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 System
Greater            London is home to some 7.5 million people. With a total route length            of over 400 km, the London Underground is among the largest rapid transit            systems in the world. But despite its name, less than 50% of the entire            system is underground. The extensive network can be divided into two            groups:
1) Subsurface            lines which include the Circle Line, Hammersmith & City Line,            Metropolitan Line and District Line (and previously also the East London            Line). The different subsurface lines are interlaced, and the District            Line actually represents a small metro network by itself. The subsurface            lines run at low depth or on the surface and are among the oldest London            Underground routes. Trains used on these lines are 2.85-2.95 m wide            and 3.69 m high.
2) Tube            lines which include the Northern Line, Central Line, Bakerloo Line,            Piccadilly Line, Victoria Line, Jubilee Line and the Waterloo & City Line. In Central London, the tube lines run through deep tube tunnels,            and trains are 2.64 m wide and only 2.88 m high. Outside Central London,            many sections of the tube lines run on the surface. The tube lines represent            about two thirds of the total length of the network. The entire London            Underground is therefore also known as "the Tube".
Due to            the different train and tunnel profiles, subsurface and tube lines can            only share the same tracks on surface routes, which is the case on the            section between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge, which is served by both the            Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. Bakerloo Line trains share            mainline tracks (now part of the London Overground network).
Besides            the London Underground system proper, the Greater London area is served            by the growing Docklands Light Railway, London Tramlink, London Overground            plus numerous frequent suburban trains radiating from the various terminal            stations and the cross-city Thameslink trains.
 History
-          19th Century - The Beginnings
London            is the mother of all the world's metro systems. Already in 1863 the first tunnel was opened in the city centre for a rail line between Paddington (originally called Bishops Rd) and Farringdon although trains of the Metropolitan Railway were operated initially with steam engines. In the following decades            the line was extended east and west, and reached Hammersmith in 1864, South Kensington in 1868, Aldgate in 1876, and Tower of London in 1882. A northwestern branch was opened from Baker Street to Swiss Cottage in 1868 which was later            extended in stages as far as Chesham by 1889.
In            the meantime, between 1868 and 1871, the Metropolitan            District Railway built a line between South Kensington and Mansion House. The entire circle was finished in 1884 with            the Mansion House - Tower section. The District was also extended            at both ends during the following decades and served Hammersmith in 1874, Richmond in 1877, Ealing Broadway in 1879 and Wimbledon in 1889.
The Metropolitan Line persists on the            London Underground map (although part of the original line now is the Hammersmith & City Line) and has become            a synonym all over the world for many different kinds of urban rail            transport systems. This first line was so successful that very quickly            a large network of underground and surface lines was built.
The            first "real" metro line, however, was the City & South            London Railway, between Stockwell and King William Street (later            replaced by Bank) in the City of London, which opened on 4 Nov            1890 and which is part of today's Northern Line. This was the            first underground line in the world using electric traction. In 1898,            two years after Glasgow 's cable drawn            subway and Budapest 's first electric            underground line had opened, another short electric tube line started            operating in London, this is today's Waterloo & City Line. From 1900 onwards, the Metropolitan and the District Railways began electrifying            all their lines.
-            20th & 21st Century
Most            of today's underground lines were built in the first half of the 20th            century in deep level tube tunnels within the central area of London            and extended above ground through the suburbs. Later, in the 1960s,            the Victoria Line was an important            addition to the network. Eventually the Jubilee            Line complemented the current system in time for the Millennium            celebrations.
While            the expansion of the underground network almost came to a stop in the            1970s, a light rail system was built for the new housing developments            in the former docklands area, the Docklands Light            Railway, which was expanded underground under the River Thames            to Greenwich and Lewisham (opened 20 Nov 1999 except Cutty            Sark station).
In            South London, around Croydon, a modern tram network was built which            runs on street level in downtown Croydon and on old BR tracks on outer            routes. The system opened for traffic in summer 2000.
In            1993 construction work for the south-east extension of the Jubilee            Line began. The above ground section between Stratford and North Greenwich opened May 14, 1999 with the entire extension            entering service in various stages until 22 Dec. 1999. Former Jubilee            Line terminus at Charing Cross was closed on 20 Nov. 1999.
On            27 March 2008, the Piccadilly Line was extended to serve the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport            (2 km). 6 trains an hour now run via the Terminal 4 loop, and 6 trains            go directly to Terminal 5. ( Photos here )
On            12 Oct 2008, a new station was added on the Hammersmith & City Line, called Wood Lane and located between Latimer Road and Shepherd's Bush stations, the latter having            been renamed Shepherd's Bush Market at the same time. ( Photos            here )
On            13 Dec 2009, the traditional Circle Line ceased to be a proper circular line, it now operates from Hammersmith            to Edgware Road via the entire circle.
 Circle          Line
26.5 km,            36 stations (serving Edgware Road twice, and two different Paddington            stations)
Until            13 Dec 2009, the Circle Line was a real circular line (20.5 km), but            now it is operated from Hammersmith to Edgware Road via Paddington,            Edgware Road, Liverpool Street, Embankment, Victoria and High Street            Kensington. On almost its entire route, the Circle Line shares tracks            with other subsurface lines.
Farringdon            | Kings Cross/St. Pancras | Bayswater
 
 Metropolitan          Line
65.3 km,            34 stations
The Metropolitan            Line's four western branches are operated as follows during off-peak            hours (all trains stopping all stations), with a complex pattern of            fast and semi-fast services during peak hours:
1) Aldgate - Uxbridge (4t/h)
5) Kensington Olympia - High Street Kensington
Bow Road            | Wimbledon | Chiswick            Park
 
 Northern          Line
59. 1            km, 52 stations
The central            segment of the Northern Line incorporates what was the world's first            electric underground railway, opened in 1890 between Stockwell and King            William Street (near the present Monument station). The Northern Line probably            has the most unconventional route layout worldwide, with three northern            termini and one in the south, plus two different routes through the            city centre, resulting in complex service pattern. From the northern            branches, southbound trains continue through the city on alternating            routes (indicated "via Bank" or "Via Charing Cross"),            with some trains terminating at Kennington.
There            are recent plans to extend the Northern Line from the Kennington loop            to Battersea Park with an intermediate station at Nine Elms.
Finchley            Central | Goodge Street | Clapham South
 
 Central          Line
73.3 km,            50 stations
Opened            in 1900, the Central Line is a cross-city tube line right through the heart of London, with two branches at the western end, and two at the            eastern, where the Hainault loop is served frequently by trains via            Newbury Park to Hainault, but on the Hainault - Woodford section there            is a train only every 20 minutes.
Ealing Broadway            | Lancaster Gate | Holborn
 
 Waterloo & City Line
2.4 km,            2 stations
The Waterloo & City Line is a non-stop shuttle service between Waterloo railway            station and the City of London. It only became part of the London Underground            system in 1994.
Waterloo            | Bank | Bank
Bakerloo          Line
23.6 km,            25 stations
The Bakerloo            Line is a typical tube line on its route through the city centre, opened            in the first decade of the 20th century, but north of Queen's Park it            shares tracks with London Overground services (Euston to Watford Jn),            so the tube trains have to stop at platforms which have a height between            the typical tube platforms and those of mainline railways.
Harrow & Wealdstone | Maida Vale | Lambeth North
 
 Piccadilly          Line
65.6 km,            52 stations
The Piccadilly            Line is a typical tube line from the early 20th century, although some            of the western sections date back to 1877, when they were opened as            part of the District and Metropolitan Railways. It runs from the north            towards the west, where it splits into two branches. On the Uxbridge            branch, tracks are shared with the Metropolitan Line between Rayners            Lane and Uxbridge. Between South Kensington and Turnham Green, the Piccadilly            Line runs parallel to the District Line, but on separate tracks. On            the Heathrow branch, trains either run around the Terminal 4 loop in            an anti-clockwise direction or go directly to Terminal 5.
Arnos Grove            | Hyde Park Corner | Acton Town
 
 Victoria          Line
21.3 km,            16 stations
The Victoria            Line is a relatively new tube line built in the 1960s to create yet            another north-south link through Central London and connect several            railway termini. The Victoria Line is completely underground.
Finsbury            Park | Stockwell | Warren Street
 
 Jubilee          Line
37.2 km,            27 stations
The Jubilee            Line is the latest addition to the London Underground network, although            some sections on its northern part had opened in as early as 1879 as            part of the Metropolitan Railway. The route to Stanmore was initially            a branch of the Metropolitan Line when it opened in 1932, it was transferred            to the Bakerloo Line in 1939, and was eventually integrated into the            new Jubilee Line in 1979. The Jubilee Line was finally extended to Stratford            via Canary Wharf in 1999. The underground stations along this extension            are equipped with platform screen doors.
Canary Wharf            | London Bridge | West Ham
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 Other          Urban Rail Systems in Greater London
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 Docklands          Light Railway
34 km,            40 stations
The DLR            is a rapid transit system in East London, developed since the 1980s.            It runs mostly elevated or at grade, but includes two tunnels under            the River Thames. In preparation for the 2012 Olympics, yet another            6 km leg was added to the system: the section from Canning Town to Stratford            was taken over from the North London Railway, and a short extension            to Stratford International Station was newly built (6 stations). This            extension opened on 31 Aug 2011. The DLR is operated with driverless            trains, although all trains have a steward onboard who is responsible            for door closing. The basic line pattern is:
1) Bank            - Lewisham
5) Stratford International - Woolwich Arsenal / Beckton.
Crossharbour            | South Quay (old station) | Bank
 
 London          Tramlink
28 km,            38 stops
London's            only tram system opened in 2000 as "Croydon Tramlink"; it            uses some disused railway routes, but runs on-street through the Croydon            town centre. Ever since it opened, extensions have been proposed as            well as new lines in other parts of London, but none of these has come            to fruition. More about Tramlink
 
 London          Overground
The London            Overground network was launched in November 2007, after the North London            Line (Richmond to Stratford), the West London Line (Clapham Junction            to Willesden Junction), the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, and the Watford            Junction to Euston Line, all previously operated by Silverlink, had            been taken over by Transport for London in order to create an S-Bahn/RER-style            service by incorporating the upgraded East London Line and establishing            an orbital service in the mid-term.
Shoreditch            High Street | Dalston Junction | Imperial Wharf
The East            London Line, formerly part of the London Underground network, was closed            in December 2007 to allow for its upgrading and extension north to Highbury & Islington (connection with North London Line) and south on existing            tracks to West Croydon, Crystal Palace and Clapham Junction. Initially,            the line will run from Dalston Junction in the north to New            Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon in the south. Along            the northern stretch, there are four new stations: Shoreditch High            Street (replacing the original Shoreditch station, which            closed permanently on 9 June 2006), Hoxton, Haggerston, Dalston Junction (adjacent to Silverlink's Dalston Kingsland).            Later it will continue to Canonbury and Highbury & Islington (2011). The southern extension uses existing railway lines shared            with other services. It            is returning into service with new rolling stock in various stages from            2010 to 2012:
09 June            2006: Shoreditch Station closed (ELL)
09 Dec 2006: Stratford ï¿½ North Woolwich closed for the DLR extension            (NLL)
11 Nov 2007: London Overground introduced for NLL, WLL, GOBLIN and Watford            DC services
22 Dec 2007: London Underground East London line (Whitechapel ï¿½ New            Cross / New Cross Gate) closed for conversion
28 Sept 2008: Shepherd's Bush station opened (WLL)
15 April 2009: Stratford Overground platforms relocated (NLL)
27 Sept 2009: Imperial Wharf station opened (WLL)
20 Feb 2010: Gospel Oak ï¿½ Stratford closed (NLL)
27 April 2010: Dalston Junction ï¿½ New Cross/New Cross Gate (ELL)
23 May 2010: New Cross Gate ï¿½ Crystal Palace/West Croydon (ELL)
01 June 2010: Gospel Oak ï¿½ Stratford reopened (NLL)
28 Feb 2011: Dalston Junction ï¿½ Highbury & Islington
09 Dec 2012: Clapham Junction ï¿½ Dalston Junction (via Surrey Quays)            (SLL)
31 May 2015: Liverpool Street ï¿½ Chingford / Enfield Town / Cheshunt
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