The Central Line 27
The History of the Lines
The Central Line opened on 30th July 1900 as a cross-London route from Bank to Shepherd's Bush, and was extremely well patronised from the outset. Contributing to this popularity was the flat fare of two old pence (2d) which encouraged the press to call the line the ? Twopenny Tube". The flat fare lasted until the end of June 1907 when a threepenny fare was introduced for longer journeys.
In 1908, the line was extended west to Wood Lane to serve the adjacent White City Exhibition, and four years later was extended at its eastern end from Bank to Liverpool Street. In 1920, the line was further extended to the west as far as Ealing Broadway. The 1939-1945 war intervened before plans for more ambitious extensions at each end of the line could be implemented, but these plans were revived after the war. New tracks next to the existing main line railway were brought into use from North Acton to West Ruislip, as were new tunnels from Liverpool Street to Leyton and from Leytonstone to Newbury Park. North of both of these tunnels the Central took over existing suburban lines, to Ongar via Epping, and to Woodford via Hainault. The Epping to Ongar shuttle service, which was run under contract as a steam-hauled service by British Rail until 1957, was closed in 1994.
The Waterloo & City, London's second deep-level tube railway, opened in 1898. It was promoted by the London and South Western Railway whose trains terminated at Waterloo and was intended then as now to offer commuters a direct rail link to and from the City of London. The line remained under separate management from the London Underground for almost 100 years, but on 1st April 1994 London Underground took over the line from British Rail.
Running the Lines
London Underground is currently in the process of working towards the establishment of a public private partnership (PPP) designed to increase investment in the system. This follows the Government's announcement in March 1998 of its intention to divide London Underground into a publicly-owned operating company and three privately-owned infrastructure companies (Infracos) which will be contracted to maintain and enhance the infrastructure. In order to facilitate the transition to the new PPP structure when the contractual arrangements are in place, the operational side of the Underground has been reorganised, with a structure based on individual lines or groups of lines replaced by one reflecting the proposed Infraco groupings. From September 1999, the Central and Waterloo & City Lines have been grouped with the Bakerloo and Victoria Lines, with Bob Bayman, Train Service Manager (BCV), and Andy Byford, Station Services Manager (BCV), jointly responsible for delivering train and station services which meet customers' requirements.
Passengers on the Central Line
In 1997 the Central Line carried 165 million passengers, making it the system's fourth busiest line. Oxford Circus, with an annual passenger count of 85 million, is the line's busiest station and the second busiest on the Underground as a whole.
Central Line Trains and Stations
The Central Line's 74 km (46 miles) make it the Underground's longest line. It serves 49 stations and requires 72 trains to operate the peak period service.
The 85 trains, each of eight cars and known as 1992 tube stock, are manufactured by ABB Transportation in Derby and are the newest on the Underground. Their performance and design specifications were developed following detailed engineering appraisal and market research involving prototype trains which ran on the Jubilee Line.
Major features of these new trains are the smoother ride, acceleration
and braking, an air suspension system, higher speeds, wider externally-mounted
passenger-operated doors, brighter material design with large windows in
the ends of cars, longer trains for increased capacity, new passenger-to-driver
emergency communication facilities, automatic audible station announcements
and closed-circuit television in the new-style cab to allow operators to
monitor what is happening on platforms.
Central Line Depôts 28
The overhaul of trains takes place at a large depôt at West Ruislip. Train maintenance work is also carried out at this depôt as well as at Hainault depô t. Minor maintenance is carried out at a smaller depôt at White City which is also used to stable trains at night, and there are stabling sidings at Woodford and Loughton.
Central Line Modernisation
In 1988 the Government gave the go-ahead for a modernisation scheme, involving not only the new fleet of trains but also a new high-tech signalling system for the line directed by a new computer-based control centre in west London.
The simultaneous renewal of trains and signalling - and other equipment - will make the best use of the Central Line's capacity and provide important benefits for passengers with more frequent trains, greater comfort, shorter journeys and improved reliability. The £820 million modernisation is expected to be completed shortly; the centralised Control Centre at Wood Lane will be completed mid-2000.
Central Line Trivia
The 2.25 km (1.38 mile) line links Waterloo with Bank without any intermediate stations, and is operated by the Central Line management team. The five new four-car trains on the line are of identical design to those on the Central Line, and four provide the peak period service. In 1996, the line carried 12 million passengers.
Further Informations
If you wish to comment on Central Line or Waterloo & City Line services, or wish to know more about these lines, please contact:
Customer Services
Central and Waterloo and City Lines
London Underground Limited
Telstar House
Eastbourne Terrace
London W2 6LW
Telephone 020 7918 0800
[revised October 1999]