January 09, 2013

Secrets of the London Underground

Underground and Big Ben - London by euan_pics
Underground and Big Ben - London , a photo by euan_pics on Flickr.
January 9 marks the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. On this day in 1863 the brainchild of City Solicitor/public benefactor Charles Pearson was finished--and London was never the same. Here are some quirky, little-known facts and stories about the most iconic transportation system in the world.

A Philanthropic Enterprise

In the 19th century London's streets were clogged with traffic: pedestrians, horse carts, herds of animals, you name it. Thousands of impoverished people lived in compact slums, despite the filth and unbearable smog, forced to stay close by the factories in order to get to work on time.

That is until Charles Pearson proposed a brilliant plan to build a railway underneath London's congested streets. When the Metropolitan Railway opened in 1863 it carried about 30,000 passengers on the first day. Since then it has become indispensable to London locals and tourists. So far the record number of passengers in a day was brought on by the 2012 London Summer Olympics, when 4.4 million passengers boarded the Tube on August 3.


Map via Wikimedia Commons, user Ed g2s 

Abandoned Stations

There are 40 to 50 abandoned tube stations along the London Underground. For one reason or another, certain lines were considered redundant or unprofitable, and closed off throughout the years. Ghost stations were boarded up and left looking exactly as they did on the last day of operation.

Some intrepid explorers have journeyed into London's underbelly to see these lost icons of bygone days. You can tour many abandoned stations on the Subterranean Britannica site. Click here to see a digital walk-through of an Underground "ghost station."

South Kensington Tunnel by Simon Godley
South Kensington Tunnel, a photo by Simon Godley on Flickr.

Tube Babies

In 1924 Marie Cordery was born on a train at Elephant and Castle on the Bakerloo line, making her the first baby to be born on the Underground. She was the first of three recorded "Tube babies." In 2008 Julia Kowalska's contractions started as she traveled on the Jubilee line, and she gave birth to little Jennifer on the Kingsbury station platform. The first boy was born on the Tube in 2009, to Michelle Jenkins, who also began labor on the Jubilee line. Maybe these ladies underestimated the length of ticket queues? 


The Tube as a Shelter

When the Blitz hammered London in 1940 there was no plan for people to find refuge in the Underground. When Londoners started taking shelter in the stations,  government strongly discouraged it. After the public stormed the tunnels in search of safety, the government eventually equipped seventy-nine tube stations to hold 22,000 people (Today Stockwell station is decorated as a war memorial). 

It must have been extremely uncomfortable, to take shelter in the Tube. Not only because of the cramped quarters and cold stone, but for the London Underground mosquito, a particular form of mosquito that was first discovered pestering these refugees. Nevertheless, an estimated 170,000 people took shelter there during the war.

And the Underground protected more than just people--those sturdy tunnels preserved some of the world's greatest art and artifacts, including the Elgin Marbles.
The Elgin Marbles coming out from the Underground

Hilarious Tube Driver Announcements

Londoners have a fantastic sense of humor, especially the Tube drivers who have to deal with masses of humanity making the same stupid mistakes day in and day out. I found a list of quotes that purports to be genuine remarks made by Tube drivers through the years, including:
  • "Beggars are operating on this train, please do NOT encourage these professional beggars, if you have any spare change, please give it to a registered charity, failing that, give it to me."
  • "Ladies and Gentlemen, I do apologise for the delay to your service. I know you're all dying to get home, unless, of course, you happen to be married to my ex-wife, in which case you'll want to cross over to the Westbound and go in the opposite direction".
    • London Underground by Bora Horza
    London Underground, a photo by Bora Horza on Flickr.
  • "I am sorry about the delay, apparently some nutter has just wandered into the tunnel at Euston. We don't know when we'll be moving again, but these people tend to come out pretty quickly... usually in bits."






What has been your experience of the Underground? 
Love it or loathe it?

Brit-Bit: In 2001 a fragrance known as "Madeleine" was designed to sweeten the smell of the Tube. It was tested at St. James Park, Euston, and Piccadilly stations, but this soon stopped after commuters complained about feeling ill. 
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8 comments:

  1. Love the Underground system. It's so easy to understand. We did learn the hard way that the Tube map doesn't necessarily coincide with the street map, which means you can end up taking the Tube because on the map it looks like a long distance, then when you get back on the street you see that you could easily have walked that distance - and maybe in almost the same time. It's great though, and I wonder how the city managed when the Tube was being built. Imagine that. One year I bought my husband a DVD of the making of the Tube. It was fascinating!

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    1. It's great to hear that perspective, Judy! Apparently a 2011 study suggested 30 per cent of passengers take longer routes due to the out-of-scale distances on the Tube map. I'll have to watch myself when in London....

      -Abby

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  2. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Tube. It connects London nicely and for the most part, it works well. But when it's delayed, it really is delayed. It doesn't do things in half measures. And I've seen people get knocked down by a surge of commuters getting off or on and no-one stopped to pick them up or even check they were ok. Of course, this kind of thing isn't unique to the Tube. Public transport rarely brings out the best in anyone. But having said that, I have seen the odd bright moment of humanity too. Actually, have you seen Michael Landy's Art on the Underground project? It's all about acts of kindness on the Tube, so perhaps it isn't such a rare thing: http://art.tfl.gov.uk/actsofkindness

    I can't say I've come across any Tube drivers who got really creative with the announcements, but there was one Central Line driver who stuck in my memory. He said something along the lines of "Please mind the doors and now would be an excellent time to acquaint yourself with the 10 other people rammed into the six inches of space next to you."

    To be honest, I wouldn't be without the Tube. I'll complain about it 'til the cows come home, but getting around without it would be a real pain :) But I really wish they'd introduce air conditioning on all of their trains. Especially the Central Line.

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    1. That's an awesome link to the acts of kindness website, thanks for sharing!

      I suppose the Tube is a somewhat unpleasant means to an end, then? That makes sense. It's probably rather annoying and inefficient, but at least we don't have to wade through streets clogged with horse carts anymore....

      Thanks for commenting, Lynsey :)

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  3. To avoid using the tube when it's quicker to walk you can use 'Walking Tube Maps' -

    Here is a link to one: http://rodcorp.typepad.com/photos/art_2003/tube_walklines_final_lm.html

    Here is a link to a tube map showing how long it it takes to walk between tube stations in zone 1: http://www.tubehotels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/tube-walk-map1.jpg

    I'm pretty sure Walking Tube Maps are now available as apps for smart phones. If you also arm yourself with either a london a-z or google maps then you should be able to work out whether its quicker to walk or Tube it.
    Don't forget, most of the time it's not the actual tube journey itself that takes the time, it's getting from the 'surface' to the actual tube station that is very often time consuming. The Jubilee line has notoriously long treks to the tube station including the walking walkways you get at airports. For a 5 minute tube ride it aint worth it! Nightmare!

    :)

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    1. That is some great advice! I never thought about how much time it would take to get to the surface...something to think about.

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  4. On the topic of underground, may I also recommend a book I think you might like to read. It's called London Under by Peter Ackroyd. Amazingly atmospheric and imaginative introduction to everything that goes on and has gone on under London. It's a great book.
    Maybe you have already read it.

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    1. Thank you for the recommendation, Belle! I'll have to check it out :)

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