"amogles" wrote in message
...
On 6 Jun., 16:58, john wright wrote:


"When there was only one line for the whole of London" What can that
refer to? Neither telephones nor rail lines makes much sense in this
context.

When the various "lines" that now form the London Underground were
built, they were separate railways and were referred to by their
names, ie C&SLR etc. I assume that the practice of calling them lines
must have come in when they were all part of London Underground. Does
anybody know when the term "line" first came into use in this context

'Line' to refer to a railway company was certainly in use by 1895: 'The
Importance of Being Earnest' - Jack Worthing had been left in a handbag in
the Left Luggage Office at Victotia station - 'The Brighton Line' "The line
is immaterial" (Can't you just hear Dame Edith Evans?). The Evening News
coined the name 'Bakerloo Line' as shorthand for 'The Baker Street and
Waterloo Railway'

Peter