch being ordered classified as A62 Stock. With the introduction of S Stock and the new timetable, the Metropolitan Line no longer ran fast trains all day in both directions to Amersham; it has been revised to only run fast trains southbound in the morning peak and northbound in the evening peak, probably with much annoyance to a lot of the passengers. (Thursday 5 July 2012)

Many A Stock trains at this point were making the one-way trip from Neasden depot to Northwood via Watford, where a special siding was used to decommission the train, removing parts and releasing all the air from the train. The cars were then separated and loaded onto low loaders to be taken by road for scrapping. Here we see 5094 making such a trip, passing the new order at Pinner, where a new footbridge and lifts were installed at the station in recent years to accommodate step-free access seen in the background. This station was opened in 1885. (Monday 24 September 2012)

Wednesday 26 September 2012 was the day of the last official public run for A Stock with units 5034 & 5063 forming the last train and here we see it departing from the northbound fast platform at Wembley Park, where it came from the depot and ente...