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THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY

12 January 1863

On Saturday the Metropolitan (underground) Railway was opened to the public, and many thousands were enabled to indulge their curiosity in reference to this mode of travelling under the streets of the metropolis. The trains commenced running as early as 6 o’clock in the morning from the Paddington (Bishop’s-road) station and the Farringdon-street terminus, in order to accommodate workmen, and there was a goodly muster of that class of the public, who availed themselves of the advantages of the line in reaching their respective places of employment. At 8 o’clock the desire to travel underground in the direction of the city began to manifest itself at the various stations along the line, and by 9 it became equally evident to the authorities that neither the locomotive power nor the rolling-stock at their disposal was at all in proportion to the requirements of the opening day. From this time, and throughout the morning, every station became crowded with anxious travellers, who were admitted in sections; but poor were the chances of a place to those who ventured to take their tickets at any point below Baker-street, the occupants being, with but very rare exceptions, “long distance,” or terminus, passengers. This circumstance tended to increase the numbers at every station every minute, until there became sufficient to fill any train of empties which might be sent to overflow; and we believe we are correct in stating that ultimately a number of the Great Western narrow-gauge carriages, as well as engines, were brought into requisition, and by this means the temporary wants of the public were accommodated. Possibly the greatest point of attraction, if the collection of numbers may be taken as any criterion, was King’s-cross, which is certainly the finest station on the line, throwing even the termini into the shade. At this point during the morning the crowds were immense, and the constant cry as the trains arrived of “No room” appeared to have a very depressing effect upon those assembled. Between l1 and 12 at this station, and, continuously, for the space of an hour and a-half, the money takers refused to take money for passengers between King’scross and Farringdon-street, but they issued tickets between that station and Paddington, and many whose destination was city-wise, determined to ride on the railway on its first day of opening, took tickets for the opposite direction in order to secure places for the return journey. At 12 o’clock the clerks informed the public, who were certainly then assembled to the number of some 500 or 600 at King’scross, that there were enough people at Paddington to fill four trains in succession; and that, therefore, their instructions were to issue no Farringdon-street tickets for an hour. This announcement had the effect of getting rid of very large numbers. While, however, all the tendency of the traffic was towards the Farringdon-street terminus during the morning, the public were enabled to proceed westward with but little inconvenience. Towards afternoon, however, the tide set in the other way, and the approaches to the trains at Victoria-street can be compared to no other than the crush at the doors of a theatre on the first night of a pantomime.

The growth of London created more congestion in the streets as well as giving rise to the first commuters. By the middle of the century, more than 200,000 people each day came in to work in the capital’s commercial heart, the City.

The Metropolitan Railway was given the contract to construct the world’s first underground railway. Built in less than three years, at a cost of £1 million, this carried passengers in steam-drawn wooden carriages almost four miles beneath London from Paddington Station to Farringdon Street, on the edge of the City.

More than 38,000 people queued up excitedly to use it on opening day. The Times noted approvingly the gas lighting in the compartments. This would reassure ladies when the train entered a tunnel and would allow gentlemen to read their newspapers – if there was not too much wind.