district railway metropolitan district railway commonly known district railway passenger railway served london established complete inner circle underground railway london line opened gas lit wooden carriages hauled steam locomotives metropolitan railway operated services district introduced trains railway soon extended westwards earl court richmond completing inner circle reaching extended essex finance electrification beginning 20th century american took london group electric propulsion introduced end year electric multiple units operated services july railways merged metropolitan railway capital bus operators form today tracks stations london underground district circle lines history origins metropolitan railway known met opened world underground railway line built beneath new road connecting main line railway termini king cross followed road station street near capital financial heart city met early success prompted applications parliament new railways london competing similar routes house_of_lords established select committee recommended inner circuit railway actually join nearly principal railway termini metropolis parliamentary session railway schemes presented met recommendation varying ways joint committee composed members reviewed options proposals extend west south east accepted received july complete circuit committee encouraged amalgamation schemes proposed run different routes city combined proposal metropolitan district railway agreed day initially district met closely associated intended soon merge met chairman directors board district engineer companies construction works extensions let single contract district established separate company enable funds raised independently met unlike railway metropolitan opened route follow easy alignment existing roads land values higher compensation payments property higher ensure ventilation line west carried open rest mainly cut cover tunnel feet wide feet inches deep stations platform ends left open construction costs compensation payments high cost section district westminster million times cost met original longer line december district opened line westminster stations square victoria westminster met extending eastwards shared station day district parliamentary permission extend westward station april opened single track line intermediate stations service initially operated shuttle summer additional tracks laid high street junction line night july district secretly built disputed curve connecting high street east westminster section ran newly constructed built north bank river_thames line opened westminster stations embankment temple temple met initially operated services receiving cent gross receipts fixed level service district charged extra trains district share income dropped cent district level debt meant merger longer attractive met directors resigned district board improve finances district gave met notice terminate operating agreement struggling burden high construction costs district unable continue original scheme reach tower hill final extension line station east previously city terminus mansion house saturday july opening banquet attended prime minister following monday mansion house opened district began running trains date companies operated joint inner circle service mansion house street ran minutes supplemented district service minutes mansion house great western railway suburban services road street railway east mansion house allowed lapse end line district station opened july earl court station opened extension october west richmond district railway main expansion west small station opened october platforms depot opened built parallel west london joint railway initially accessed curve curve allowed february run half hourly outer circle service broad street mansion house road court october ran half hourly middle circle service station mansion house earl court permission build railway miles long granted july independent extension railway having formed raise necessary capital new line started junction curve road allowed easier access depot opened september intermediate station renamed terminus served trains mansion house served shuttle earl court earl court station burnt larger replacement tracks island platforms opened february sited west original station east station flying junction built separate traffic high street december trains hour ran inner circle mansion house district operated trains hour mansion house leaving hour mansion house middle circle services services broad street services hour travelled earl court london obtained permission railway serve richmond route headed north road west london railway curving round serve station linked station road richmond line opened january running services hill road running services broad street richmond link road south action stations opened line road park permission given mile link district station junction east line district line cutting line rose june branch extended richmond initially service train hour mansion house met line access link north station diverted service richmond october september operated circular service earl court district opened junction west station miles line stations common broadway station built north station july permission granted extend branch far thames stations opened line terminated line opened march time held year march initially service trains hour mansion house supplemented april trains hour high street permission granted landowners area metropolitan railway connect proposed built district alternative permission granted nearly mile long railway station stations boston road spring grove agreement reached district work line district started service calling boston road single track line junction near town barracks opened year later traffic light initially served shuttle connected peak train town station closed station opened march september connection tracks district ran service windsor expansion completing circle conflict met district expense construction delayed completion inner circle frustrated city formed aim finishing route company supported district railway obtained parliamentary authority august struggled funding time allowed extended meeting district metropolitan held met wishing access companies promoted obtained act parliament extension link act ensured future operation allowing companies access circle large contribution authorities road sewer improvements met extended line temporary station tower london contracts build joint lines placed mansion house tower second circle north curve october district metropolitan began local services curve station official opening ceremony september trial running circular service started monday october day district extended services calling new joint stations east joint stations opened circle line cannon street monument november london station closed october district refused sell tickets station opening district service trains hour ran alternately passenger demand low month reduced trains hour trains hour went richmond middle outer circle services continued operating mansion house hour initially inner circle service trains hour completing miles kilometres circuit minutes proved impossible maintain service reduced trains hour minute timing initially guards permitted relief breaks shift september permitted minute breaks south richmond east schemes cross thames bridge proposed received approval parliament district unable raise necessary funding replaced plans started west crossing thames meet district bridge station line intermediate stations park junction connected line north station district running rights extended services june nominally independent received permission link london ground junction bow west station district jointly took company following year line opened june new stations mile end bow road district services extended east train morning evening ran july trains hour ran bow road trains hour served richmond outer circle continued run mansion house middle circle having started district sought serve route south surveyed bill presented nominally independent construction started end largely complete low traffic prospects remained reach line authorised district problems raising finance metropolitan offered rescue package build branch line district retaining running rights trains hour metropolitan built railway began running services july electrification development start 20th century district metropolitan railways faced increased competition central london new electric deep level tube lines great success opened opening shepherd bush city flat rate fare district metropolitan lost million passengers second half second half use steam propulsion led smoke filled stations carriages unpopular passengers electrification seen way forward electric traction infancy agreement needed metropolitan shared ownership inner circle jointly owned train coaches successfully ran experimental passenger service earl court high street section months requested metropolitan district joint committee recommended phase system overhead wires initially accepted parties district found investor finance upgrade american july established managing director raised million carry electrification including construction generating station supplying new rolling stock soon control district railway experiences united_states led favour track level conductor rail similar use arbitration system adopted district permission deep level tube beneath sub surface line earl court mansion house bought circus railway authority tube plans combined great northern tube railway permission build line strand wood green create great northern section district deep level tube mansion house dropped plans april london established chairman control companies manage planned works june took paid company shareholders cash shares built large power station capable providing power district lines underground lines planned work began lots road february lots road power station began generating electricity conveyed high voltage cables converted approximately power station built district electrified line open equipped automatic signalling track circuits signals trials run seven car trains august order placed cars new maintenance depot built west mill hill park trials line south opened june june shuttle year rest line south opened following week june stations south electric services electric services began june line passenger service time town station reopened trains reversing station continuing new single track curve july electric trains began running day metropolitan district railways introduced electric units inner circle metropolitan multiple unit overturned positive current rail district railway investigation showed way shoe gear mounted met trains district railway track met trains withdrawn district lines modification met returned electric trains took september reducing travel time circle seventy minutes september withdrawing services east district running electric services remaining routes december service hauled electric locomotives mansion house steam locomotive took weekday peak service trains hour broadway hour mansion house alternately richmond hour high broadway trains hour ran continuing high street south trains hour trains hour barracks continuing tube railway construction west entering terminal platforms north district station new station built island platforms railway space district moved took site depot opened october tube railway opened line december running electric railway underground railway companies london came joint marketing arrangement included maps joint publicity combined underground signs outside stations eventually controlled underground railways london metropolitan railway subsidiary introduced station boards red disc blue bar non stop working introduced district december usually stations missed trains marked stations appropriate panels doors listed stations train skip east bow road station district shared tracks steam engines widening railway considered essential tracks laid electrified far routes separated april district trains extended work largely finished july trains longer reversed town station closed new town station opened direct route district notified met use running rights line steam trains run services paid year enabling act district suggested running far met responded proposal rebuild station district terminus district proposed running trains leading negotiations charges traction current district services extended march platform built mill hill park flying junction built north station separate traffic station renamed march district shared tracks steam trains richmond steam service richmond midland coal trains district agreed quadruple tracks allow pair district sole use build station district tracks brook line december opened february withdrawn service withdraw flying junction separating richmond routes west opened january ran trains broadway hauled district electric locomotives longer needed outer circle service pulled steam locomotive specially built sets saloon coaches retention toilets 1920s peak weekday service train minutes minutes richmond trains hour ran high street trains left minutes terminating trains hour left south continuing inner circle service trains hour direction frequency service caused problems reduction leave high street road section trains metropolitan recently rebuilt platforms abandoned plan tube district extended service road metropolitan provided inner circle trains frequency trains hour london midland inherited line proposed line pair tracks use district september services started new stations platforms district tracks line extension november bill published included plan extend tube tracks westwards connect richmond branch tracks bill passed london electric railway act august advent world war prevented work extension powers renewed tracks west concept running non stop inner pair proposed service split running clarified district services run mainly richmond south town finance guaranteed grants act construction started tracks built junction branch junction richmond eastbound freight loops built coal trains rebuilt platforms depot built west station stations rebuilt modernist style influenced designed inspired examples modernist architecture mainland europe influence seen bold vertical horizontal forms combined use traditional materials like brick called brick boxes concrete today designed stations listed buildings including prototype listed grade july district service south withdrawn trains extended district continuing run shuttle south december tracks opened january trains started run continuing march district trains continued run peak shuttle ownership highly profitable enabled group revenues use profits bus company profitable railways competition numerous small bus companies early 1920s eroded negative impact group protect group income chairman lord lobbied government regulation transport services london area starting series legislative initiatives direction labour london county councillor later minister transport forefront debates level regulation public control transport services brought aimed regulation group protection competition allow control system morrison preferred public ownership seven years false starts bill announced end formation public corporation control metropolitan railway bus operators area designated board compromise public ownership came existence july date ownership assets district underground companies transferred legacy railway district line october line service replaced district shuttle london midland scottish railway taken railway outer circle service second world war cut electrified shuttle following bombing metropolitan line services suspended war serve exhibition halls district line shuttle service started renamed peak branch shuttle discontinued april replaced town shuttle shuttle withdrawn february peak hour district line service withdrawn october 1970s branch branch extended serve airport july serve december opened rolling stock steam locomotives district railway needed locomotives ordered steam locomotives similar class locomotives metropolitan railway route intended underground railway locomotives bent plate bunker raised provide protection running bunker total locomotives purchased service line electrified sold following year electric locomotives district bought box cab locomotives looked similar multiple units feet long manufactured single cab end consequently operated pairs coupled outer end locomotives haul passenger trains electrified section route mansion house december services terminated locomotives haul district trains coupled end trailer cars locomotives london trains extended district line taking steam locomotives carriages steam carriages wheeled feet inches long second class compartments available class carriages compartments lighting initially provided burning coal gas held bags roof later oil gas system fitted chain brake replaced simple brake fully automatic brake initially trains carriages standard end district replaced carriages electric multiple units preserved carriage kent east sussex railway thought district railway class thought likely metropolitan railway electric multiple units district tested seven car trains different control brake systems line south access car platforms gates ends hand operated sliding doors car sides later trailer cars fitted driving controls car trains operated south later withdrawn district railway ordered car electric trains vehicles england rest belgium france electrical equipment installed arrival access sliding doors double doors centre single doors end class accommodation provided open electric lighting seats covered class standard formation cars equal number motor trailer cars running car formations peak district required additional rolling stock ordered cars largely constructed steel batch arrived followed different manufacturer similar design cars arrived elliptical roof instead roof earlier designs district took delivery new cars incompatible existing fleet hand operated double sliding doors motor car bodies ordered allow original car bodies scrapped stock pools created main line trains formed new motor cars supplemented motor cars rebuilt steel bodied cars originally constructed trailers modified original wooden bodied cars small pool local stock worked line electrified new vehicles purchased similar cars ordered allow metropolitan line extended replace rapidly deteriorating original wooden trailers fitted electro brakes air operated doors district line stock allowed remaining wooden cars scrapped number motor cars suitable conversion trains retained hand worked doors ran march driving motor car built static exhibit publications
District Railway