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.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

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...

Read More

First underground passenger railway - LT plaque

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

Read More

First underground railway - red plaque

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

Read More

Regents Park Station

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

Read More

Other Subjects

Brunel's Thames Tunnel

Brunel's Thames Tunnel

The first tunnel in the world under a navigable river. Built between 1825 and 1843 using the tunnelling shield technology invented by Marc Brunel. It was originally intended to be used for horse-dr...

Place, Engineering, Transport

5 memorials
Golden Jubilee Bridges

Golden Jubilee Bridges

Footbridges on either side of the Hungerford railway bridge. They replaced the single footbridge which was located on the downstream side of the bridge, and commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen ...

Place, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial
Harold Bride

Harold Bride

Born Harold Sidney Bride in Nunhead. He was trained by the Marconi Wireless Company and joined the RMS Titanic as junior wireless operator. After the ship's collision, he remained at his post until...

Person, Tragedy, Transport

1 memorial
Moorgate tube disaster

Moorgate tube disaster

At Moorgate station a southbound tube train from Drayton Park failed to stop on a terminus platform, ran into the tunnel, through the buffers and smashed into the wall at the end.  Because it was b...

Event, Tragedy, Transport

2 memorials
Orient Line

Orient Line

Began as a shipbroking company. The inauguration of a liner service to Australia with the packet boat 'Orient' in 1866 saw the company trade as The Orient Line of Packets, regularly shortened to Or...

Group, Transport

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Councillor David Avery

Councillor David Avery

David James Avery was born on 2 December 1933, the third of the five children of Frederick Joseph Avery (1897-1988) and Ethel Maud Avery née Lambert (1901-1984) whose birth was registered in the St...

Person, Medicine, Politics & Administration

2 memorials
High Path Estate horse trough

High Path Estate horse trough

SW19, Merton High Street, Doel Close

There is another trough with the same inscription further west along the road.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
The Chase - street party - birthday

The Chase - street party - birthday

SW4, The Chase

The birthday was on Saturday 11 June, so we take the date on the plaque to refer to the party.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator