London Banter - Public Transport Expansion

In article ,
(Ben Nunn) wrote:

Unless I'm very much mistaken, it was Colin Rosenstiel
), in message
who said:

In message , Paul
Weaver writes

Looking at the history of the tube, the vast majority of it was
built between 1890 and the first world war.

Actually, comparatively little of today's tube network had been
built by then.

Hmm... if one includes all the bits that already existed under
alternate ownership, I'd guess that around two thirds of the current
network was already in place in 1914.

Not by route mileage. The 1914 tube network was a tiny fraction of
today's tubes. The surface (Circle/District/Hammersmith &
City/Metropolitan/East London) network was more of less complete by
then, though.

Depends what you're counting as the 'network'. When talking about
transport policy and expansion plans, any technical distinction between
different types of line is largely irrelevant. Passengers getting a
train service is what matters, whether it's deep-level, cut and cover or
overground.

But even it you're talking exclusively about tube tunnels - e.g.
excluding all cut and cover tunnels and overground running, it's still a
lot more than a 'tiny fraction'.

From memory, so might be slightly wrong, but it's roughly like this:

pre-1914:

Clapham Common-Archway
Golders Green-Charing X
Paddington-Elephant
Liverpool St-Wood Lane
Finsbury Park-Barons Court
Holborn-Aldwych
Waterloo-Bank
Finsbury Park-Moorgate

post-1914:

Finchley Road-Stratford
Brixton-Walthamstow Central
Clapham Common-Morden
Embankment-Kennington
Paddington-Queens Park
Finsbury Park-Arnos Grove
Liverpool St-Stratford
little bits of tunnel at Southgate, Hendon and Heathrow
a bit of Leytonstone-Newbury Park
little bit of DLR

I was talking about the lines. The surface lines were built for steam
and pretty complete before electrification 100 years ago. The tubes were
all-electric from the start but very limited until after WWI. Look at the
pre-1930s Piccadilly and after its extensions. It was hugely expanded.
Similarly the Northern from 1926.

--
Colin Rosenstiel