101-632: Holborn ( / ˈ h oʊ b ər n / HOH -bə(r)n ) is a London Underground station in Holborn , Central London , located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway . It is served by the Central and Piccadilly lines. On the Central line the station is between Tottenham Court Road and Chancery Lane stations, and on the Piccadilly line it is between Covent Garden and Russell Square stations. The station
202-697: A " sanatorium for [sufferers of ...] asthma and bronchial complaints", tonsillitis could be cured with acid gas and the Twopenny Tube cured anorexia . With the advent of electric Tube services (the Waterloo and City Railway and the Great Northern and City Railway), the Volks Electric Railway , in Brighton , and competition from electric trams, the pioneering Underground companies needed modernising. In
303-405: A contactless ticketing system, in 2003. Contactless bank card payments were introduced in 2014, the first such use on a public transport system. The LPTB commissioned many new station buildings, posters and public artworks in a modernist style. The schematic Tube map , designed by Harry Beck in 1931, was voted a national design icon in 2006 and now includes other transport systems besides
404-530: A daughter, Vera (1904–1995). Green established his own practice as an architect in 1897, working initially from his father's offices, before moving to Haymarket in 1900 and then to Adelphi House on Adam Street, by the Strand , in 1903. He became an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1898, and a member in 1899. Early commissions included works to homes and shops in various parts of
505-538: A day use District Line tracks between Wimbledon and East Putney. London Underground trains come in two sizes, larger sub-surface trains and smaller deep-tube trains. Since the early 1960s all passenger trains have been electric multiple units with sliding doors and a train last ran with a guard in 2000. All lines use fixed-length trains with between six and eight cars, except for the Waterloo & City line that uses four cars. New trains are designed for maximum number of standing passengers and for speed of access to
606-708: A diameter of about 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m), with one tube for each direction. The seven deep-level lines have the exclusive use of tracks and stations along their routes with the exceptions of the Piccadilly line, which shares track with the District line, between Acton Town and Hanger Lane Junction, and with the Metropolitan line, between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge; and the Bakerloo line, which shares track with London Overground 's Watford DC Line for its above-ground section north of Queen's Park. Fifty-five per cent of
707-430: A number of the original tiling schemes survive today or have, as at Lambeth North and Marylebone , been reproduced in recent years to the original pattern. A number of the surviving buildings are Grade II listed buildings : Aldwych , Belsize Park , Caledonian Road, Chalk Farm , Covent Garden , Gloucester Road , Holloway Road , Oxford Circus , Mornington Crescent , Russell Square and South Kensington . His work
808-511: A potential difference of 630 V . On the sections of line shared with mainline trains, such as the District line from East Putney to Wimbledon and Gunnersbury to Richmond, and the Bakerloo line north of Queen's Park, the centre rail is bonded to the running rails. The average speed on the Underground is 20.5 mph (33.0 km/h). Outside the tunnels of central London, many lines' trains tend to travel at over 40 mph (64 km/h) in
909-634: A separate, smaller shaft. Although the station was constructed where the GNP&;BR's tunnels crossed those of the Central London Railway (CLR, now the Central line) running under High Holborn, no interchange between the two lines was made as the CLR's nearest station, British Museum , was 250 metres (820 ft) to the west. Passengers wishing to interchange between the two stations had to do so at street level. The station opened on 15 December 1906, although
1010-413: A spacious new ticket hall was provided giving access to a bank of four escalators down to an intermediate concourse for the Central line platforms. A second bank of three escalators continues down to the Piccadilly line platforms. To construct the new Central line platforms, the larger diameter station tunnels were manually excavated around the existing running tunnels whilst trains continued to run. When
1111-533: A structural steel frame – then a new form of construction recently imported from the United States – providing the large internal spaces needed for ticket halls and lift shafts (the first escalators were introduced in 1911). The exterior elevations were clad in non-loadbearing ox-blood red ( sang de boeuf ) glazed terracotta (faïence) blocks, provided by the Burmantofts Pottery . The ground floor
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#17328633335001212-430: Is at capacity because of the large number of passengers leaving and entering the station, as well as the large numbers of passengers changing between lines. Currently, everyone who uses the station has to pass through the intermediate concourse at the bottom of the main escalators. This causes congestion and delays. In September 2017, TfL proposed various station improvements including a second entrance on Procter Street to
1313-741: Is identified by a letter (such as S Stock , used on the Metropolitan line ), while tube stock is identified by the year of intended introduction (for example, 1996 Stock , used on the Jubilee line). The Underground is served by the following depots: In the years since the first parts of the London Underground opened, many stations and routes have been closed. Some stations were closed because of low passenger numbers rendering them uneconomical; some became redundant after lines were re-routed or replacements were constructed; and others are no longer served by
1414-601: Is in Travelcard Zone 1 . Close by are the British Museum , Lincoln's Inn Fields , Red Lion Square , Bloomsbury Square , London School of Economics and Sir John Soane's Museum . Located at the junction of two earlier tube railway schemes, the station was opened in 1906 by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (GNP&BR). The station entrances and below ground circulation were largely reconstructed for
1515-461: Is needed. While the two disused platforms are now closed to the public, they can be still be seen on a " Hidden London " guided tour held by London Transport Museum . The station was planned by the Great Northern and Strand Railway (GN&SR), which had received parliamentary approval for a route from Wood Green station (now Alexandra Palace) to Strand in 1899. After the GN&;SR was taken over by
1616-549: The British Museum , including the Elgin Marbles . The branch reopened on 1 July 1946, but patronage did not increase. In 1958, London Transport announced it would be closed. Again it survived, but the service was reduced in June 1958 to run only during Monday to Friday peak hours and Saturday morning and early afternoons. The Saturday service was withdrawn in June 1962. After operating only during peak hours for more than 30 years,
1717-713: The Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway (B&PCR) in September 1901, the two companies came under the control of Charles Yerkes ' Metropolitan District Electric Traction Company before being transferred to his new holding company , the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) in June 1902. To connect the two companies' planned routes, the UERL obtained permission for new tunnels between Piccadilly Circus and Holborn. The companies were formally merged as
1818-531: The Central London Railway in 1900, known as the "twopenny tube". These two ran electric trains in circular tunnels having diameters between 11 feet 8 inches (3.56 m) and 12 feet 2.5 inches (3.72 m), whereas the Great Northern and City Railway , which opened in 1904, was built to take main line trains from Finsbury Park to a Moorgate terminus in the City and had 16-foot (4.9 m) diameter tunnels. While steam locomotives were in use on
1919-527: The Circle line in 1884, built using the cut and cover method. Both railways expanded, the District building five branches to the west reaching Ealing , Hounslow , Uxbridge , Richmond and Wimbledon and the Metropolitan eventually extended as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire – more than 50 miles (80 km) from Baker Street and the centre of London. For the first deep-level tube line,
2020-520: The City and South London Railway , two 10 feet 2 inches (3.10 m) diameter circular tunnels were dug between King William Street (close to today's Monument station ) and Stockwell , under the roads to avoid the need for agreement with owners of property on the surface. This opened in 1890 with electric locomotives that hauled carriages with small opaque windows, nicknamed padded cells . The Waterloo and City Railway opened in 1898, followed by
2121-588: The Great Northern & City Railway and the East London Railway , and the Waterloo & City Railway , by then owned by the main line London and South Western Railway , remained outside the Underground Group's control. A joint marketing agreement between most of the companies in the early years of the 20th century included maps, joint publicity, through ticketing and U NDERGROUN D signs, incorporating
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#17328633335002222-575: The Kingsway Tramway Subway underground Holborn tramway station located a little distance south of the underground station. This was the only part of London with an underground tram system, and Holborn tramway station (named Great Queen Street when first opened) is still extant beneath ground, though with no public access. London Buses routes 1 , 8 , 59 , 68 , 91 , 133 , 188 and 243 , limited Superloop route SL6 and night routes N1 , N8 , N25 , N68 , N91 , N171 and N242 serve
2323-765: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games , the Underground saw record passenger numbers, with over 4.3 million people using the Tube on some days. This record was subsequently beaten in later years, with 4.82 million passengers in December 2015. In 2013, the Underground celebrated its 150th anniversary, with celebratory events such as steam trains and installation of a unique Labyrinth artwork at each station. Under TfL, London's public transport network became more unified, with existing suburban rail lines across London upgraded and rebranded as London Overground from 2007, with
2424-581: The London Blitz , a bomb penetrated the booking hall of Bank Station , the blast from which killed 111 people, many of whom were sleeping in passageways and on platforms. On 3 March 1943, a test of the air-raid warning sirens, together with the firing of a new type of anti-aircraft rocket, resulted in a crush of people attempting to take shelter in Bethnal Green Underground station . A total of 173 people, including 62 children, died, making this both
2525-606: The London Passenger Transport Board , which used the London Transport brand . The Waterloo & City Railway , which was by then in the ownership of the main line Southern Railway , remained with its existing owners. In the same year that the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, Harry Beck 's diagrammatic tube map first appeared. In the following years, the outlying lines of
2626-563: The M25 London Orbital motorway ( Amersham , Chalfont & Latimer , Chesham , and Chorleywood on the Metropolitan line and Epping on the Central). Of the thirty-two London boroughs , six ( Bexley , Bromley , Croydon , Kingston , Lewisham and Sutton ) are not served by the Underground network, while Hackney has Old Street (on the Northern line Bank branch) and Manor House (on
2727-567: The Metropolitan Railway , opening on 10 January 1863 as the world's first underground passenger railway. The Metropolitan is now part of the Circle , District , Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines . The first line to operate underground electric traction trains , the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the Northern line . The network has expanded to 11 lines with 250 miles (400 km) of track. However,
2828-718: The Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) . Green was born in Maida Vale , London in 1875, the second of four children of architect and Crown Surveyor Arthur Green and his wife Emily. He spent periods studying at Dover College and South Kensington School of Art , and in Paris , between periods working as an assistant in his father's architectural practice. Green married Mildred Ethel Wildy (1879–1960) in Clapham in April 1902. In 1904, they had
2929-480: The Northern line from Kennington to Battersea Power Station via Nine Elms . The extension was privately funded, with contributions from developments across the Battersea Power Station , Vauxhall and Nine Elms areas. As of 2021, the Underground serves 272 stations . Sixteen stations (eight on each of the Metropolitan and Central lines) are outside the London region , with five of those beyond
3030-517: The Victoria line was dug under central London and, unlike the earlier tunnels, did not follow the roads above. The line opened in 1968–71 with the trains being driven automatically and magnetically encoded tickets collected by automatic gates gave access to the platforms. On 1 January 1970, responsibility for public transport within Greater London passed from central government to local government, in
3131-478: The West London line were suspended, leaving Olympia exhibition centre without a railway service until a District line shuttle from Earl's Court began after the war. After work restarted on the Central line extensions in east and west London, these were completed in 1949. During the war many tube stations were used as air-raid shelters. They were not always a guarantee of safety however; on 11 January 1941 during
Holborn tube station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3232-483: The "Bakerloo" was so named in July 1906, The Railway Magazine called it an undignified "gutter title". By 1907 the District and Metropolitan Railways had electrified the underground sections of their lines. In January 1913, the UERL acquired the Central London Railway and the City & South London Railway , as well as many of London's bus and tram operators. Only the Metropolitan Railway , along with its subsidiaries
3333-632: The CLR in November 1913, although the First World War prevented any works taking place. Like many other central London Underground stations, Holborn was modernised in the early 1930s to replace the lifts with escalators. The station frontages on Kingsway and High Holborn were partially reconstructed to modernist designs by Charles Holden with the granite elements replaced with plain Portland stone façades perforated with glazed screens. The lifts were removed and
3434-468: The Central line east of St Paul's station); or trains run on the right (for example on the Victoria line between Warren Street and King's Cross St. Pancras, to allow cross-platform interchange with the Northern line at Euston ). The lines are electrified with a four-rail DC system: a conductor rail between the rails is energised at −210 V and a rail outside the running rails at +420 V , giving
3535-456: The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway following parliamentary approval in November 1902. The linking of the GN&SR and B&PCR routes at Holborn meant that the section of the GN&SR south of Holborn became a branch from the main route. The UERL began constructing the main route in July 1902. Progress was rapid, so that it was largely complete by the Autumn of 1906. Construction of
3636-687: The London Underground. In 1976, the Northern City Line was taken over by British Rail and linked up with the main line railway at Finsbury Park , a transfer that had already been planned prior to the accident. In 1979, another new tube, the Jubilee line , named in honour of the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II , took over the Stanmore branch from the Bakerloo line, linking it to a newly constructed line between Baker Street and Charing Cross stations. Under
3737-517: The Piccadilly line) just inside its boundaries. Lewisham was served by the East London line (with stations at New Cross and New Cross Gate ) until 2010 when the line and the stations were transferred to the London Overground network. London Underground's eleven lines total 402 kilometres (250 mi) in length, making it the eleventh longest metro system in the world . These are made up of
3838-451: The Tube has taken place - with new trains (such as London Underground S7 and S8 Stock ), new signalling, upgraded stations (such as King's Cross St Pancras ) and improved accessibility (such as at Green Park ). Small changes to the Tube network occurred in the 2000s, with extensions to Heathrow Terminal 5 , new station at Wood Lane and the Circle line changed from serving a closed loop around
3939-492: The Tube—were dug through at a deeper level. Despite its name, only 45% of the system is under the ground: much of the network in the outer environs of London is on the surface. The early tube lines, originally owned by several private companies, were brought together under the Underground brand in the early 20th century, and eventually merged along with the sub-surface lines and bus services in 1933 to form London Transport under
4040-436: The Underground but remain open to National Rail main line services. In some cases, such as Aldwych and Ongar , the buildings remain and are used for other purposes. In others, such as British Museum , all evidence of the station has been lost through demolition. London Transport Museum runs guided tours of several disused stations including Down Street and Aldwych through its "Hidden London" programme. The tours look at
4141-521: The Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London ; there are only 33 Underground stations south of the River Thames . The system's 272 stations collectively accommodate up to 5million passenger journeys a day. In 2023/24 it was used for 1.181billion passenger journeys. The system's first tunnels were built just below the ground, using the cut-and-cover method; later, smaller, roughly circular tunnels—which gave rise to its nickname,
Holborn tube station - Misplaced Pages Continue
4242-440: The Underground there were contrasting health reports. There were many instances of passengers collapsing whilst travelling, due to heat and pollution, leading for calls to clean the air through the installation of garden plants. The Metropolitan even encouraged beards for staff to act as an air filter. There were other reports claiming beneficial outcomes of using the Underground, including the designation of Great Portland Street as
4343-571: The Underground, such as the Docklands Light Railway , London Overground , Thameslink , the Elizabeth line , and Tramlink . Other famous London Underground branding includes the roundel and the Johnston typeface , created by Edward Johnston in 1916. The idea of an underground railway linking the City of London with the urban centre was proposed in the 1830s, and the Metropolitan Railway
4444-633: The bay platform was converted into rooms for use, at various times, as offices, air-raid shelters, store rooms, an electrical sub-station and a war-time hostel. Since 1994, the branch's remaining platform at Holborn has been used to test mock-up designs for new platform signage and advertising systems. In the aftermath of the King's Cross fire in 1987, the Fennell Report into the disaster recommended that London Underground investigate "passenger flow and congestion in stations and take remedial action". A private bill
4545-465: The branch remained low: when the branch was considered for closure in 1929, its annual usage was 1,069,650 and takings were £4,500. The branch was again considered for closure in 1933, but remained open. Wartime efficiency measures led to the branch being closed temporarily on 22 September 1940, shortly after the start of The Blitz , and it was partly fitted out by the City of Westminster as an air-raid shelter . The tunnels were used to store items from
4646-534: The branch tunnels. As with most of the other GNP&BR stations, the station building was designed by Leslie Green , though at Holborn the station frontage was, uniquely, constructed in stone rather than the standard red glazed terracotta . This was due to planning regulations imposed by the London County Council which required the use of stone for façades in Kingsway. The station entrance and exit sections of
4747-488: The branch was delayed while the London County Council carried out slum clearances to construct its new road Kingsway and the tramway subway running beneath it and while the UERL decided how the junction between the main route and the branch would be arranged at Holborn. When originally planned by the GN&SR, Holborn station was to have just two platforms. The first GNP&BR plan for the station would have seen
4848-421: The branch's northbound tunnel ended in a dead-end platform adjacent to the northbound main line platform with the branch's southbound tunnel connected to the northbound main line tunnel. To enable the southbound tunnel of the main route to avoid the branch tunnels, it was constructed at a lower level than the other tunnels and platforms. The tunnel towards Covent Garden (at this point heading south-west) passes under
4949-539: The capital city. In 1903 he was appointed as architect for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) to design stations for three underground railway lines then under construction – the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (GNP&BR), the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (BS&WR) and the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), which, respectively, became parts of
5050-432: The cars and have regenerative braking and public address systems. Since 1999 all new stock has had to comply with accessibility regulations that require such things as access and room for wheelchairs, and the size and location of door controls. All underground trains are required to comply with The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 (RVAR 2010) by 2020. Stock on sub-surface lines
5151-598: The centre of London to a spiral also serving Hammersmith in 2009. In July 2005, four coordinated terrorist attacks took place, three of them occurring on the Tube network. It was the UK's deadliest terrorist incident since 1988. Electronic ticketing in the form of the contactless Oyster card was first introduced in 2003, with payment using contactless banks cards introduced in September 2014. In 2019 , over 12million Oyster cards and 35million contactless cards were used, generating around £5billion in ticketing revenue. During
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#17328633335005252-655: The change of plan, but after arbitration by the Board of Trade , the DC system was adopted. Yerkes soon had control of the District Railway and established the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) in 1902 to finance and operate three tube lines, the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (Bakerloo), the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (Hampstead) and the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , (Piccadilly), which all opened between 1906 and 1907. When
5353-440: The closure announcement came on 4 January 1993. The original 1907 lifts at Aldwych required replacement at a cost of £3 million. This was not justifiable as only 450 passengers used the station each day and it was losing London Regional Transport £150,000 per year. The secretary of state for transport granted permission on 1 September 1994 to close the station and the branch closed on 30 September. After its closure in 1917,
5454-448: The control of the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB). The current operator, London Underground Limited (LUL), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in London. As of 2015 , 92% of operational expenditure is covered by passenger fares. The Travelcard ticket was introduced in 1983 and Oyster card ,
5555-551: The control of the GLC, London Transport introduced a system of fare zones for buses and underground trains that cut the average fare in 1981. Fares increased following a legal challenge but the fare zones were retained, and in the mid-1980s the Travelcard and the Capitalcard were introduced. In 1984, control of London Buses and the London Underground passed back to central government with
5656-520: The creation of London Regional Transport (LRT), which reported directly to the Secretary of State for Transport , still retaining the London Transport brand. One person operation had been planned in 1968, but conflict with the trade unions delayed introduction until the 1980s. On 18 November 1987, fire broke out in an escalator at King's Cross St Pancras tube station . The resulting fire cost
5757-408: The day, but generally Central line trains operate every 2–6 minutes from approximately 05:53 to 00:30 westbound and 05:51 to 00:33 eastbound. Piccadilly line trains operate every 2–6 minutes from approximately 05:42 to 00:28 westbound and 05:54 to 00:38 northbound. Before the closure of the original London tram network in 1952, Holborn tube station provided an interchange between trams and tubes, via
5858-433: The deliberate aim of encouraging commercial office development above, another benefit of the load-bearing structural steel frame. The interior was tiled in green and white, with decorative details. At platform level, the stations were provided with a standardised tiling design incorporating the station name, but with quickly identified individual colour schemes and geometric tile patterns formed in repeating panels along
5959-653: The early 1960s, the Metropolitan line was electrified as far as Amersham , British Railways providing services for the former Metropolitan line stations between Amersham and Aylesbury. In 1962, the British Transport Commission was abolished, and the London Transport Executive was renamed the London Transport Board , reporting directly to the Minister of Transport . Also during the 1960s,
6060-463: The early 2000s, London Underground was reorganised in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as part of a project to upgrade and modernise the system. Private infrastructure companies (infracos) would upgrade and maintain the railway, and London Underground would run the train service. One infraco – Metronet – went into administration in 2007, and TfL took over the other – Tube Lines – in 2010. Despite this, substantial investment to upgrade and modernise
6161-472: The early 20th century, the District and Metropolitan railways needed to electrify and a joint committee recommended an AC system, the two companies co-operating because of the shared ownership of the inner circle. The District, needing to raise the finance necessary, found an investor in the American Charles Yerkes who favoured a DC system similar to that in use on the City & South London and Central London railways. The Metropolitan Railway protested about
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#17328633335006262-618: The emergency services. In April 1994, the Waterloo & City Railway , by then owned by British Rail and known as the Waterloo & City line, was transferred to the London Underground. In 1999, the Jubilee Line Extension project extended the Jubilee line from Green Park station through the growing Docklands to Stratford station . This resulted in the closure of the short section of tunnel between Green Park and Charing Cross stations. The 11 new stations were designed to be " future-proof ", with wide passageways, large quantities of escalators and lifts, and emergency exits. The stations were
6363-400: The excavations were complete, the original segmental tunnel linings were dismantled. The new platforms came into use on 25 September 1933 replacing those of British Museum, which had closed the day before. As part of the modernisation the station was renamed Holborn (Kingsway) on 22 May 1933, but the suffix gradually dropped out of use and no longer appears on station signage or tube maps . It
6464-509: The first bullseye symbol, outside stations in Central London. At the time, the term Underground was selected from three other proposed names; 'Tube' and 'Electric' were both officially rejected. Ironically, the term Tube was later adopted alongside the Underground. The Bakerloo line was extended north to Queen's Park to join a new electric line from Euston to Watford , but the First World War delayed construction and trains reached Watford Junction in 1917. During air raids in 1915 people used
6565-431: The first on the Underground to have platform edge doors , and were built to have step-free access throughout. The stations have subsequently been praised as exemplary pieces of 20th-century architecture. In 2000, Transport for London (TfL) was created as an integrated body responsible for London's transport system. Part of the Greater London Authority , the TfL Board is appointed by the Mayor of London , who also sets
6666-432: The form of the Greater London Council (GLC), and the London Transport Board was abolished. The London Transport brand continued to be used by the GLC. On 28 February 1975, a southbound train on the Northern City Line failed to stop at its Moorgate terminus and crashed into the wall at the end of the tunnel, in the Moorgate tube crash . There were 43 deaths and 74 injuries, the greatest loss of life during peacetime on
6767-479: The former East London line becoming part of the Overground network in 2010. Many Overground stations interchange with Underground ones, and Overground lines were added onto the Tube map. In the 2010s, the £18.8 billion Crossrail project built a new east–west railway tunnel under central London. The project involved rebuilding and expanding several central Underground stations including Tottenham Court Road and Whitechapel . By increasing rail capacity,
6868-504: The former Metropolitan Railway closed, the Brill Tramway in 1935, and the line from Quainton Road to Verney Junction in 1936. The 1935–40 New Works Programme included the extension of the Central and Northern lines and the Bakerloo line to take over the Metropolitan's Stanmore branch. The Second World War suspended these plans after the Bakerloo line had reached Stanmore and the Northern line High Barnet and Mill Hill East in 1941. Following bombing in 1940, passenger services over
6969-542: The history of the network and feature historical details drawn from the museum's own archives and collections. Leslie Green Leslie William Green (6 February 1875 – 31 August 1908) was an English architect . He is best known for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground railway system in central London during the first decade of the 20th century, with distinctive oxblood red faïence blocks including pillars and semi-circular first-floor windows, and patterned tiled interiors done in
7070-431: The introduction of escalators and the opening of Central line platforms in 1933, making the station the only interchange between the lines. Before 1994, Holborn was the northern terminus of the short and little-frequented Piccadilly line branch to Aldwych and two platforms originally used for this service are disused. One of the disused platforms has been used for location filming when a London Underground station platform
7171-420: The line aims to reduce overcrowding on the Tube and cut cross-London journey times. The railway opened as the Elizabeth line in May 2022. Although not part of the Underground, the line connects with several Underground stations. In 2020, passenger numbers fell significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and 40 stations were temporarily closed. The Northern Line Extension opened in September 2021, extending
7272-530: The lives of 31 people and injured a further 100. London Underground was strongly criticised in the aftermath for its attitude to fires underground, and publication of the report into the fire led to the resignation of senior management of both London Underground and London Regional Transport. Following the fire, substantial improvements to safety on the Tube were implemented – including the banning of smoking, removal of wooden escalators, installation of CCTV and fire detectors, as well as comprehensive radio coverage for
7373-399: The north-east of the station, lifts to provide step free access, and new tunnels to improve the interchange between the Central and Piccadilly lines. Owing to the delay in the opening of Crossrail and the subsequent knock on effect on TfL's Business Plan, the upgrade to Holborn station is now not expected to commence until 2023/24, with the works taking around six years to complete, doubling
7474-434: The opening of the branch was delayed until 30 November 1907. The street level interchange between the GNP&BR and CLR involving two sets of lifts was considered a weakness in the network. A below ground subway connection was considered in 1907. A proposal to enlarge the CLR's tunnels to create new platforms at Holborn station and to abandon British Museum station was included in a private bill submitted to parliament by
7575-640: The platform length. Directional signs were also included in the tile designs. The tiled surfaces created a unifying theme, and proved easy to maintain. The railways were to open in 1906 and 1907, and Green was notified in June 1907 that the contract would be terminated at the end of that year. He was elected a Fellow of the RIBA in 1907, including details of his work for the UERL as part of his submission. Many of Green's station buildings survive, although internal modifications have seen most of his ticket hall designs altered to suit later developments. At platform levels
7676-417: The present day Piccadilly line , Bakerloo line and Northern line . Green was commissioned to design 50 new stations, including their external appearance, and internal fittings and decoration. Green developed a unique Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) style for the ground level station buildings, adapted to suit the individual station location. They were constructed as two- storey buildings with
7777-506: The railway with the " Metro-land " brand and nine housing estates were built near stations on the line. Electrification was extended north from Harrow to Rickmansworth , and branches opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925 and from Wembley Park to Stanmore in 1932. The Piccadilly line was extended north to Cockfosters and took over District line branches to Harrow (later Uxbridge) and Hounslow. In 1933, most of London's underground railways, tramway and bus services were merged to form
7878-424: The rear train and 20 passengers were injured. An inquiry concluded that the accident was caused by the driver failing to control his train. Disruption of services occurred until the following morning. On 21 October 1997, a 9-year-old boy, Ajit Singh, was dragged to his death after a toggle on his anorak was trapped in the closing doors of a Piccadilly line train. The disused branch line platform and other parts of
7979-527: The size of the station. The Holborn rail crash occurred on the Central line at Holborn on 9 July 1980, at about 13:28 and involved two 1962 stock trains. The 13:17 train from Liverpool Street to White City , standing at the westbound platform, was run into by the 12:49 Hainault to Ealing Broadway train. The rear train was slowing after its brakes had been applied by the emergency train stop system because it had passed two signals at danger, but it failed to stop in time to avoid collision. The driver of
8080-518: The station have been used in the filming of music videos for Howard Jones' " New Song ", Leftfield 's " Release the Pressure ", Suede's " Saturday Night " and Aqua's " Turn Back Time ". The pre-war operation of the station and the branch line features in a pivotal scene in Geoffrey Household 's novel Rogue Male , when the pursuit of the protagonist by enemy agents sees them repeatedly using
8181-537: The station's escalators, passageways and the shuttle service. Patrick Blackett (who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the positron ), developed plans to install a cosmic ray detector on an abandoned platform of the Holborn Station following a row with his mentor Lord Rutherford at Cambridge University. The plans included an 11-ton magnet and a cloud chamber , and were hailed by the London tabloid press at
8282-494: The station. [REDACTED] London transport portal [REDACTED] London transport portal London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube ) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire , Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Underground has its origins in
8383-500: The street façade were constructed in granite with the other parts of the ground and first floors in the same style, but using Portland stone . The rest of the building above first floor level was constructed contemporaneously with the station. Access to the platform levels of the station was provided by trapezium -shaped electric lifts manufactured by Otis in America. These operated in pairs in shared circular shafts, with an escape stair in
8484-540: The structure and level of public transport fares in London. The day-to-day running of the corporation is left to the Commissioner of Transport for London . TfL eventually replaced London Regional Transport, and discontinued the use of the London Transport brand in favour of its own brand. The transfer of responsibility was staged, with transfer of control of London Underground delayed until July 2003, when London Underground Limited became an indirect subsidiary of TfL. In
8585-612: The sub-surface network and the deep-tube lines. The Circle , District , Hammersmith & City , and Metropolitan lines form the sub-surface network, with cut-and-cover railway tunnels just below the surface and of a similar size to those on British main lines They converged on a bi-directional loop in central London, sharing tracks and stations with each other at various places along their respective routes. The Bakerloo , Central , Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines are deep-level tubes, with smaller trains that run in circular tunnels ( tubes ) with
8686-513: The suburban and countryside areas. The Metropolitan line can reach speeds of 62 mph (100 km/h). The London Underground was used for 1.181 billion journeys in the year 2023–2024. The Underground uses several railways and alignments that were built by main-line railway companies. Chiltern Railways shares track with the Metropolitan Line between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham. Three South Western Railway passenger trains
8787-418: The system runs on the surface. There are 20 miles (32 km) of sub-surface tunnels and 93 miles (150 km) of tube tunnels. Many of the central London Underground stations on deep-level tube routes are higher than the running lines to assist deceleration when arriving and acceleration when departing. Trains generally run on the left-hand track. In some places, the tunnels are above each other (for example,
8888-433: The time as the efforts of a "new 'Sherlock Holmes', hunting beneath the streets of London for clues about the mysteries of the universe." The station is in London fare zone 1 . On the Central line the station is between Tottenham Court Road and Chancery Lane, and on the Piccadilly line, it is between Covent Garden and Russell Square. Holborn is the only direct interchange between these lines. Train frequencies vary throughout
8989-444: The tube stations as shelters. An extension of the Central line west to Ealing was also delayed by the war and was completed in 1920. After the war, government-backed financial guarantees were used to expand the network and the tunnels of the City and South London and Hampstead railways were linked at Euston and Kennington; the combined service was not named the Northern line until later. The Metropolitan promoted housing estates near
9090-468: The two northbound tunnels would have been 75 metres (246 ft) north of the platforms. When powers were sought to build the junction in 1905, the layout was changed again so that four platforms were to be provided. The southbound tunnel of the main route no longer connected to the branch, which was to be provided with an additional platform in a dead-end tunnel accessed from a crossover from the northbound branch tunnel. As built, for ease of passenger access,
9191-413: The two platforms shared by trains on the main route and by the shuttle service on the branch with the junctions between the tunnels south of the station. The interference that shuttle trains would have caused to services on the main route led to a redesign so that two northbound platforms were provided, one for the main line and one for the branch line, with a single southbound platform. The junctions between
9292-418: The walls of the platform. Initially, shuttle train services on the branch operated from the through platform at Holborn. At peak times, an additional train operated alternately in the branch's western tunnel from the bay platform at Holborn. During the first year of operation, a train for theatregoers operated late on Monday to Saturday evenings from Strand through Holborn and northbound to Finsbury Park ; this
9393-718: The worst civilian disaster in Britain during the Second World War, and the largest loss of life in a single incident on the London Underground network. On 1 January 1948, under the provisions of the Transport Act 1947 , the London Passenger Transport Board was nationalised and renamed the London Transport Executive , becoming a subsidiary transport organisation of the British Transport Commission , which
9494-865: Was continued by his assistant, Stanley Heaps . The designs remain instantly recognisable: the screen appearance of the fictitious Walford East Underground station from the BBC soap opera EastEnders is inspired by Green's designs. Bakerloo line Stations between Edgware Road and Elephant & Castle inclusive constructed by BS&WR with station buildings designed by Leslie Green: Piccadilly line Stations between Finsbury Park and Gloucester Road inclusive constructed by GNP&BR with station buildings designed by Leslie Green: Northern line Stations between Hampstead and Archway and Charing Cross inclusive constructed by CCE&HR with station buildings designed by Leslie Green: Green contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and died on 31 August 1908 at
9595-563: Was discontinued in October 1908. In March 1908, the off-peak shuttle service began to use the western tunnel on the branch, crossing between the two branch tunnels south of Holborn. Low usage led to the withdrawal of the second peak-hour shuttle and the eastern tunnel was taken out of use in 1914. Sunday services ended in April 1917 and, in August of the same year, the eastern tunnel and the bay platform at Holborn were formally closed. Passenger numbers on
9696-466: Was displayed on the platform roundels until the 1980s. The new platforms at Holborn led to the number of passengers switching between the lines increasing tenfold by 1938. The station was redecorated in the 1980s, with platform walls lined with panels of enamelled metal forming murals designed by Allan Drummond that reference the British Museum . These murals reference Egyptian and Roman antiquities, with sarcophagi, statues and trompe-l'œil columns on
9797-434: Was divided into wide bays by columns, allowing separate entrances and exits, and also providing space for retail outlets. The design also featured large semi-circular windows at first floor level (occasionally with circular oculi ) and a heavy dentilated cornice above. A broad strip between the two floors announced the name of the station in capital letters. The station buildings were constructed with flat roofs with
9898-430: Was formed on the same day. Under the same act, the country's main line railways were also nationalised, and their reconstruction was given priority over the maintenance of the Underground and most of the unfinished plans of the pre-war New Works Programme were shelved or postponed. The District line needed new trains and an unpainted aluminium train entered service in 1953, this becoming the standard for new trains. In
9999-592: Was granted permission to build such a line in 1854. To prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built in 1855 in Kibblesworth , a small town with geological properties similar to London. This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground train, and was later, in 1861, filled up. The world's first underground railway, it opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. It
10100-483: Was hailed as a success, carrying 38,000 passengers on the opening day, and borrowing trains from other railways to supplement the service. The Metropolitan District Railway (commonly known as the District Railway ) opened in December 1868 from South Kensington to Westminster as part of a plan for an underground "inner circle" connecting London's main-line stations. The Metropolitan and District railways completed
10201-462: Was submitted to parliament and approved as the London Underground (Safety Measures) Act 1991 giving London Underground powers to improve and expand the frequently congested station with a new ticket hall and new subways. The expansion works were not carried out and the arrangement of the station remains much the same as it was in the 1930s. According to Transport for London (TfL), the station
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