Metropolitan
Overview
Type	Sub-Surface
System	London Underground
Stations	34
Ridership	66.8 million (2011/12)[1] passenger journeys
Colour on map	Magenta
Website	tfl.gov.uk
Operation
Opened	1863
Depot(s)	Neasden[2]
Rolling stock	S Stock 8 carriages per trainset
Technical
Line length	66.7 km (41.4 mi)
Transport for London rail lines London Underground lines   Bakerloo   Central   Circle   District   Hammersmith & City   Jubilee   Metropolitan   Northern   Piccadilly   Victoria   Waterloo & City Other lines   Docklands Light Railway   Tramlink   Overground v t e

The Metropolitan line is a London Underground service that connects Aldgate in the City of London, the capital's financial heart, with Amersham and Chesham in Buckinghamshire, with branches to Watford and Uxbridge. Coloured corporate magenta on the tube map, the line serves 34 stations in 41.4 miles (66.7 km). The track and stations between Aldgate and Baker Street are shared with the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge with the Piccadilly line, and between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham with Chiltern Railways trains.

In 1863 the Metropolitan Railway began the world's first underground railway service between Paddington and Farringdon Street with wooden carriages and steam locomotives, but the most important route became the line north into the Middlesex countryside, where it stimulated the development of new suburbs. Harrow was reached in 1880, and the line eventually extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire, more than 50 miles (80 km) from Baker Street and the centre of London. From the end of the 19th century, the railway shared tracks with the Great Central Railway route out of Marylebone. The central London lines were electrified by 1907, but electric locomotives were exchanged for steam locomotives on trains heading north of Harrow. After the Metropolitan Railway was absorbed by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933 the line was cut back to Aylesbury. The steam hauled trains ran until 1961 when the line was electrified to Amersham and London Transport services to Aylesbury withdrawn. The Hammersmith & City line was shown on the tube map as part of the Metropolitan line until 1990 when it appeared as a separate line. The current S Stock trains entered service between 2010 and 2012.

The track is underground in the central London section between Aldgate and Finchley Road; unlike London's deep level tube railways, the railway tunnels are just below the surface and of similar size to British main line trains. Of the 34 stations served, nine are below ground. Just under 67 million passenger journeys were made in 2011/12. Baker Street is the central London terminus for some trains, others continuing into the City to terminate at Aldgate. Most of the route is two tracks, except for the single track Chesham branch and a four-track section between Wembley Park and Moor Park that allows peak express or fast services to the outer suburbs to overtake slower trains. There are also four tracks between Wembley Park and Finchley Road, but the inner pair of tracks on this section were transferred firstly to the Bakerloo line in 1939, and then the Jubilee line in 1979, the trains on these lines calling at all stations.

By the end of 2016 it planned that the Watford branch will be diverted to Watford Junction, with Watford station closing. New signalling is planned to be used north of Baker Street from the end of 2016 and this will allow automatic train operation in the future.

History [edit]

Metropolitan Railway [edit]

Construction of the Metropolitan Railway close to King's Cross station in 1861

The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its mainline heading north from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex suburbs. Its first line connected the mainline railway termini at Paddington, Euston and King's Cross to the City. This was built beneath the New Road using the "cut-and-cover" method between Paddington and King's Cross and in tunnel and cuttings beside Farringdon Road from King's Cross to Smithfield, near the City. When, on 10 January 1863, this line opened with gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives, it was the world's first underground railway.^[3][4] When, in 1871 plans were presented for an underground railway in Paris, it was called the Métropolitain in imitation of the line in London.^[5] The modern word metro is a short form of the French word.

The railway was soon extended from both ends and northwards via a branch from Baker Street. It reached Hammersmith in 1864, Richmond in 1877 and completed the Inner Circle in 1884,^[6] but the most important route became the line north into the Middlesex countryside, where it stimulated the development of new suburbs. Harrow was reached in 1880, and the line eventually extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire, more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Baker Street and the centre of London. From the end of the 19th century, the railway shared tracks with the Great Central Railway route out of Marylebone.^[7]

Electric traction was introduced in 1905 with electric multiple units operating services between Uxbridge, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Baker Street. To remove steam and smoke from the tunnels in central London, the Metropolitan Railway purchased electric locomotives, and these were exchanged for steam locomotives on trains at Harrow from 1908.^[8] Unlike other railway companies in the London area, the Met developed land for housing and after World War I promoted housing estates near the railway with the "Metro-land" brand. To improve services, more powerful electric and steam locomotives were purchased in the 1920s. A short branch opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925. After World War I, the 4-mile (6.4 km) long Stanmore branch was built from Wembley Park.^[9]

London Transport [edit]

Electric Locomotive No.12 "Sarah Siddons" seen at a heritage event at Amersham in 2008

On 1 July 1933 the Metropolitan amalgamated with other Underground railways, tramway companies and bus operators to form the London Passenger Transport Board and a period of rationalisation followed. Responsibility for goods services was passed to the London and North Eastern Railway and the services northwest of Aylesbury were withdrawn in 1936,^[10] though services did return to Quainton Road between 1943 and 1948.^[11] In 1936 the Metropolitan line was extended from Whitechapel to Barking along the tracks of the District line.^[12] In 1939 the Stanmore branch was transferred to the Bakerloo line,^[13] subsequently to be transferred to the Jubilee line when that line opened in 1979.^[14] London Transport inherited a number of incompatible electric multiple units types from the Metropolitan Railway, including the 1927–33 multiple unit compartment stock used on routes to Watford and Rickmansworth and these were refurbished to form a uniform fleet and designated London Underground T Stock.^[15] In the 1950s a number of F Stock trains, with sliding doors under the control of the guard, were transferred to the Metropolitan line from the District line; these mainly worked the semi-fast Harrow and Uxbridge services.^[16]

Steam-hauled passenger trains ran north of Rickmansworth until 1961, when the line as far as Amersham was electrified and aluminium A stock, originally unpainted, replaced the T stock and locomotive hauled trains and the London Transport service north of Amersham withdrawn. More A Stock trains were built in 1962–63 to replace the trains on the Uxbridge service. The A Stock were 4-car units that could operate as four or eight car trains;^[17] normally operated as 8-cars, a 4-car unit operated the Chesham shuttle.^[18] Because of the growth of suburban traffic on the Metropolitan, the line north of Harrow-on-the-Hill was quadrupled to north of Moor Park by 1962.^[19] One person operation of the trains was proposed in 1972, but due to conflict with the Trade Unions was not introduced on the Metropolitan line until 1986.^[20]

A separate identity [edit]

A Stock vehicles at Rayners Lane in their original unpainted livery

Although the service on the East London line had been an isolated shuttle since 1939,^[12] the line was shown on London Underground maps as part of the Metropolitan line until 1968.^[21] In 1970 the line became shown on maps with a thin white line in the middle and labelled as the "East London section".^[22] By the 1985 map it had became the "East London Line", although remaining the same colour as the Metropolitan line with a white line in the middle,^[23] although this had changed to orange by the 1990 map.^[24] In 1990 the Hammersmith & City line became a separate line from Hammersmith to Algate East (Barking during the peak) and the Metropolitan line the line from Aldgate to Baker Street and then northwards, through "Metro-land" to Amersham with a branch to Uxbridge.^[12][24]

In 2003, the infrastructure of the Metropolitan line was partly privatised in a public–private partnership, managed by the Metronet consortium. Metronet went into administration in 2007 and the local government body Transport for London took over responsibilities.^[25]

From July 2010 S Stock trains have replaced A Stock units and the final A Stock passenger services ran on 26 September 2012,^[26] followed by a ticketed public railtour on 29 September.^[27] As the S Stock is a fixed eight carriage train, on 12 December 2010 London Underground reduced the service to Amersham from 4 to 2 trains an hour and provided a direct service between Chesham and central London, allowing the 4-car Chesham shuttle to be withdrawn.^[28]

Route [edit]

Map [edit]

The route of the Metropolitan line through the Greater London Boroughs and the English Counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. More details of the route between Baker Street and Aldgate are shown at Circle line: Map.

Railway line [edit]

[ v t e ] Metropolitan Main line

Legend Jubilee Line To Circle Line Baker Street Non-stop section Regent's Canal Lord's(1868-1939) St John's Wood Marlborough Road(1868-1939) Swiss Cottage(1868-1940) London to Aylesbury Line(to Marylebone station) Finchley Road Non-stop section West Hampstead(1879-1940) Kilburn(1879-1940) Willesden Green Dollis Hill(1909-1940) Neasden Wembley Park Stanmore branch (now Jubilee Line) Kingsbury(1932-1939) Queensbury(1934-1939) Canons Park(1932-1939) Stanmore(1932-1939) Preston Road(1908-1932) Preston Road(1932-) Northwick Park Harrow-on-the-Hill Uxbridge branch West Harrow Piccadilly Line from South Harrow Rayners Lane Eastcote Ruislip Manor Ruislip Ickenham Hillingdon(1923-1992) Hillingdon (1992-) Uxbridge depot Uxbridge (1904-1938) Uxbridge (1938-) North Harrow Pinner Northwood Hills Northwood Moor Park Watford Curve Croxley Proposed Croxley Rail Link Ascot Road Watford West Watford DC Line Watford High Street West Coast Main Line Watford Junction Watford Rickmansworth Chorleywood Chalfont & Latimer Chesham Amersham Closed to Brill & Verney Junction Great Missenden(1892-1961) Wendover(1892-1961) Stoke Mandeville(1892-1961) Aylesbury(1892-1893) Aylesbury(1894-1961) Waddesdon(1897-1936) Quainton Road(1896-1936, 1943-1948) Quainton Road(1891-1896) Former Great Central Railway route Granborough Road(1891-1936) Winslow Road(1891-1936) Verney Junction(1891-1936) Waddesdon Road(1899-1935) Westcott(1899-1935) Wotton(1899-1935) Wood Siding(1899-1935) Brill(1899-1935) Dates relate to Metropolitan Railway operations

The Metropolitan line is 42 mi (67 km) long and serves 34 stations.^[29] The line is electrified with a four-rail DC system: a central conductor rail is energised at –210 V and a rail outside the running rail at +420 V, giving a potential difference of 630 V.^[30] The first 6 miles (9.7 km) from the Aldgate terminus is underground,^[31] and services share track with Circle line and Hammersmith & City line services until Baker Street station, where the line diverges, remaining in tunnels until Finchley Road station.^[32] Between Finchley Road and Wembley Park station the line runs parallel to the Jubilee line, the tracks being paired by direction with cross-platform interchange at the two stations. At Wembley Park the Jubilee line diverges to the Stanmore branch in a grade separated junction. Just after Finchley Road these four tracks run in parallel to the Network Rail Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone station.^[32]

Between Wembley Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill station the Metropolitan is four tracks with fast and slow lines paired by direction, paralleling the two track un-electrified Chiltern Main Line. The slow tracks are between the fast tracks and the two intermediate stations are island platforms.^[32] Harrow-on-the-Hill station has platforms on all six tracks.^[32] The two central slow tracks diverge here in a grade separated junction to become the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) Uxbridge branch. After West Harrow tube station, at Rayners Lane tube station the line is joined by Piccadilly line services that share the tracks to Uxbridge; a turnback siding allows some Piccadilly line services to terminate at Rayners Lane.^[32][33]

On the main line between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Moor Park tube station the line is four track, paired by use. The western fast tracks are shared with Chiltern line services from Marylebone, the eastern slow tracks have platforms at the intermediate stations. There is access at Watford triangle to the Watford branch.^[32] At the moment this two tracked branch has two stations at Croxley tube station and Watford tube station,^[32] however in 2018 the Croxley Rail Link project is scheduled to close Watford station and divert the line to Watford Junction station via Watford High Street tube station.^[34] From the Watford triangle to Amersham station the line has two tracks. At Chalfont & Latimer station the 3.89 miles (6.26 km) single track Chesham branch diverges, running in parallel to the tracks to Amersham for a distance.^[29][32] The Metropolitan line, and the electrification for the trains, ends at Amersham station, where there are turnback sidings just beyond the platforms. The line continues to Aylesbury railway station with a passenger service provided by Chiltern Railway trains.^[35]

The fast lines north of Harrow, including all the lines north of Rickmansworth, are signalled with standard four-aspect Network Rail signal heads using standard LUL signalling.^[36] The upper two lights are a standard two-aspect LUL stop signal, displaying either a single green or single red aspect. The lower two lights are a standard LUL repeater signal for the next stop signal ahead, showing either a single green or single yellow aspect. The repeater indication is suppressed when the stop signal shows a red aspect. Thus the signal is two signals combined, giving the train driver a three-aspect signal. The danger indication is a single red light; the caution indication (that is the next stop signal shows danger) is a yellow light with a green light above it and the clear indication is two green lights.^[36]

Services [edit]

The off-peak service as of December 2012^[update] is:

• 2 tph (trains per hour) between Amersham and Aldgate^[35]
• 2 tph between Chesham and Aldgate^[35]
• 4 tph between Watford and Baker Street^[37]
• 8 tph between Uxbridge and Baker Street, of which 4 tph continue to Aldgate.^[38]

There are additional trains during the peak hours. Off-peak trains stop at all stations, but some peak-hour Amersham and Chesham trains run non-stop between Moor Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill and/or Harrow-on-the-Hill and Wembley Park. Chiltern Railways also run two trains per hour from Amersham to Marylebone.^[35] The section from Aldgate to Baker Street is in Zone 1 and the line runs north west to Amersham in Zone 9.^[39] Nearly 68 million passenger journeys were made in 2011/12.^[1]

Rolling stock [edit]

S8 Stock running between Finchley Road and Kilburn

Since 26 September 2012 all services on the line are provided by S Stock trains^[40] introduced in July 2010 to replace the A Stock.^[41] These eight-car trains, part of Bombardier's Movia family, are equipped with air-conditioning made feasible as the sub-surface tunnels, unlike those on the deep-level tube lines, are able to disperse the exhausted hot air.^[42][43] These trains also have regenerative brakes, returning around 20% of their energy to the network and thus reducing energy consumption.^[44]

With a top speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h),^[42] the new 8-car trains have fewer seats — 306 compared with 448 in the A Stock, but is capable of accommodating more standing passengers — 697, compared with 597 in A Stock^{[note 1]} and has dedicated space for wheelchairs.^[45] It is planned to increase the traction voltage from the present nominal 630 V to 750 V to give better performance and allow the trains to return more energy to the network through their regenerative brakes.^[46]

Depot [edit]

The Metropolitan line is served by a depot at Neasden.^{[note 2]} The Metropolitan Railway opened a carriage works at Neasden in 1882 and the following year the locomotive works were moved from Edgware Road.^[47] In 1904–05 the depot was refitted to take the new electric multiple units^[48] and accommodation enlarged in 1932–3.^[49] After the amalgamation into the LTPB, the depot was rebuilt from 1936 to 1939. The depot was upgraded in 2010–11 to make it suitable for maintenance of the new S Stock trains.^[50] Trains are also stabled overnight at Uxbridge, Watford, Rickmansworth and Wembley Park.^[2]

Steam on the Met [edit]

LMS Black 5 44932 at Amersham in 1992

In 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan to Chesham, the first Steam on the Met event took place, with London Underground running two weekends of steam specials between Chesham and Watford.^[51] The event was a success and so in 1990, London Underground decided to run steam between Harrow and Amersham. In 1992, to celebrate 100 years of the Met at Amersham, the event was extended to five days at the end of May. In 1995, it was decided to run trains between Amersham and Watford.^[52]

Engines used in the event included BR standard class 4 tank, BR standard class 5, and GWR Pannier tanks. There were also various other rolling stock used as static displays at Rickmansworth sidings. The steam trains ran in between normal timetabled Metropolitan and main line services. Due to the imminent partial privatisation of LUL and the stock condition, the last steam excursion took place in 2000.^{[citation needed]} In 2008, special trains ran on the Met using Metropolitan Railway electric locomotive "Sarah Siddons" and diesel Class 20 locomotives.^[53]

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Metropolitan special services ran in January 2013 using a restored 1892 "Jubilee" carriage, 1898–1900 Ashbury and Cravens bogie carriages, Metropolitan Railway E Class steam locomotive No. 1 and electric locomotive "Sarah Siddons".^[54] Further events are planned in 2013 for Locomotive No. 1, "Sarah Siddons" and the Jubliee carriage, including a Steam back on the Met scheduled for May.^[55]

Upgrade and extension [edit]

Diagram of the rail link proposals

Sub-surface railway upgrade [edit]

Together with the introduction of the S Stock trains, the sub-surface track, electrical supply and signalling systems are being upgraded in a programme planned to increase peak-hour capacity on the Metropolitan line by 27 per cent by the end of 2018.^[56][57][58] A single control room for the sub-surface network is to be established in Hammersmith and an automatic train control (ATC) system will replace signalling equipment installed from the 1940s.^[56][59] Trackside signals with Automatic Train Protection (ATP) will remain on the line north of Harrow-on-the-Hill shared with Chiltern Railway DMUs.^[56] It is planned that the new signalling system will be used first on the line north of Baker Street from the end of 2016.^[56]

Croxley Rail Link [edit]

The Watford Branch is planned to be rerouted from the current terminus at Watford tube station over the disused Croxley Green branch line to Watford Junction. Funding was agreed in December 2011,^[60] and the necessary permission has been requested from the Government. Construction work is expected to start in June 2014 and end by January 2016.^[34]

List of stations [edit]

Open stations [edit]

In order from east to west

Station	Image	Opened[12]	Branch	Additional information	Position
Aldgate		18 November 1876	Circle	Terminus	51°30′50″N 000°04′34″W / 51.51389°N 0.07611°W / 51.51389; -0.07611 (01 - Aldgate tube station)
Liverpool Street		12 July 1875	Circle	Opened as Bishopsgate, renamed 1 November 1909	51°31′07″N 000°04′53″W / 51.51861°N 0.08139°W / 51.51861; -0.08139 (02 - Liverpool Street station)
Moorgate		23 December 1865	Circle	Opened as Moorgate Street, renamed 24 October 1924	51°31′07″N 000°05′19″W / 51.51861°N 0.08861°W / 51.51861; -0.08861 (03 - Moorgate station)
Barbican		23 December 1865	Circle	Opened as Aldersgate Street, renamed to Aldersgate in 1910, renamed Aldersgate and Barbican in 1923, current name is from 1968	51°31′13″N 000°05′52″W / 51.52028°N 0.09778°W / 51.52028; -0.09778 (04 - Barbican tube station)
Farringdon		10 January 1863	Circle	Station resited 22 December 1865. Opened as Farringdon Street, renamed Farringdon & High Holborn 1922, renamed 1936	51°31′12″N 000°06′19″W / 51.52000°N 0.10528°W / 51.52000; -0.10528 (05 - Farringdon station)
King's Cross St. Pancras		10 January 1863	Circle	Station resited 1941. Opened King's Cross, renamed King's Cross & St Pancras 1925, current name is from 1933.	51°31′49″N 000°07′27″W / 51.53028°N 0.12417°W / 51.53028; -0.12417 (06 - King's Cross St. Pancras tube station)
Euston Square		10 January 1863	Circle	Originally Gower Street, renamed 1909	51°31′33″N 000°08′09″W / 51.52583°N 0.13583°W / 51.52583; -0.13583 (07 - Euston Square tube station)
Great Portland Street		10 January 1863	Circle	Originally Portland Road, renamed Great Portland Street 1917, Great Portland Street & Regent's Park 1923, current name from 1933	51°31′26″N 000°08′38″W / 51.52389°N 0.14389°W / 51.52389; -0.14389 (08 - Great Portland Street tube station)
Baker Street		10 January 1863	Main line	Metropolitan line platforms date from 1868	51°31′19″N 000°09′25″W / 51.52194°N 0.15694°W / 51.52194; -0.15694 (09 - Baker Street tube station)
Finchley Road		30 June 1879	Main line	Finchley Road (South Hampstead) from 1885 to 1914	51°32′50″N 000°10′49″W / 51.54722°N 0.18028°W / 51.54722; -0.18028 (10 - Finchley Road tube station)
Wembley Park		12 May 1894	Main line		51°33′49″N 000°16′46″W / 51.56361°N 0.27944°W / 51.56361; -0.27944 (11 - Wembley Park tube station)
Preston Road		21 May 1908	Main line	Resited 1931/2	51°34′20″N 000°17′43″W / 51.57222°N 0.29528°W / 51.57222; -0.29528 (12 - Preston Road tube station)
Northwick Park		28 June 1923	Main line	Opened as Northwick Park & Kenton, renamed 1937	51°34′43″N 000°19′07″W / 51.57861°N 0.31861°W / 51.57861; -0.31861 (13 - Northwick Park tube station)
Harrow-on-the-Hill		2 August 1880	Main line	Opened as Harrow, renamed 1894	51°34′46″N 000°20′13″W / 51.57944°N 0.33694°W / 51.57944; -0.33694 (14 - Harrow-on-the-Hill station)
West Harrow		17 November 1913	Uxbridge		51°34′47″N 000°21′12″W / 51.57972°N 0.35333°W / 51.57972; -0.35333 (15 - West Harrow tube station)
Rayners Lane		26 May 1906	Uxbridge		51°34′31″N 000°22′17″W / 51.57528°N 0.37139°W / 51.57528; -0.37139 (16 - Rayners Lane tube station)
Eastcote		26 May 1906	Uxbridge		51°34′36″N 000°23′49″W / 51.57667°N 0.39694°W / 51.57667; -0.39694 (17 - Eastcote tube station)
Ruislip Manor		5 August 1912	Uxbridge		51°34′24″N 000°24′45″W / 51.57333°N 0.41250°W / 51.57333; -0.41250 (18 - Ruislip Manor tube station)
Ruislip		4 July 1904	Uxbridge		51°34′17″N 000°25′16″W / 51.57139°N 0.42111°W / 51.57139; -0.42111 (19 - Ruislip tube station)
Ickenham		25 September 1905	Uxbridge		51°33′43″N 000°26′31″W / 51.56194°N 0.44194°W / 51.56194; -0.44194 (20 - Ickenham tube station)
Hillingdon		10 December 1923	Uxbridge	Named Hillingdon (Swakeleys) in 1934, suffix gradually dropped, station resited in 1992	51°33′14″N 000°27′00″W / 51.55389°N 0.45000°W / 51.55389; -0.45000 (21 - Hillingdon tube station)
Uxbridge		4 July 1904	Uxbridge	Station resited in 1938 Terminus	51°32′45″N 000°28′42″W / 51.54583°N 0.47833°W / 51.54583; -0.47833 (22 - Uxbridge tube station)
North Harrow		22 March 1915	Main line		51°35′06″N 000°21′45″W / 51.58500°N 0.36250°W / 51.58500; -0.36250 (23 - North Harrow tube station)
Pinner		25 May 1885	Main line		51°35′34″N 000°22′50″W / 51.59278°N 0.38056°W / 51.59278; -0.38056 (24 - Pinner tube station)
Northwood Hills		13 November 1933	Main line		51°36′02″N 000°24′33″W / 51.60056°N 0.40917°W / 51.60056; -0.40917 (25 - Northwood Hills tube station)
Northwood		1 September 1887	Main line	The last station within Greater London	51°36′39″N 000°25′28″W / 51.61083°N 0.42444°W / 51.61083; -0.42444 (26 - Northwood tube station)
Moor Park		9 May 1910	Main line	Opened as Sandy Lodge; renamed Moor Park & Sandy Lodge, 18 October 1923; current name from 25 September 1950	51°37′47″N 000°25′58″W / 51.62972°N 0.43278°W / 51.62972; -0.43278 (27 - Moor Park tube station)
Croxley		2 November 1925	Watford	Opened as Croxley Green, renamed 23 May 1949	51°38′51″N 000°26′29″W / 51.64750°N 0.44139°W / 51.64750; -0.44139 (28 - Croxley tube station)
Watford		4 November 1925	Watford	Terminus	51°39′27″N 000°25′03″W / 51.65750°N 0.41750°W / 51.65750; -0.41750 (29 - Watford tube station)
Rickmansworth		1 September 1887	Main line		51°38′25″N 000°28′24″W / 51.64028°N 0.47333°W / 51.64028; -0.47333 (30 - Rickmansworth station)
Chorleywood		8 July 1889	Main line	Opened as Chorley Wood; renamed Chorley Wood & Chenies, 1 November 1915; reverted 1934; current name from 1964	51°39′15″N 000°31′06″W / 51.65417°N 0.51833°W / 51.65417; -0.51833 (31 - Chorleywood station)
Chalfont & Latimer		8 July 1889	Main line	Opened as Chalfont Road, renamed 1 November 1915	51°40′04″N 000°33′40″W / 51.66778°N 0.56111°W / 51.66778; -0.56111 (32 - Chalfont & Latimer station)
Chesham		8 July 1889	Chesham	Terminus	51°42′19″N 000°36′41″W / 51.70528°N 0.61139°W / 51.70528; -0.61139 (33 - Chesham tube station)
Amersham		1 September 1892	Main line	Renamed Amersham & Chesham Bois, 12 March 1922, reverted 1937 Terminus	51°40′27″N 000°36′27″W / 51.67417°N 0.60750°W / 51.67417; -0.60750 (34 - Amersham station)

Former stations [edit]

A 1924 map of the Brill and Verney Junction branches

The Brill Tramway, together with its stations Waddesdon Road, Westcott, Wotton, Church Siding, Wood Siding and Brill, were closed in 1935. In the following year Metropolitan line services were cut back to Aylesbury, Waddesdon station and Granborough Road, Winslow Road stations on the line to Verney Junction closing.^[12] Initially Verney Junction and Quainton Road remained open, with main line services provided by the LNER.

In 1939 the Stanmore branch and the stopping service between Finchley Road and Wembley Park were transferred to the Bakerloo line. On the St John's Wood section Lord's and Marlborough Road stations were replaced by St John's Wood tube station, and Swiss Cottage tube station replaced the Metropolitan line station.^[13][12] The Bakerloo line service to Stanmore was transferred to the Jubilee line when that line opened in 1979.^[14]

In 1961, when the steam locomotives were replaced and the line electrified as far as Amersham, the London Transport service to Great Missenden, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury stations was withdrawn.^[12]

Notes and references [edit]

Notes [edit]

1. ^ Based on 4 passengers per square metre.
2. ^ Position: 51°33′28″N 000°15′31″W / 51.55778°N 0.25861°W / 51.55778; -0.25861 (35 - Neasden Depot)

Footnotes [edit]

Sources [edit]

• Bruce, J Graeme (1983). Steam to Silver. A history of London Transport Surface Rolling Stock. Capital Transport. ISBN 0-904711-45-5. 
• Green, Oliver (1987). The London Underground: An illustrated history. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1720-4. 
• Horne, Mike (2003). The Metropolitan Line. Capital Transport. ISBN 1-85414-275-5. 
• Jackson, Alan (1986). London's Metropolitan Railway. David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8839-8. 

Further reading [edit]

• Foxell, Clive (2010). The Metropolitan Line. History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-5396-5. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Metropolitan Line

• Metropolitan line facts
• Clive's Underground Line Guide
• Railways Around Amersham & The Metropolitan Line

v t e Metropolitan line Stations Central London section Aldgate Barbican Euston Square Farringdon Great Portland Street King's Cross St. Pancras Liverpool Street Moorgate Core section Baker Street Finchley Road Harrow-on-the-Hill Northwick Park Preston Road Wembley Park Uxbridge branch Eastcote Hillingdon West Harrow Ickenham Rayners Lane Ruislip Ruislip Manor Uxbridge Outer section & branches Amersham Chalfont & Latimer Chesham Chorleywood Croxley Moor Park North Harrow Northwood Northwood Hills Pinner Rickmansworth Watford Click to enlarge Rolling stock Present rolling stock S8 Stock History Former lines Brill Tramway Metropolitan Railway Metropolitan line (1933-88) Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway Closed stations Brill Granborough Road Hammersmith (Grove Road) Lord's Marlborough Road Quainton Road Swiss Cottage Uxbridge Road Verney Junction Waddesdon Waddesdon Road Westcott Winslow Road Wood Lane Wood Siding Wotton Former stations Aylesbury Dollis Hill Great Missenden Gunnersbury Kensington (Olympia) Kew Gardens Kilburn Kingsbury Neasden Queensbury Ravenscourt Park Richmond Stamford Brook Stanmore Stoke Mandeville Turnham Green Wendover West Hampstead Willesden Green Transferred lines Aylesbury Line East London Line Hammersmith & City line Jubilee line Great Northern & City Railway Former rolling stock Metropolitan Railway electric multiple units GN&C Stock S Stock T Stock Circle Stock O/P/CP/CO/P1 Stock F Stock Main Line Stock A60 and A62 Stock Former locomotives A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class F Class G Class H Class K Class Metropolitan Railway electric locomotives Metropolitan departmental ex GWR Wotton Tramway Metro-Land Metro-land Metro-land (TV) Future proposals Croxley Rail link Croxley Rail Link Ascot Road Watford General Hospital Watford High Street Watford Junction Other West Hampstead interchange London Underground Transport for London London Transport portal

v t e Transport in Buckinghamshire Road Motorways M1 M4 M25 M40 A-Roads A4 A40 A41 A404 A412 A413 A418 A421 A422 A428 A4010 A4012 A4146 A4155 A5 A508 A509 A5130 Roman roads Akeman Street Watling Street Notable Junctions Handy Cross roundabout Denham Roundabout Magic Roundabout (High Wycombe) Motorway service stations Beaconsfield Newport Pagnell Rail Main lines West Coast Main Line Chiltern Main Line Great Western Main Line Other lines Marston Vale Line London to Aylesbury Line Metropolitan line Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line Marlow Branch Line Closed lines Varsity Line Great Central Main Line Banbury to Verney Junction Branch Line Brill Tramway Wycombe Railway Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway Cheddington to Aylesbury Line Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line Bedford to Northampton Line Other Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway East West Rail Link Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Seer Green rail crash List of railway stations Air Denham Aerodrome Turweston Aerodrome Silverstone Heliport Wycombe Air Park RAF Bases Waterways Rivers River Thames River Great Ouse Canals Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway (under construction) Grand Union Canal Branches: Slough Arm Wendover Arm Aylesbury Arm Footpaths National Trails Thames Path The Ridgeway Long-distance footpaths Icknield Way (path) Chiltern Way Greater Ridgeway Midshires Way Ouse Valley Way Shakespeare's Way Swan's Way Cycle Paths Route 4 Route 6 Route 50 Route 51 Route 57 Route 61 Route 70 Related articles v t e Transport in Milton Keynes Road Milton Keynes grid road system A421 A422 A4146 A5 A509 A5130 H6 Childs Way H10 Bletcham Way V6 Grafton Street V8 Marlborough Street Rail Bletchley railway station Bletchley TMD Bow Brickhill railway station East West Rail Link Fenny Stratford railway station Marston Vale Line Milton Keynes Central railway station Varsity Line West Coast Main Line Woburn Sands railway station Wolverton railway station Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line Bus Buses in Milton Keynes Arriva Shires & Essex Milton Keynes Coachway MK Metro Stagecoach in Northants United Counties Omnibus Water Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway (under construction) Cosgrove aqueduct Grand Union Canal Other transport Milton Keynes redway system Watling Street Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway