The London Underground - often referred to by Londoners as "the Tube" - incorporates the oldest section of underground railway in the world, which first ran on January 9, 1863, opening to the public on the following day. The network today includes 270 stations and is still the third-largest subway system in the world.
The first underground line was the Metropolitan Railway, built between Paddington station and Farringdon Street, in the City of London. This image from May 1862 shows Metropolitan Railway Company directors and engineers taking the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Ewart Gladstone, on an inspection tour of the line before it opened.
In the beginning, the Underground was steam-powered. In January 2013, a newly restored steam engine, built in 1898, known as Met Locomotive No. 1, will take a commemorative journey to celebrate 150 years of the London Underground. The train will retrace the underground journey along the original route, which is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.
Fast-forward to the twentieth century - this image shows the interior of a London Underground train circa 1920. By this point the network was expanding rapidly and electric trains were in operation.
During World War II many Londoners made use of Tube stations as air raid shelters. They offered ready-made protection from the bombs falling from the sky. But they weren't always safe places to be: Poor ventilation and cramped conditions led to frequent problems. This image shows families sheltering at Bounds Green Underground station in December, 1940.
A far cry from today's modern stations, like Canary Wharf, a vast subterranean station that was opened in 1999 to serve London's financial hub. Tens of thousands of city workers use the station each day, making it one of the busiest on the network. It was designed by renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster.
And this is a network running at full capacity: It's estimated that around 1.2 billion journeys are made on the London Underground each year, making it the third busiest metro system in Europe. But there are frequent problems with delays and overcrowding - especially at rush hour, when some stations have to restrict access for safety reasons.
On July 7, 2005, four home-grown Islamist terrorists detonated bombs, three in quick succession on London Underground trains, and a fourth on a double-decker bus. Fifty-two people were killed in the attacks, and over 700 more were injured. This image shows a damaged train at Aldgate station.
But Londoners are resilient. On the eve of the introduction of an alcohol ban across the London Underground on May 31, 2006, revelers held an alcohol-fuelled party across the network. Here a packed Circle Line train is about to close its doors.
There were fears that staging the Olympic Games in London would overburden the underground tube network, but careful planning and military-style marshalling from an army of volunteers ensured that all the lines ran smoothly.
In its 150-year history, the Tube has become an international icon for London. Its design - including the Tube map, the Johnson typeface and the Underground roundel seen here - has influenced many other transport networks worldwide. The London Underground has become part of the fabric of the city.
On 9 January 1863, the first underground journey took place between Paddington and Farringdon on the Metropolitan Railway - the first line to operate on the London Underground. DW looks back at 150 years of "the Tube."
On 9 January 1863, the first underground journey took place between Paddington and Farringdon on the Metropolitan Railway - the first line to operate on the London Underground. DW looks back at 150 years of "the Tube."
