The London Underground is an electric mass transit railway system or a metro system that covers the whole area of London and beyond the city of London. It runs both above and below ground. It is also known by the name of “the Tube", for its round-shaped tube like tunnels through which small trains move.



The London Underground is the oldest underground railway in the world. The first tube line opened in 1863 and the carriages were pulled by steam engines. At the moment the London tube is the longest underground railway in the world. If the weather is nice and one has time then take a trip on the Docklands Light Railway (part of Tube Network) as it will give a magnificent view of the River Thames and the part of town called Docklands. The line is mostly above ground so one can enjoy some fantastic views of the city and its waterfront.

London Underground Limited was formed in 1985, but its history dates back to 1863 when the first world underground railway opened in London. Today London Underground is a major business, with over 3 million passenger journeys a day, some 500 peak trains, 253 stations owned (275 served), over 12,000 staff and vast engineering assets.

The Tube which links London from outer sphere t its inner circle is a vast maze of lines connecting each other. Daily about 3 million people use this service to go to their office or to reach the sanctuary of their homes.

One of the things which is most interesting is the changing history of the railway, of which there is still much hidden evidence. For example, look through the window as one travel between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn on the Central Line and one can see a station - where no passengers have alighted since 1932. This used to be British Museum station. Or perhaps one may notice the tunnel wall change from cast iron tubing to bricks as one travel on the Piccadilly Line between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. This also used to be a station. Down Street These stations are often referred to as ghost stations.

There are about 40 abandoned or relocated stations on the Underground network along its entire 255 miles (408Km) of track way - some subsurface and some above ground. Some have vanished without trace whereas others are almost intact, grimy time capsules of the era when they were closed.

Aldwych is almost certainly the most “used" of the disused stations on the London Underground - today not by passengers, but by film and television companies. The fact that it’s on a branch line still connected to the main network and that it’s now deserted, yet at the same time being in reasonably good condition down at platform level makes the station an ideal filming location. Films and TV programs that have used it as a location include Paramoun’s Patriot Games; the All Saints film Honest, the BBC production of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.

The many idiosyncrasies of London tube is a well known fact and not only the Londoner’s but also the tourist enjoy the Tube ride.