subject: London Underground facts [print this page] London Underground facts
The London Underground is the staple mode of choice for commuters when it comes to transport. Deemed the oldest underground railway system in a city, the tube has served its residents since 1863.
Here are a few nice and nasty facts about the dazzling system:
Almost half a million rodents live in the London Underground.
Fifty people kill themselves each year on the tube.
In 1926 suicide pits' were built into the railway lines to prevent the number of deaths. The Jubilee line has glass screens to prevent passengers from jumping onto the tracks.
Commuters who don't wish to walk up escalators always stand on the right to allow others to pass.
The deepest tunnel on the tube is on the Northern Line at Hampstead.
The first ever tube crash occurred in 1938 between Waterloo and Charing Cross.
The earliest tube runs at 4.45 am and continues until 1am on the Piccadilly Line. The lines run for 24 hours during the New Year celebrations and will stay open for parts of the 2012 Olympic ceremonies.
Tunnelling for the Victoria line resulted in diggers finding fossils and human bone remains from the plague.
Talk show host Jerry Springer was born on the Underground.
The famous stylised Underground map was designed by engineering draughtsman Harry Beck who wanted to create a simple map that highlighted directions rather than distance.
Busking on the Tube was illegal until 2003.
The phrase Mind the Gap' started in 1968 and was spoken by recording company owner Peter Lodge. Today the female voice of Emma Clarke and the tones of Tim Bentinck are also used.
The longest journey without a change is between West Ruislip and Epping on the Central line.
The longest escalator stands at 60 metres with a vertical rise of 27.5 meters at Angel.
Employees who work in offices in the City might choose to use these unusual facts to instigate some interesting office space banter. Or they may decide that their daily commute is enough tube related matter that they can stand for the rest of their remaining days.
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