What we love about old cities like London are the many fascinating discoveries that are literally beneath the surface of the streets. The London Underground subway system or the Tube, as its popularly called, is no exception. The team from London Pass has put together this great infographic with fun facts and history. Here are some highlights:
- The iconic London Underground logo, with the red/white circle and blue dash appeared in 1908.
- The London Underground font, created by letter master Edward Johnston first appeared in 1916. According to the wonderful book Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, the Johnston sans font appeared first in a series of “workmanlike posters announcing fares from Twickenham (4d), and promoting the Arts and Crafts Exhibition at the Royal Academy.”
- The London Underground is the oldest underground rail system in the world, opened in 1898. In contrast, the New York City subway system opened in 1904.
- Mark Twain was on the first journey when the Central Line opened in 1900.
- The first escalators were installed in the London Underground in 1911, after the first working escalator was at the Old Iron Pier at Coney Island in 1896.
- The fastest line in the London Underground is the Central Line, at 30.94 miles per hour, the slowest is the circle line.
- The busiest stations are those that have railway stations on site as well, starting with Oxford Circus with 98.5 million entries and exists per year, followed by King’s Cross, Waterloo and Victoria Station
- There are 270 stations in the London Underground system, while New York City has 469 (412 if you remove transfer stations that are counted two or three times)
Next check out 7 of London’s fascinating underground attractions or the catacombs around the world in NYC, London, Rome and more.
