View source for London Underground

{{Cleanup|date=April 2008}}
{{Infobox Public transit
| name = London Underground
| image = Underground.svg|thumb|Official logo.
| imagesize= 150px
| locale = [[Greater London]], [[Chiltern (district)|Chiltern]], [[Epping Forest (district)|Epping Forest]], [[Three Rivers (district)|Three Rivers]] and [[Watford]] 
| transit_type = [[Rapid transit]]
| began_operation = [[1863]]
| system_length = 253 miles / 408 km <ref name="facts"/>
| lines = 11
| stations = 268 served (250 owned)
| ridership = 3 million (approximate)
| track_gauge = {{RailGauge|sg}} (standard gauge)
| operator = [[Transport for London]]
}}
{{Undergroundconnect}}
The '''London Underground''' is a [[rapid transit system]] that serves a large part of [[Greater London]] and some neighbouring areas of [[Essex]], [[Hertfordshire]] and [[Buckinghamshire]]. South of the River Thames, it extends into [[Surrey]]. It is the world's oldest underground railway system. Services began on [[10 January]] [[1863]] on the [[Metropolitan Railway]]; most of the initial route is now part of the [[Hammersmith & City line]].<ref name="history">{{ cite web | title = History | publisher = Transport for London | url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1604.aspx | accessdate = 2007-03-31 }}</ref> Despite its name, about 55% of the network is above ground. Popular local names include '''the Underground''' and, more colloquially, '''the Tube''', in reference to the tubular cylindrical shape of the system's [[Tunnel#Tunnel Boring Machine|deep-bore tunnel]]s.

The Underground has 268 [[metro station|stations]] and runs over approximately 250&nbsp;miles (400&nbsp;km) of line<ref name="facts">According to "{{ cite web | title = Key facts | publisher = Transport for London | url = http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx | accessdate =2008-02-05 }}", the total route length is 253&nbsp;mi or 408&nbsp;km.  But [http://web.archive.org/web/20070529041317/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx in July 2007 the same page] showed the same route length even though there were more stations. Thus it must not have been fully updated for the closure of the East London line, whose route length was about 7 km.<!-- and rounding issues mean that we can't just subtract this from the figure.--></ref>, making it the longest underground railway in the world by route length, and one of the most served in terms of stations.
There are also numerous [[closed London Underground stations|closed stations]]. In 2005, 971 million passengers used the Underground and in  2007, over one [[billion]] passengers were recorded. As of March 2007, an average of just over 3 million passengers use the Underground each day, with an average of 3.4 million passengers on weekdays.<ref name="billionpassengers">{{ cite press release | title = Tube carries one billion passengers for first time | publisher = Transport for London | date =[[2007-03-28]] | url = http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/4770.aspx | accessdate =2007-04-02 }}</ref>

The numerous railways which make up the modern London Underground network, most of which were built by rival companies, were integrated into one system for the first time in 1933, with the creation of the [[London Passenger Transport Board]] (LPTB), more commonly known by its shortened name: "London Transport" (LT). The network became a single entity when London Underground Limited  (LUL) was formed in 1985. Since 2000, LUL has been administered as a wholly owned subsidiary of [[Transport for London]] (TfL) - the statutory corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system throughout Greater London - which is run by a board appointed by and chaired by the [[Mayor of London]].

==History==
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
{{main|History of the London Underground}}
[[Image:Gb-lu-Angel-southbound.jpg|thumb|left|The nickname "the Tube" comes from the circular tube-like tunnels and platforms through which the trains travel. This photograph shows the southbound station platform at [[Angel tube station]] on the [[Northern line]].]]

The first part of the existing network to be built was the [[Metropolitan Railway]], which ran between Paddington (Bishop's Road), now [[Paddington station|Paddington]], and Farringdon Street, now [[Farringdon station|Farringdon]]. This was the world's first urban underground passenger-carrying railway. It was built as dual gauge – able to accommodate both [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel|Brunel's]] '[[Broad Gauge|broad gauge]]' (7 ft ¼in / 2.14 m) trains as well as the 4 ft 8½in (1.435 m) '[[standard gauge]]' of the other trains serving London. Following delays for financial and other reasons after the railway was authorised in 1854, public traffic began on [[10 January]] [[1863]].<ref name="history"/> 30,000 passengers were carried that day, with trains running every ten minutes; by 1880 the expanded 'Met' was carrying 40 million passengers a year. Most of this original route is now part of the [[Hammersmith and City Line]].

Other lines swiftly followed, and by 1884 the Inner Circle (today's [[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle line]]) was complete. 

The early tunnels were dug using [[cut-and-cover]] construction methods. Cut-and-cover construction on the District line necessitated the demolition of a number of houses over the site of the line between [[Paddington]] and [[Bayswater]].

The first trains were steam-hauled, which required effective ventilation to the surface. Ventilation shafts at various points on the route allowed the engines to expel steam and bring fresh air into the tunnels. One such vent is at Leinster Gardens, W2.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Slocombe
  | first =Mike 
  | title =23-24, Leinster Gardens, W2
  | work =London Landmarks
  | publisher =[[Urban75]]
  | date =May 2005
  | url =http://www.urban75.org/london/leinster.html 
  | accessdate =2007-01-09  }}
</ref>  In order to preserve the visual characteristics in what is still a well-to-do street, a five-foot-thick (1.5&nbsp;m) concrete façade was constructed to resemble a genuine house frontage.

Following advances in the use of [[tunnelling shield]]s, electric traction and deep-level tunnel designs, later railways were built even further underground. This caused far less disruption at ground level than the cut-and-cover construction method did. It was therefore cheaper and preferable. The [[City & South London Railway]] (now part of the [[Northern line]] ) opened in 1890. It was the first "deep-level", electrically operated, route.

By the end of the [[19th century]], the Metropolitan Railway company had extended its lines far outside of London, creating new suburbs in the process. From the 1870s, right up until the 1930s, the company pursued ambitions to maintain the railway as a main-line operation rather than a rapid transit service.  

===Into the 20th century===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
In the early 20th century, the presence of six independent operators running different Underground lines caused passengers substantial inconvenience; in many places passengers had to walk some distance above ground to change between lines. The costs associated with running such a system were also heavy, and as a result many companies looked to financiers who could give them the money they needed to expand into the lucrative suburbs as well as electrify the earlier steam operated lines. The most prominent of these was [[Charles Yerkes]], an American [[tycoon]] who between 1900 and 1902 acquired the [[Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways#Metropolitan District Railway|Metropolitan District Railway]] and the as yet unbuilt [[Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway]] (later to become part of the [[Northern line]]). 

Yerkes also acquired the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (jointly to become the [[Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway]], the core of the modern [[Piccadilly line]]) and the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway (to become the [[Bakerloo line]]) to form [[Underground Electric Railways Company|Underground Electric Railways of London Company Ltd]] (UERL) on [[9 April]] [[1902]]. That company also owned three tramway companies and went on to buy the [[London General Omnibus Company]], creating an organisation colloquially known as "the Combine". 

In early 1908 the underground railway operators agreed to promote their services jointly as "the Underground", creating a free publicity map of the network in the process. New station signs and ticketing arrangements were also put into place. 

On [[1 January]] [[1913]] the UERL absorbed two other independent tube lines, the [[City & South London Railway]] (now part of the [[Northern Line]]) and the [[Central line|Central London Railway]] (now known as the [[Central Line]]), the latter having opened an important east-west cross-city line from Bank to Shepherd's Bush on [[30 July]] [[1900]]. The Central London Railway was nicknamed the "Twopenny Tube" for its flat fare and cylindrical tunnels; the "tube" nickname was eventually transferred to the Underground system as a whole. 

As the monopoly of the Combine asserted itself, only the Metropolitan Railway stayed away from this process of integration, retaining pretensions of being considered to be a main-line railway. Proposals were put forward for a merger between the two companies in 1913 but the plan was rejected by the Metropolitan. The only remaining independent underground railway in London, the [[Northern City Line|Great Northern and City Railway]] (which ran a service between [[Moorgate]] and [[Finsbury Park]]), was acquired by the Metropolitan in the same year.

===The 1930s and 1940s===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
In 1933 the Combine, the Metropolitan Railway and all the municipal and independent bus and tram undertakings were merged into the [[London's transport history from 1933|London Passenger Transport Board]] (LPTB), a self-supporting and unsubsidised public corporation which came into being on 1 July 1933. The LPTB soon became more widely known as "London Transport" (LT), its shortened title.

London Transport set in motion a scheme for the expansion of the network, the 1935–1940 [[New Works Programme]]. This consisted of plans to extend some lines, to take over the operation of others from the main-line railway companies, and to electrify the entire network. During the 1930s and 1940s, several sections of main-line railway were converted into (surface) lines of the Underground. The oldest part of today's Underground network is the [[Central line]] between [[Leyton]] and [[Loughton]], which opened as a railway seven years before the Underground itself.

The outbreak of [[World War II]] delayed all these schemes. From mid-1940, [[the Blitz]] led to the use of many underground stations as [[air-raid shelter|shelters]] during [[air raid]]s and overnight. The authorities initially tried to prevent this, but later supplied [[bunk]]s, [[latrine]]s, and [[catering]] facilities. Later in the war, eight [[London deep-level shelters]] were constructed under stations, ostensibly to be used as shelters (each deep-level shelter could hold 8,000 people) though plans were in place to convert them for a new express line parallel to the Northern Line after the war. Some stations (now mostly disused) were converted into government offices: for example, [[Down Street tube station|Down Street]] was used for the headquarters of the Railway Executive Committee and was also used for meetings of the [[War Cabinet]] before the [[Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms|Cabinet War Rooms]] were completed;<ref name=Disused_1>
{{cite book |last=Conner|first=J.E.|title=London's Disused Underground Stations|year=1999|publisher=Capital Transport|chapter=Down Street|pages=p. 33|isbn=185414-250-X}}</ref> [[Brompton Road tube station|Brompton Road]] was used as a control room for [[anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft gun]]s and the remains of the surface building are still used by London's University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) and University London Air Squadron (ULAS).

===Post-war developments===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:TubeStationWithTrain.jpg|thumb||A [[London Underground 1995 Stock]] train pulls into [[Mornington Crescent tube station|Mornington Crescent]] station on the [[Northern line]].]]
On 1 January 1948 London Transport was [[nationalised]] by the incumbent Labour government and incorporated into the operations of the [[British Transport Commission]] (BTC). The LTPB was renamed the "[[London Transport Executive]]". 

The BTC prioritised the reconstruction of its main-line railways, which had also been nationalised, over the maintenance of the Underground. Although it committed itself to the completion of the New Works programme, many of the original plans were shelved. However the BTC did authorise the completion of the electrification of the network, seeking to replace steam locomotives on the parts of the system where they still operated. This phase of the programme was completed when the Metropolitan Line was electrified to Chesham in 1960. Steam locomotives were fully withdrawn from London Underground passenger services on 9th September 1961 - when [[British Railways]] took over the operations of the Metropolitan Line between [[Amersham]] and [[Aylesbury]]. 

In 1963 the London Transport Executive was replaced by the London Transport Board, directly accountable to the Ministry of Transport. On 1st January 1970, the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) took over responsibility for London Transport. 

The first real post-war investment in the network came with the carefully planned [[Victoria line]] on a diagonal northeast-southwest alignment beneath central London, incorporating centralised signalling control and automatically driven trains which opened in stages between 1968 and 1971. The Piccadilly line was extended to [[Heathrow Airport]] in 1977, and the [[Jubilee line]] was opened in 1979, taking over part of the Bakerloo line, with new tunnels between Baker Street and Charing Cross. 

In 1984, [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s [[Conservative]] government removed London Transport from the GLC's control, replacing it with [[London Regional Transport]] (LRT) - a statutory corporation for which the [[Secretary of State for Transport]] was directly responsible. The government planned to modernise the system whilst slashing its subsidy from taxpayers and ratepayers at the same time. As part of this strategy London Underground Limited was set up in 1985, as a wholly owned subsidiary of LRT, to run the network on LRT's behalf. This period saw the introduction of automatic ticketing machines and network-wide Travelcards. In 1994, with the [[privatization]] of [[British Rail]], LRT took control of the [[Waterloo and City Line]], incorporating it fully into the Underground network for the first time. In 1999 the Jubilee Line extension to Stratford in London's East End was begun. This plan included the opening of a completely refurbished interchange station at Westminster. The Jubilee's old terminal platforms at Charing Cross were abandoned but maintained operable for emergencies.

===Into the 21st century===
Transport for London (TfL) replaced LRT in 2000, a development that coincided with the creation of a directly elected [[Mayor of London]] and the [[Greater London Assembly]]. 

In January 2003 the Underground began operating as a [[Public-Private Partnership|Public&ndash;Private Partnership]] (PPP), whereby the infrastructure and rolling stock were maintained by two private companies ([[Metronet]] and [[Tube Lines]]) under 30-year contracts, whilst London Underground Limited remained publicly owned and operated by [[Transport for London|TfL]].

There was much controversy over the implementation of the PPP. Supporters of the change claimed that the private sector would eliminate the inefficiencies of public sector enterprises and take on the risks associated with running the network, while opponents said that the need to make profits would reduce the investment and public service aspects of the Underground. There has since been criticism of the performance of the private companies; for example the January 2007 edition of [[The Londoner]],<ref>
{{cite news
  | title =Metronet guilty of 'inexcusable failures'
  | publisher =[[The Londoner]]
  | date =January 2007
  | url =http://www.london.gov.uk/londoner/07jan/p3b.jsp?nav=around
  | accessdate =2007-01-10
}}
</ref> a newsletter published periodically by the [[Greater London Authority]], listed ''Metronet's mistakes of 2006'' under the headline ''Metronet guilty of 'inexcusable failures'''. 

Metronet was placed into [[Administration (insolvency)|administration]] on [[18 July]] [[2007]].<ref>{{cite news 
  | title =Metronet calls in administrators 
  | work =
  | publisher =[[BBC]]
  | date =[[18 July]] [[2007]]
  | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6903977.stm
  | accessdate =2007-08-21  }}</ref> TfL has taken over Metronet's outstanding commitments. 

The [[UK government]] has made concerted efforts to find another private firm to fill the vacuum left by the liquidation of Metronet. However only TfL has expressed a viable interest in taking over Metronet's responsibilities so far. Even though Tube Lines appears to be stable, this has put the long-term future of the PPP scheme in doubt. The case for PPP was also weakened in 2008 when it was revealed that the demise of Metronet had cost the UK government £2bn. The five private comapanies that made up the Metronet alliance had to pay £70m each towards paying off the debts acquired by the consortium. But due to a deal struck with the government in 2003, when the PPP scheme began operating, the companies were protected from any further liability. The UK taxpayer therefore had to foot the rest of the bill. This undermined the argument that the PPP would place the risks involved in running the network into the hands of the private sector.<ref>''Railway Magazine'', April 2008 issue, p.6</ref>

==Transport for London==
{{main|Transport for London}}
Transport for London (TfL) was created in 2000 as the integrated body responsible for London's transport system. It is part of the [[Greater London Authority]] and is constituted as a statutory corporation regulated under local government finance rules.<ref>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/4510.aspx</ref> It has three subsidiaries: London Transport Insurance Guernsey Ltd, the TfL Pension Fund Trustee Company and Transport Trading Ltd (TTL). TTL has six wholly-owned subsidiaries, one of which is London Underground Limited.<ref>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/boardandchiefofficers/1452.aspx</ref>

The TfL Board is chaired by the Mayor of London. The Mayor has vast powers of direction over TfL, sets TfL's budget (subject to the approval of the Greater London Assembly) and appoints its board. The Mayor also sets the structure and level of public transport fares in London. However the day-to-day running of the corporation is left to the Commissioner of Transport for London, who is currently [[Peter Hendy]].

The Mayor is responsible for producing an integrated transport strategy for London and for consulting the GLA, TfL, boroughs and others on the strategy. The current Mayor's Transport Strategy was published on 10 July 2001. The GLA is consulted on the Mayor's transport strategy, and inspects and approves the Mayor's budget. It is able to summon the Mayor and senior staff to account for TfL's performance. London TravelWatch, a body appointed by and reporting to the Assembly, deals with complaints about transport in London.<ref>http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/transport.jsp</ref>

==Infrastructure==
{{main|London Underground infrastructure}}
===Stations and lines===
The London Underground's 11 lines are the [[Bakerloo line]], [[Central line]], [[Circle line (London Underground)|Circle line]], [[District line]], [[Hammersmith & City line]], [[Jubilee line]], [[Metropolitan line]], [[Northern line]], [[Piccadilly line]], [[Victoria line]], and [[Waterloo & City line]].  Until 2007 there was a twelfth line, the [[East London line]], but this has closed for conversion work and will have been transferred to the [[London Overground]] when it reopens in 2010. 
The Underground serves 268 [[Underground station|stations]] by rail; an additional six stations that were on the East London line are currently served by Underground replacement buses. Fourteen Underground stations are outside Greater London, of which five ([[Amersham station|Amersham]], [[Chalfont & Latimer station|Chalfont & Latimer]], [[Chesham tube station|Chesham]], [[Chorleywood station|Chorleywood]], [[Epping tube station|Epping]]) are beyond the [[M25 motorway|M25 London Orbital motorway]]. Of the 32 [[London borough]]s, six ([[London Borough of Bexley|Bexley]], [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]], [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]], [[Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston]], [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]]) are not served by the Underground. 

[[Image:London Underground Zone 1.svg|center|600px|thumb|Zone 1 (central zone) of the Underground (and [[Docklands Light Railway|DLR]]) network in a geographically more accurate layout than the usual Tube map, using the same style. Part of the East London line is shown at right as it existed until 2006.]]

[[Image:London Underground subsurface and tube trains.jpg|thumb|Underground trains come in two sizes, larger subsurface trains and smaller tube trains. A [[Metropolitan line]] [[London Underground A60 and A62 Stock|A Stock]] train (left) passes a [[Piccadilly line]] [[London Underground 1973 Stock|1973 Stock]] train (right) in the siding at [[Rayners Lane tube station|Rayners Lane]]]]

Lines on the Underground can be classified into two types: subsurface and deep-level. The subsurface lines were dug by the [[cut-and-cover]] method, with the tracks running about 5&nbsp;[[metre|m]] below the surface. The deep-level or tube lines, bored using a [[tunnelling shield]], run about 20&nbsp;m below the surface (although this varies considerably), with each track in a separate tunnel. These tunnels can have a diameter as small as 3.56&nbsp;m (11&nbsp;ft 8.25&nbsp;[[inch|in]]) and the loading gauge is thus considerably smaller than on the subsurface lines. Lines of both types usually emerge onto the surface outside the central area.

While the tube lines are for the most part self-contained, the subsurface lines are part of an interconnected network: Each shares track with at least two other lines. The subsurface arrangement is somewhat similar to the [[New York City Subway]], which also runs separate "lines" over shared tracks.

===Rolling stock and electrification===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:Stratford Depot 27.JPG|thumb|[[London Underground 1996 Stock|1996 Stock]] trains at Stratford Market Depot]]
The Underground uses [[London Underground rolling stock|rolling stock]] built between 1960 and 2005. Stock on subsurface lines is identified by a letter (such as [[London Underground A62 Stock|A Stock]], used on the [[Metropolitan line]]), while tube stock is identified by the year in which it was designed (for example, [[London Underground 1996 Stock|1996 Stock]], used on the [[Jubilee line]]). All lines are worked by a single type of stock except the [[District line]], which uses both [[London Underground C69 Stock|C]] and [[London Underground D78 Stock|D]] Stock. Two types of stock are currently being developed &mdash; [[London Underground 2009 Stock|2009 Stock]] for the Victoria line and [[London Underground S Stock|S stock]] for the subsurface lines, with the Metropolitan line A Stock being replaced first. Rollout of both is expected to begin about 2009. In addition to the Electric-Multiple units described above, there are [[London Underground engineering stock|Engineering Stock]], such as ballast trains and brake vans. They are identified by a 1-3 letter prefix, then a number. 

The Underground is one of the few networks in the world that uses a four-rail system. The additional rail carries the electrical return that on third-rail and overhead networks is provided by the running rails. On the Underground a top-contact third rail is beside the track, energised at +420 V DC, and a top-contact fourth rail is centrally between the running rails, at -210 V DC, which combine to provide a traction voltage of 630 V DC.

===Cooling===
{{Expand|date=April 2008}}
{{main|London Underground cooling}}
{{section-stub}}

===Planned improvements===
[[Image:Piccadilly T5 Extension.JPG|thumb|A diagram at [[Ealing Common tube station|Ealing Common]], showing the layout of the [[Piccadilly line]] at [[London Heathrow Airport]]]]
There are many planned improvements to the London Underground. A new station opened on the [[Piccadilly line]] at [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow Airport]] [[Heathrow Terminal 5 station|Terminal 5]] on [[27 March]] [[2008]] and is the first extension of the London Underground since 1999.<ref>[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/5507.aspx First Piccadilly line trains travel to Heathrow Terminal 5]</ref><ref>London Underground.  [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/metro/article.asp?id=1206 Piccadilly line update.] ([[21 August]] [[2006]]). Retrieved [[3 December]] [[2006]].</ref> Each line is being upgraded to improve capacity and reliability, with new computerised signalling, [[automatic train operation]] (ATO), track replacement and station refurbishment, and, where needed, new rolling stock. A trial program for a groundwater cooling system in [[Victoria station (London)|Victoria station]] took place in 2006 and 2007; it aimed to determine whether such a system would be feasible and effective if in widespread use.<ref>{{cite web
  | title =Subsurface network (SSL) upgrade
  | publisher =alwaystouchout.com
  | date =[[2006-12-07]]
  | url =http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/39
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 }}</ref> A trial of mobile phone coverage on the [[Waterloo & City line]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Mobile phone trial on the Waterloo & City line
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | date = 2007-03-15
  | url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/press-releases/press-releases-content.asp?prID=1081
  | accessdate =2007-03-16  }} </ref> aims to determine whether coverage can be extended across the rest of the Underground network. Although not part of London Underground, the [[Crossrail]] scheme will provide a new route across central London integrated with the tube network.

==Travelling on the London Underground==

===Ticketing===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
{{main|London Underground ticketing}}
[[Image:London-underground-travelcard.jpg|thumb|London Underground One-Day Travelcard]]
[[Image:Oyster card front small.png|thumb|London Underground Oyster Card]]
The Underground uses TfL's [[Travelcard]] zones to calculate fares. [[Travelcard Zone 1]] is the most central, with a boundary just beyond the Circle line, and [[Travelcard Zone 6|Zone 6]] is the outermost and includes [[London Heathrow Airport]]. Stations on the Metropolitan line outside Greater London are in special Zones 7-9, since January 2008.<ref>
{{cite web
  | title =Numbered zones for stations
  | publisher =[[Watford Observer]]
  | url =http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1855280.mostviewed.numbered_zones_for_stations.php
  | accessdate =2007-11-24  }}</ref>

The new zones 7-9 also apply on the Euston-Watford Junction line (part of the London Overground).  With Watford High Street being within the zones, but at present (April 10, 2008), Watford Junction is outside of these zones and therefore a special train fare applies.

There are staffed ticket offices, some open for limited periods only, and ticket machines usable at any time. Some machines that sell a limited range of tickets accept coins only, other touch-screen machines accept coins and English (but not [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] or [[Scotland|Scottish]]) [[British banknotes|bank notes]], and usually give change. These machines also accept major credit and debit cards: some newer machines accept cards only. In 2005 the Underground started to accept American Express.

More recently, TfL has introduced the [[Oyster card]], a [[smartcard]] with an embedded contactless [[RFID]] chip, that travellers can obtain, charge with credit, and use to pay for travel. Like Travelcards they can be used on the Underground, buses, trams and the Docklands Light Railway. The Oyster card is cheaper to operate than cash ticketing or the older-style magnetic-strip-based Travelcards{{Specify|date=December 2006}}, and the Underground is encouraging passengers to use Oyster cards instead of Travelcards and cash (on buses) by implementing significant price differences. Oyster-based Travelcards can be used on National Rail throughout London. Pay as you go is available on a restricted, but increasing, [[Oyster card (pay as you go) on National Rail|number of routes]].<ref>
{{cite web
  | title =Oyster Help
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =http://transportforlondon.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/transportforlondon.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=&p_lva=&p_li=&p_faqid=%2011
  | accessdate =2007-01-10  }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release
  | title =Transport Secretary and Mayor of London announce new Oyster deal
  | publisher = [[TfL]]
  | date =[[2006-05-10]]
  | url =http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/3597.aspx 
  | accessdate =2007-01-10  
}}</ref>

====Penalty fares and fare evasion====
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
In addition to automatic and staffed ticket gates, the Underground is patrolled by both uniformed and plain-clothes ticket inspectors with hand-held [[Oyster card]] readers. Passengers travelling without a ticket valid for their entire journey are required to pay at least a £20 [[penalty fare]] and can be prosecuted for fare evasion under the [[Regulation of Railways Act 1889]] under which they are subject to a fine of up to £1,000, or three months' imprisonment. [[Oyster card|Oyster]] pre-pay users who have failed to 'touch in' at the start of their journey are charged the 'maximum cash fare' (£4, or £5 at some [[National Rail]] stations) upon 'touching out'. In addition, an Oyster card user who has failed to touch in at the start of their journey and who is detected mid-journey (''i.e.'' on a train) by an Inspector is now liable to a penalty fare of £20. No £4 maximum charge will be applied at their destination as the inspector will apply an 'exit token' to their card.

It should be noted that whilst the Conditions of Carriage require period Travelcard holders to touch-in and touch-out at the start and end of their journey, any Oystercard user who has a valid period Travelcard covering their entire journey is not liable to pay a Penalty fare where they have not touched-in. Neither the Conditions of Carriage or Schedule 17 of the [[Greater London Authority Act 1999]], which shows how and when Penalty fares can be issued, would allow the issuing of a Penalty fare to a traveller who had already paid the correct fare for their journey.
[[Image:London Bridge Jubilee Platforms.JPG|right|thumb|Jubilee line platforms (London Bridge station)]]

===Delays===
According to statistics obtained under the [[Freedom of Information Act]], the average commuter on the Metropolitan line wasted three days, 10 hours and 25 minutes in 2006 due to delays (not including missed connections).<ref>
{{cite news 
  | last =Stephens
  | first =Alex 
  | title =Tube wastes three days a year of your life
  | publisher =The Harrow Observer
  | date =[[2006-12-06]]
  | url =http://icharrow.icnetwork.co.uk/harrowobserver/headlines/tm_headline=tube-wastes-three-days-a-year-of-your-life&method=full&objectid=18244569&siteid=53431-name_page.html
  | accessdate = 2007-01-18 
}}
</ref> Between [[September 17]] [[2006]] and [[October 14]] [[2006]], figures show that 211 train services were delayed by more than 15 minutes.<ref name="performance">
{{cite web
  | title=London Underground performance update
  | publisher = [[TfL]]
  | url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/modesoftransport/tube/performance/
  | accessdate =2007-03-31  
}}
</ref> Passengers are entitled to a refund if their journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more due to circumstances within the control of TfL.<ref>
{{cite web
  | title =Customer refunds
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/contacts/refunds.asp
  | accessdate = 2007-01-18 
}}
</ref>

===Hours of operation===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
The Underground does not run 24 hours a day, (except for at New Year and on major public events - such as the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002) because the majority of lines have only two tracks (one in each direction) and therefore need to close at night for planned maintenance work. First trains on the network start operating around 04:30, running until around 01:30. Unlike systems such as the [[New York City Subway]], few parts of the Underground have express tracks that would allow trains to be routed around maintenance sites. Recently, greater use has been made of weekend closures of parts of the system for scheduled engineering work.

===Accessibility===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
[[Accessibility]] by people with mobility issues was not considered when most of the system was built, and most older stations are inaccessible to disabled people. More recent stations were designed for accessibility, but [[retrofit]]ting accessibility features to old stations is at best prohibitively expensive and technically extremely difficult, and often impossible. Even when there are already [[escalators]] or [[Elevator|lift]]s, there are often steps between the lift or escalator landings and the platforms.

Most stations on the surface have at least a short flight of stairs to gain access from street level, and the great majority of below-ground stations require use of stairs or some of the system's 410 [[escalator]]s (each going at a speed of {{convert|145|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} per minute, approximately 1.65&nbsp;[[miles per hour]]). There are also some lengthy walks and further flights of steps required to gain access to platforms. The station at [[Covent Garden tube station|Covent Garden]] has the equivalent of 15 storeys of steps to reach the [[exit]], so an [[announcement]] is made for passengers to queue for a lift, as walking the steps can be dangerous.

The escalators in Underground stations include some of the longest in Europe, and all are custom-built. The longest escalator is at [[Angel tube station|Angel station]], 60 m (197 ft) long, with a vertical rise of 27.5 m (90 ft).<ref name="facts"/> They run 20 hours a day, 364 days a year, with 95% of them operational at any one time, and can cope with 13,000 people per hour. Convention and signage stipulate that people using escalators on the Underground ''stand'' on the right-hand side so as not to obstruct those who ''walk'' past them on the left.

TfL produces a map indicating which stations are accessible, and since 2004 line maps indicate with a [[wheelchair]] symbol those stations that provide step-free access from street level. Step height from platform to train is up to 300&nbsp;[[millimetre|mm]], and there can be a large [[Mind the gap|gap]] between the train and curved platforms. Only the [[Jubilee Line Extension]] is completely accessible.

TfL plans that by 2020 there should be a network of over 100 fully accessible stations, consists of those recently built or rebuilt, and a handful of suburban stations that happen to have level access, along with selected 'key stations', which will be rebuilt. These key stations have been chosen due to high usage, [[interchange station|interchange]] potential, and geographic spread, so that up to 75% of journeys will be achievable step-free.<ref>
{{cite web
  | title =Unlocking London for all
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/using/getting-around/unlocking_london/mobilitycontents.asp 
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 
}}
</ref>

===Overcrowding===
Overcrowding on the Underground has been of concern, particularly at [[Camden Town tube station|Camden Town station]] and [[Covent Garden tube station|Covent Garden]], which merit access restrictions at certain times<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Tube Map
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Standard-Tube-map.pdf
  | accessdate = 2008-04-04
}}</ref>. Restrictions are introduced at other stations when necessary. Several stations have been rebuilt to deal with overcrowding issues, with Clapham Common and Clapham North on the Northern Line being the last remaining stations with a single narrow platform with tracks on both sides. At particularly busy occasions, such as [[Soccer|football]] matches, [[British Transport Police]] may be present to help with overcrowding.
On [[24 September]] [[2007]], King's Cross underground station was totally closed due to "overcrowding". According to a 2003 House of Commons report,<ref>{{cite news 
  | title =Commuters face 'daily trauma'
  | publisher =[[BBC]]
  | date =[[2003-10-15]]
  | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3191562.stm
  | accessdate = 2007-01-18 }}</ref> commuters face a "daily trauma" and are forced to travel in "intolerable conditions".

===Safety===
{{split-section}}
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:Westminster underground.JPG|thumb|[[Westminster tube station|Westminster station]] &mdash; extensive structures are required to support [[Portcullis House]] above.]]
[[London Underground accidents|Accidents on the Underground network]], which carries around a billion passengers a year, are rare.   There is just one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/research/backgrounders/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2155915 Safety first.] ''[[The Economist]]'' ([[23 October]], [[2003]]) Retrieved [[3 December]], [[2006]].</ref> There are several [[safety]] warnings given to passengers, such as the [[traditional]] '[[mind the gap]]' announcement and the regular announcements for passengers to keep behind the yellow line. Relatively few accidents are caused by overcrowding on the platforms, and staff monitor platforms and passageways at busy times prevent people entering the system if they become overcrowded. 

Most fatalities on the network are [[suicide]]s. Most platforms at deep tube stations have pits beneath the track, originally constructed to aid [[drainage]] of water from the platforms, but they also help prevent death or serious injury when a passenger falls or jumps in front of a train and aid access to the unfortunate person.<ref>{{cite journal
  | last =Coats
  | first =T J 
  | coauthors =D P Walter
  | title =Effect of station design on death in the London Underground: observational study 
  | journal =[[British Medical Journal]]
  | issue =319
  | pages =957
  | publisher =[[British Medical Association]]
  | date =[[1999-10-09]]
  | url =http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/319/7215/957
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 
}}</ref> These pits are officially called "anti-suicide pits", colloquially "suicide pits" or "dead man's trenches". Delays resulting from a person jumping or falling in front of a train as it pulls into a station are announced as an "unfortunate delay", "passenger action", "customer incident" or "a person under a train", and are referred to by staff as a "one under". London Underground has a specialist "Therapy Unit" to deal with drivers' post-traumatic stress, resulting from someone jumping under their train. The Jubilee line extension is the first line to have [[Platform screen doors|platform edge doors]]. These prevent people from falling or jumping onto the tracks, but the main financial justification for their provision was to control station ventilation by restricting the 'piston-effect' of the moving air caused by the trains.

[[London Underground terrorism|Terrorism in the London Underground]] has been a major concern because the Underground's importance makes it a prime target for attacks. Many warnings and several attacks, some successful, have been made on the Underground, [[21 July 2005 London bombings|the most recent]] on the [[21 July]] [[2005]], although in that case only the detonators exploded. The most recent [[7 July 2005 London bombings|attack]] causing damage was on [[7 July]] [[2005]], when three suicide bombers blew themselves up on three trains. The earliest attack on the London Underground was in 1885, when a bomb exploded on a Metropolitan line train at Euston Square station. The [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisional IRA]] (and its predecessors) carried out over ten separate attacks between 1939 and 1993.

[[London Underground air pollution|Air pollution in the London underground]] has been the subject of concern. According to the Discovery Channel documentary, Underground Cities: London, inhaling fumes while travelling on London's Tube for 40 minutes is "the equivalent to smoking two cigarettes", however, the accuracy this information is disputed (see the [[London Underground air pollution|main article]] for more information).  This statement compares the weight of particulate matter that is breathed and not the health effects. Cigarette smoke consists of products of combustion containing oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur; various alkaloids, aromatic hydrocarbons and tar. Dust in the Underground tunnels is mainly iron (from the wheel–rail interface), skin cells, hair cells and clothing fibres (from passengers), and quartz silica (from brakes). Weight for weight, tunnel dust has far less impact on human health than cigarette smoke.{{Fact|date=January 2008}}

Various regulations aim to improve safety on the Tube. [[Tobacco smoking|Smoking]] was allowed in certain carriages in trains until July 1984. In the middle of 1987 smoking was banned for a six-month trial period in all parts of the Underground, and the ban was made permanent after the major [[King's Cross fire]] in November 1987.<ref>{{cite web
  | title =Report of the London Assembly’s investigative committee on smoking in public places
  | publisher =[[Greater London Authority]]
  | date =2002
  | url =http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/health/smoking_report.rtf
  | format =rtf
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 }}, p19</ref>  Photography for personal use is permitted in public areas of the Underground,<ref>London Underground.  [http://tube-tfl.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/tube_tfl.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=GfElV__h&p_lva=&p_faqid=432 Fiming & Photography - can I film/take photos on the Tube?] Retrieved [[3 December]], [[2006]].</ref> but the use of [[Tripod (photography)|tripods]] and other supports is forbidden as it poses a danger in the often cramped spaces and crowds found underground.  [[Flash (photography)|Flash photography]] is also forbidden as it may distract drivers and disrupt fire-detection equipment. For the same reason bright auto-focus assist lights should be switched off or covered when photographing in the Underground.

The Underground's staff safety regimen has drawn criticism. In January 2002 it was fined £225,000 for breaching [[Health and Safety Executive|safety standards for workers]]. In court, the judge reprimanded the company for ''"sacrificing safety"'' to keep trains running ''"at all costs."'' Workers had been instructed to work in the dark with the power rails live, even during rainstorms. Several workers had received electric shocks as a result.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/england/1752928.stm Fine over workers' Tube danger.] ''[[BBC News]]'' ([[10 January]], [[2002]]). Retrieved [[3 December]], [[2006]].</ref>

===Heathrow Stations===

<gallery>
image:HeathrowT123.jpg|Terminals 1-3 station
image:Heathrow Terminal 4 tube look east.JPG|Terminal 4 Station
image:Heathrow Terminal 4 tube roundel.JPG|Terminal 4 Roundel
image:Heathrow T5 station AB.JPG|Terminal 5 Station
</gallery>

==Image==
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
TfL's [[Tube map]] and "[[roundel]]" [[logo]] are instantly recognisable by any Londoner, almost any Briton, and many people around the world. The original maps were often street maps with the lines superimposed, and the stylised Tube map evolved from a design by electrical engineer [[Harry Beck (graphic designer)|Harry Beck]] in 1931.<ref>{{cite web
  | last =Beck
  | first =Harry 
  | authorlink =Harry Beck
  | title =Tube Map
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/images/company/history/beckmap1.jpg
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 }}</ref>  Virtually every major urban rail system in the world now has a map in a similar stylised layout and many bus companies have also adopted the concept. TfL licences the sale of clothing and other accessories featuring its graphic elements and it takes legal action against unauthorised use of its trademarks and of the Tube map. Nevertheless, unauthorised copies of the logo continue to crop up worldwide. The phrase "[[mind the gap]]," played when trains stop at certain platforms, has also become a well known catchphrase.

===The roundel===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:LU Leytonstone sign.jpg|thumb|The use of the roundel with the station name in the blue bar dates from 1908. The roundel seen above can be found at [[Leytonstone tube station]].]]
The origins of the [[roundel]], in earlier years known as the 'bulls-eye' or 'target', are obscure. While the first use of a roundel in a London transport context was the 19th-century symbol of the [[London General Omnibus Company]] — a wheel with a bar across the centre bearing the word '''GENERAL''' —  its usage on the Underground stems from the decision in 1908 to find a more obvious way of highlighting station names on platforms. The red circle with blue name bar was quickly adopted, with the word "U<small>NDERGROUN</small>D" across the bar, as an early corporate identity.<ref>{{cite web
  | title =Logo
  | publisher =[[London Transport Museum]]
  | date =
  | url =http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/exhibitions/online_exhibitions/logo/index.html
  | accessdate = }} Not accessible [[2007-01-10]]</ref>  The logo was modified by [[Edward Johnston]] in 1919.

Each station displays the Underground roundel, often containing the station's name in the central bar, at entrances and repeatedly along the platform, so that the name can easily be seen by passengers on arriving trains. 

The roundel has been used for buses and the tube for many years, and since [[Transport for London|TfL]] took control it has been applied to other transport types (taxi, [[Tramlink|tram]], [[Docklands Light Railway|DLR]], etc.) in different colour pairs. The roundel has to some extent become a symbol for London itself.

===Typography===
{{Refimprovesect|date=April 2008}}
Edward Johnston designed TfL's distinctive [[sans-serif]] [[typeface]], in 1916. "[[Johnston (typeface)|New Johnston]]", modified to include lower case, is still in use. It is noted for the curl at the bottom of the [[minuscule]] ''l'', which other sans-serif typefaces have discarded, and for the diamond-shaped [[tittle]] on the minuscule ''i'' and ''j'', whose shape also appears in the [[full stop]], and is the origin of other punctuation marks in the face. TfL owns the copyright to and exercises control over the New Johnston typeface, but a close approximation of the face exists in the [[TrueType]] computer font ''Paddington'', and the [[Gill Sans]] typeface also takes inspiration from Johnston.

===Contribution to arts===

[[Image:RussellSqTilework.jpg|thumb|An Edwardian tile pattern at [[Russell Square tube station]]]]

The Underground sponsors and contributes to the arts via its [[Platform for Art]] and [[Poems on the Underground]] projects. Poster and billboard space (and in the case of [[Gloucester Road tube station]], an entire disused platform) is given over to artwork and poetry to "create an environment for positive impact and to enhance and enrich the journeys of…passengers".<ref>{{cite web
  | title =Platform art
  | publisher =[[TfL]]
  | url =http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/arts/platform-for-art
  | accessdate = 2007-01-10 
}}</ref> In addition, some stations' walls are decorated in [[tile]] motifs unique to that station, such as profiles of [[Sherlock Holmes]]'s head at [[Baker Street tube station|Baker Street]], and a cross containing a crown at [[King's Cross St Pancras tube station|King's Cross St Pancras]]. [[Oval tube station]] has cricket-themed decorations, with murals, statues and banners all celebrating the game. Unique Edwardian tile patterns, designed by [[Leslie Green]] and installed in the 1900s, were also used on the platforms of many of the [[Charles Yerkes|Yerkes]]-designed stations on the Bakerloo, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Many of these tile patterns survive, though a significant number of these are now replicas.<ref name="edwardiantilepatterns">{{ cite web | title = London Underground's Edwardian Tile Patterns | publisher = Doug Rose | url=http://www.dougrose.co.uk/ | accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref>

===In popular culture===
{{main|London Underground in popular culture}}

The Underground has been featured in many movies and television shows, including ''[[Sliding Doors]]'',  ''[[Tube Tales]]'' and ''[[Neverwhere]]''. The London Underground Film Office handles over 100 requests per month. The Underground has also featured in music such as [[The Jam]]'s "[[Down in the Tube Station at Midnight]]" and in literature such as the graphic novel ''[[V for Vendetta]]''. Popular legends about the Underground being haunted persist to this day.<ref>{{ cite web | title = London Underground Ghosts | publisher = BBC h2g2 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A673391 | accessdate = 2007-10-14 }}</ref>

After placing a number of spoof announcements on her web page, London Underground voice over artiste [[Emma Clarke]] had any further contracts cancelled in 2007. <ref>
{{cite news 
  | last = Griffiths
  | first = Peter
  | title = Subway announcer fired over spoof messages
  | publisher = Reuters
  | date = 26 November 2007
  | url = http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USL2663927720071126
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
  | last = Clarke
  | first = Emma
  | title = spoof london underground announcements
  | Publisher = Emma Clarke – Voiceover and writer for radio, television and new media
  | url = http://www.emmaclarke.com/fun/mind-the-gap/spoof-london-underground-announcements
}}
</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons|London Underground}}

*[[7 July 2005 London bombings]]
*[[2007 Dean Farrar Street collapse]]
*[[British Transport Police]]
*[[Connect Project]]
*[[Docklands Light Railway]]
*[[Tramlink|(Croydon) Tramlink]] 
*[[Crossrail]]
*[[London Overground]]
*[[Inspector Sands]]
*[[Leinster Gardens]]
*[[List of London Underground-related fiction]]
*[[List of rapid transit systems]]
*[[London Post Office Railway]] and other features of [[Subterranean London]]
*[[London Underground air pollution]]
*[[Lots Road power station]]
*[[Mind the gap]]
*[[Mornington Crescent (game)]]
*[[Paddington Bear]]
*[[The London Game]]
*[[The Tube (London Underground TV series)]]
*[[Transport in London]] (overview)
*[[Underground Ernie]]
*[[London Underground anagram map]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{Citation
  | last = Day
  | first = John R.
  | author-link =
  | last2 = Reed
  | first2 = John
  | author2-link =
  | title = The Story of London's Underground
  | place=
  | publisher = Capital Transport
  | year = 2001
  | edition =
  | url =
  | id =  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Garland
  | first = Ken
  | authorlink =
  | title = Mr. Beck's Underground Map
  | publisher = Capital Transport
  | date = 1994
  | id =  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Green
  | first = Oliver
  | authorlink =
  | title = The London Underground, An illustrated history
  | publisher = Ian Allen Ltd
  | date = 1987
  | id =  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Harris
  | first = Cyril M.
  | authorlink =
  | title = What's in a Name? The origins of station names of the London Underground
  | publisher = London Transport and Midas Books
  | date = 1977
  | id =  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Hutchinson
  | first = Harold F.
  | authorlink =
  | title = London Transport Posters
  | publisher = London Transport
  | date = 1963
  | id =  }}

* Jackson, Alan & Croome, Desmond. ''Rails Through The Clay'', Capital Transport 1993
* Lawrence, David. ''Underground Architecture'', Capital Transport 1994
* Lee, Charles E. ''The Bakerloo line, a brief history'', London Transport 1973 (and similar volumes covering other lines, published 1972-1976)
* Meek, James. ''[[London Review of Books]]'', [[5 May]] [[2005]], [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v27/n09/meek01_.html "Crocodile's Breath"]
* Menear, Laurence. ''London's Underground Stations, a Social and Architectural Study'', Midas Books 1983
* Rose, Douglas. ''The London Underground: A Diagrammatic History'', Capital Transport 2005, ISBN 978-1-85414-315-0
* Saler, Michael. ''The Avant-Garde in Interwar England: 'Medieval Modernism' and the London Underground'', Oxford University Press 1999
* Saler, Michael. "The 'Medieval Modern' Underground: Terminus of the Avant-Garde", ''Modernism/Modernity'' 2:1, January 1995, pp. 113-144 
* Wolmar, Christian. ''Down the Tube: the Battle for London's Underground'', Aurum Press 2002
* Wolmar, Christian. ''The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground Was Built and How It Changed the City For Ever'', Atlantic 2004, ISBN 1-84354-023-1

==External links==
;Official
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ ''Transport for London'' Home page]
** [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/maps/ Tube and DLR maps]
** [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx Facts and figures]
** [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx Tourist information]
* [http://www.btp.police.uk British Transport Police]
* [http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/ London Transport Museum]

;Technical
* [http://terkepnezo.hu/terkep-europa-map/london-underground-map-london-tube-map-interactive-google-underground-map-here.html London Tube Map - Interactive London Underground map]
* Clive Feather’s highly detailed [http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/ Underground Line Guides]
* Richard’s [http://www.squarewheels.org.uk/rly/stock/ LU rolling stock page]
* Technical Service Maps BCV/SSL/Tube Lines etc [http://www.cryptart.com/tube Technical Maps]
* Tube Professionals’ RUmour NEtwork [http://www.trainweb.org/tubeprune/index.htm The Tubeprune]
* Stephen Knight’s [http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/lu/track_schematics/index.htm London Underground Track Maps] (Site broken. [http://web.archive.org/web/20060310214839/www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/lu/track_schematics/index.htm Archived version] on the [[Internet Archive]].)

;Visual
* [http://photos.ltmcollection.org London's Transport Museum Photographic Collection] &mdash; A site of historical ''Transport for London'' images
* [http://www.nycsubway.org/eu/uk/london/ Photographs of London Underground]
* [http://www.dougrose.co.uk/ London Underground Edwardian Tile Patterns]
* [http://www.pbase.com/giliyaari/london_tube London Underground Photos]
* [http://www.tubephotos.com/ Tube Architecture]

;Other
* [http://solo2.abac.com/themole/ Going Underground]
* [http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground/ London Underground, the song by Adam Kay & Suman Biswas; warning! explicit content]
* [http://london-underground.blogspot.com/ London Underground Tube Diary and Blog] &mdash; commuters' blog
* [http://train.spottingworld.com/London_Underground_trivia London Underground Trivia]
* [http://underground-history.co.uk/ Disused Stations on London's Underground]
* [http://www.pendar.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Tube/ London's Abandoned Tube Stations]
* [http://www.berga.nu/Lennart_T/lu/index.html Index to London Underground History] - A timeline of the London Underground
* [http://www.alwaystouchout.com/ alwaystouchout.com] &mdash; a database of transport projects proposed or under way in London, including Underground projects
* [http://www.geocities.com/londondestruction/tube.html Old Tube Architecture conservation] &mdash; Victorian artefacts in need of protection.
* [http://citymayors.com/transport/london_underground.html CityMayors article on history]
* [http://www.citymayors.com/transport/london-transport.html CityMayors article on PPP]
* {{dmoz|Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/London/Transport/Underground/}}
* {{it}} [http://www.stazionidelmondo.it London underground]

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