Event    From 10/1/1863 

First underground passenger railway - Metropolitan

Categories: Transport

Event

Between Paddington and Farringdon. A grand opening on the 9th preceded the opening to the public on Saturday 10 January 1863.

“That afternoon Hetta trusted herself all alone to the mysteries of the Marylebone underground railway, and emerged with accuracy at King’s Cross. She had studied her geography, and she walked from thence to Islington.” This description of an early underground journey, by a woman alone, comes from the 1875 ‘The Way We Live Now’ by Anthony Trollope (p.385 in vol.2, Penguin 2001). Living in Welbeck Street Hetta probably got on at (Great) Portland Street.

See Metropolitan Railway Company for more information.

It's interesting that, in 1829, George Shillibeer had launched the first omnibus service on a quite similar route: Marylebone Road to the Bank. Both services were catering to the middle classes who lived to the west and worked in the City.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
First underground passenger railway - Metropolitan

Commemorated ati

Baker Street Station Restoration

The walls of both platforms are adorned with information boards giving the hi...

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First underground passenger railway - LT plaque

London's roads were heavily congested, the railways stopped on the fringes of...

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First underground railway - red plaque

Metropolitan Railway The world's first underground railway opened from Paddin...

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Regents Park Station

Great Portland Street  is a London Underground station on the Circle, Hammers...

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Other Subjects

National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum

One of a trio of Greenwich museums, the others being the Royal Observatory and the Queen's House.

Group, Armed Forces, History, Museums / Libraries, Transport

3 memorials
Nine Elms Motive Power

Nine Elms Motive Power

This depot was responsible for the locomotives working out of Waterloo. Locomotive, carriage and wagon workshops were built in 1839 in Vauxhall at the end of Nine Elms Lane. Rebuilt following an 18...

Group, Engineering, Transport

2 memorials
Empire Windrush

Empire Windrush

Liner, built in Hamburg with the name 'Monte Rosa' as a luxury cruise ship. Many of the passengers in the early days were privileged members of the Nazi Party. She saw active service in WW2 and was...

Vehicle, Race Issues, Transport, Germany, Jamaica

8 memorials
route to market via Hackney

route to market via Hackney

The route to Bishopsgate can still be seen clearly on a current map, wending its way fairly directly via roads and footpaths from Mare Street Narrowway down to Virginia Road which, prior redevelopm...

Place, Commerce, Food & Drink, Transport

1 memorial
Bow Road Railway Station

Bow Road Railway Station

The authoritative-looking picture source website gives the date of opening as 4 April 1892 (contradicting the plaque) and the closing date as 1949 for passengers and 1962 finally.

Building, Architecture, Transport

1 memorial