The rich history of the Underground tends to intrigue its users and the many books which delve into its past continue to fly off the shelves. People are curious about how the system works and what goes on behind the scenes. Here we turn the spotlight on some of the little-known facts about the Tube.
The Underground mice have evolved into their own species and are strangely loved by passengers who see them scampering around the rails within stations. But there seem to be far fewer than in the past and people miss them! Whilst some remain, the improved levels of cleaning mean they’ve had to move on to pastures new to fill their bellies.
The longest tunnel on the Tube system runs on the Northern line from Morden to just before East Finchley. It is 27.8km long. Angel is home to the longest escalator in Western Europe at 60m. The deepest station in use on the London Underground is Hampstead. It’s buried 58.5m below the streets.
The London Underground was the first subterranean railway in the world and was an engineering marvel when it was built. However, the narrow Victorian tunnels which are still in use today make maintenance a challenge, while the lack of extra tunnels (like they have in New York) means trains have to stop running for work to be done. Tube Lines has between just 2½ and 4 hours each night to undertake essential maintenance.
Tube Lines is spending over £4.5 billion to upgrade the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. And it needs to! Some equipment in use is so old that the only way to find spare parts is to buy them on the internet. We’re not alone in doing a spot of e-shopping though – NASA does the same to find old computer chips.
Some of the most exciting modern toilets in Britain are to be found at Tube Lines' Stratford Market Depot. See how Tube Lines' leads the lavatorial way. Read more.