Metropolitan District Railway
Encyclopedia
The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line
of the London Underground
. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs. It was a private company that was purchased by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
and moved into public ownership in 1933 as part of the undertakings of the London Passenger Transport Board
.
station and extended in stages to Mansion House
. Sections were opened as follows with the District also running westwards over the MetR's tracks to Gloucester Road
and High Street Kensington
:
From this core, the District began extending branches to reach new population centres, mainly in the west:
This completed the Metropolitan District Railway system.
In addition, services ran as far as the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea
in Essex
from 1 June 1910 and to from 1911, until 30 September 1939: these services were run jointly with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
and its successors, the Midland Railway
and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
.
traction on the Ganz
three-phase system. This was accepted by both parties but when an American
led group, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
(UERL), took control of the District there was disagreement. The group was led by Charles Yerkes
, whose experience in the United States led him to favour DC
, with third-rail pickup similar to that in use on the City & South London Railway
and Central London Railway
. After arbritration by the Board of Trade
the latter system was taken up and the railways began electrifying the routes, using multiple-unit stock.
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs. It was a private company that was purchased by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
Underground Electric Railways Company of London
The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited , known operationally as The Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube"A "tube" railway is an underground railway constructed in a circular tunnel by the use...
and moved into public ownership in 1933 as part of the undertakings of the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
.
Line openings
The core section of the District commenced at the MetR's South KensingtonSouth Kensington tube station
South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
station and extended in stages to Mansion House
Mansion House tube station
Mansion House is a London Underground station in the City of London, near Mansion House . It is a sub-surface station served by trains on the Circle and District Lines. It is between Blackfriars and Cannon Street stations. The station is located at the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Cannon...
. Sections were opened as follows with the District also running westwards over the MetR's tracks to Gloucester Road
Gloucester Road tube station
-Deep-level station:By the beginning of the 20th century, the MDR had been extended to Richmond, Ealing Broadway, Hounslow West and Wimbledon in the west and to New Cross Gate in the east...
and High Street Kensington
High Street Kensington tube station
High Street Kensington is a London Underground station at Kensington High Street.The station is on the Circle Line between Gloucester Road and Notting Hill Gate, and the District Line between Earl's Court and Notting Hill Gate. It is in Travelcard Zone 1....
:
- 24 December 1868: South Kensington to Westminster BridgeWestminster tube stationWestminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in...
. - 30 May 1870: Westminster BridgeWestminster tube stationWestminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in...
to Blackfriars.- 12 April 1869: Gloucester Road to West BromptonWest Brompton stationWest Brompton is a Network Rail West London Line and London Underground District Line station in west London. It is located on Old Brompton Road immediately south of Earls Court Exhibition Centre and to the west of Brompton Cemetery....
(Earl's CourtEarl's Court tube stationEarl's Court tube station is a London Underground station in Earls Court. The station is located between Earls Court Road and Warwick Road . It is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2 and is in both zones....
was opened on 10 October 1871).
- 12 April 1869: Gloucester Road to West Brompton
- 3 July 1871: Blackfriars to Mansion House.
- Also High Street Kensington to the West Brompton branch.
From this core, the District began extending branches to reach new population centres, mainly in the west:
- 1 February 1872: Earl's Court to Addison Road (renamed Kensington (Olympia)Kensington (Olympia) stationKensington station is a station in West London managed and served by London Overground and also served by Southern and London Underground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...
in 1946) on the West London Joint RailwayWest London LineThe West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
. - 9 September 1874: Earl's Court to HammersmithHammersmith tube station (Piccadilly & District Line)Hammersmith tube station is a London Underground station in Hammersmith. It is on the District Line line between Barons Court and Ravenscourt Park, and on the Piccadilly Line between Barons Court and Acton Town or Turnham Green at very early morning and late evening hours...
. - 1 June 1877: Hammersmith to Ravenscourt ParkRavenscourt Park tube stationRavenscourt Park is a London Underground station located in west Hammersmith, west London. The station is served by the District Line and is between Hammersmith and Stamford Brook stations....
, where a connection was made with the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western RailwayThe London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(L&SWR), allowing District trains to run over L&SWR tracks to RichmondRichmond station (London)Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
(The L&SWR branch to Richmond from Addison Road via stations at Shepherd's BushShepherd's Bush railway station (L&SWR)Shepherd's Bush is a closed London and South Western Railway station in Shepherd's Bush, west London. The station was situated on the L&SWR's line between Richmond and the West London Joint Railway...
and Hammersmith (Grove Road)Hammersmith (Grove Road) stationHammersmith railway station was on the London and South Western Railway . It was located in Grove Road , Hammersmith, adjacent to the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines station....
had been opened in 1869). - 1 July 1879: Turnham GreenTurnham Green tube stationTurnham Green is a London Underground station in Chiswick in west London. The station is located on Turnham Green Terrace, but the actual green is much closer to Chiswick Park station. The station is served by the District and Piccadilly Lines although Piccadilly Line trains normally only stop at...
- Ealing (now Ealing Broadway). - 1 March 1880: West Brompton to Putney Bridge & Fulham (now Putney BridgePutney Bridge tube stationPutney Bridge is a London Underground station on the branch of the District Line. It is between and stations and is in Zone 2. The station is located in the south of Fulham, adjacent to Fulham High Street and New Kings Road and is a short distance from the north end of Putney Bridge from which...
). - 1 March 1883: Ealing Broadway to WindsorWindsor and Eton Central railway stationWindsor & Eton Central station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor in Berkshire, England. Although a small part still functions as a railway station, the station structure has largely been converted into a tourist-oriented shopping centre, known as Windsor Royal Shopping...
via a connection at Ealing Broadway to the Great Western RailwayGreat Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
tracks. The service was withdrawn on 30 September 1885. - 1 May 1883: Mill Hill Park (now Acton TownActon Town tube stationActon Town is a London Underground station in Acton, west London, served by the Piccadilly and District lines. The station is at the junction of Gunnersbury Lane and Bollo Lane and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...
) to Hounslow TownHounslow Town tube stationHounslow Town was a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station was at the east end of Hounslow High Street at the junction with Kingsley Road...
(closed shortly afterwards). - 21 July 1884: Osterley & Spring Grove (now OsterleyOsterley tube stationOsterley is a London Underground station in Osterley in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line, between Boston Manor and Hounslow East. The station is located on Great West Road close to the National Trust-owned Osterley Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 4...
) to Hounslow Barracks (now Hounslow WestHounslow West tube stationHounslow West is a London Underground station in Hounslow in west London. The station is on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line, between Hatton Cross and Hounslow Central stations. The station is located on Bath Road about 600m from the junction of Bath Road, Great West Road and Great...
). - 6 October 1884: Mansion House to the MetR's Tower HillMark Lane tube stationMark Lane tube station is a disused station on the Circle and District Lines of the London Underground, west of the modern Tower Hill station....
. New tracks east of Tower Hill towards St. Mary'sSt Mary's tube stationSt Mary's was a station on London Underground's District line located between the present-day stations at Whitechapel and Aldgate East.-History:...
(now closed) enabled the District to reach WhitechapelWhitechapel tube stationWhitechapel is a London Underground and London Overground station on Whitechapel Road in the Whitechapel neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line and Hammersmith and City line and is on...
and also connect to the East London Railway. District trains began to run to the London, Brighton and South Coast RailwayLondon, Brighton and South Coast RailwayThe London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
's New Cross (now New Cross Gate) station. The trains used the Thames TunnelThames TunnelThe Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...
to pass under the river. - 3 June 1889: Putney Bridge to WimbledonWimbledon stationWimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...
, was opened by the L&SWR with the District having running rights. - 2 June 1902: Whitechapel to Bromley-by-BowBromley-by-Bow tube stationBromley-by-Bow tube station is a London Underground station on the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach Road in the Bromley-by-Bow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, with both services sharing a...
and, via a connection there, on to the London, Tilbury and Southend RailwayLondon, Tilbury and Southend RailwayThe London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
and to UpminsterUpminster stationUpminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and in London fare zone 6. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and the eastern terminus of the District...
. - 23 June 1903: Ealing Common to Park Royal & Twyford AbbeyPark Royal & Twyford Abbey tube stationPark Royal & Twyford Abbey is a closed station on the route of the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground. It was located near Twyford Abbey Road a short distance north of the current Park Royal station which replaced it on 6 July 1931....
. - 28 June 1903: Park Royal & Twyford Abbey to South HarrowSouth Harrow tube stationSouth Harrow is a London Underground station on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly Line. The station is between Sudbury Hill and Rayners Lane. It is located on Northolt Road . The station is in Travelcard Zone 5...
. - 13 June 1905: Acton Town to South Acton.
- 1 March 1910: South Harrow to Rayners LaneRayners Lane tube stationRayners Lane is a London Underground station in the district of Rayners Lane in north west London, amid a 1930s development originally named Harrow Garden Village. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan Line, between Eastcote and West Harrow stations, and the Piccadilly...
where it met the MetR then continued, via MetR tracks, to UxbridgeUxbridge tube stationUxbridge is a London Underground station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, north-west London. The station is the terminus of the Uxbridge branches of both the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. The next station towards London is Hillingdon. The station is 15.5 miles west of...
.
This completed the Metropolitan District Railway system.
In addition, services ran as far as the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea
Southend Central railway station
Southend Central is a railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. Train services are provided by the National Express Group train operating company c2c...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
from 1 June 1910 and to from 1911, until 30 September 1939: these services were run jointly with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
and its successors, the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.
Electrification
Electrification had been considered by the MetR as early as the 1880s, but such a method of traction was still in its infancy, and agreement would need to be reached with the District because of the shared ownership of the Inner Circle. Experiments were later carried out on the Earl's Court-High Street Kensington section, and a jointly-owned train of six coaches began a passenger service in 1900. As a result of those tests a MetR/District committee in 1901 recommended overhead ACAlternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
traction on the Ganz
Ganz
The Ganz electric works in Budapest is probably best known for the manufacture of tramcars, but was also a pioneer in the application of three-phase alternating current to electric railways. Ganz also made / makes: ships , bridge steel structures , high voltage equipment...
three-phase system. This was accepted by both parties but when an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
led group, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
Underground Electric Railways Company of London
The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited , known operationally as The Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube"A "tube" railway is an underground railway constructed in a circular tunnel by the use...
(UERL), took control of the District there was disagreement. The group was led by Charles Yerkes
Charles Yerkes
Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...
, whose experience in the United States led him to favour DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
, with third-rail pickup similar to that in use on the City & South London Railway
City & South London Railway
The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction...
and Central London Railway
Central London Railway
The Central London Railway , also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900...
. After arbritration by the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
the latter system was taken up and the railways began electrifying the routes, using multiple-unit stock.
- In 1902 the District commenced building the Lots Road Power StationLots Road Power StationLots Road Power Station is a disused coal and later oil-fired power station on the River Thames at Lots Road in Chelsea, London in the south-west of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which supplied electricity to the London Underground system...
to supply power to their network, which opened in 1905. - 1 July 1905: Aldgate-Whitechapel, initially for the District service
- 13–24 September 1905: gradual electrification of the Inner Circle
- 5 November 1905: completion of the electrification of the District lines with the electrification of the Edgware Road-Hammersmith and the Addison Road (now Olympia) branch
- 1 March 1910: Rayners LaneRayners Lane tube stationRayners Lane is a London Underground station in the district of Rayners Lane in north west London, amid a 1930s development originally named Harrow Garden Village. The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan Line, between Eastcote and West Harrow stations, and the Piccadilly...
- South Harrow. This enabled the District to extend its services to Uxbridge