The London Underground is one of the oldest and biggest metro systems in the world. So, it comes as no surprise that there are many secrets hidden within its walls.
Here are 15 fascinating facts about the Underground:
1. In 1924, the first baby was born on the tube at Elephant & Castle on the Bakerloo line.
2. Each week, the Underground's escalators travel the equivalent distance of going around the world twice.
3. Builders working on the Bakerloo Line are said to have suffered from the bends while tunnelling under the Thames.
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4. The deepest station is Hampstead on the Northern line, which runs down to 58.5m.
5. The Jubilee line was named to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 – but did not open until 1979.
6. During the Second World War, part of the Piccadilly line was closed and British Museum treasures were stored in the tunnels.
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7. The London Underground is the third largest metro system in the world, in terms of miles, after the Beijing Subway and the Shanghai Metro.
8. The Underground helped over 200,000 children escape to the countryside during the Second World War.
9. Angel has the Underground's longest escalator, measuring 60m in height with a vertical rise of 27.5m.
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10. There are three tube stations on the Monopoly board: Liverpool Street Station, King’s Cross and Marylebone.
11. St James’ Park is the only Underground Station to have Grade-1 protected status. It includes 55 Broadway, the administrative headquarters of London’s Underground since the 1930s.
12. In 2008, alcohol was banned on the tube and all London Transport.
13. When she was 13-years-old in 1939, the Queen travelled on the Underground for the first time, with her governess Marion Crawford and Princess Margaret.
14. Two of the frontages of beautiful townhouses in Leinster Gardens look like all the others but, in fact, they are dummies. The council created the fake façade after residents insisted the tube affected the look of their street.
15. There are around 40 unused tube stations in London. 26 of them have been turned into tourist attractions and event spaces, with climbing walls in the deep shafts.
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