London Underground’s Waterloo & City line serves two stations: Waterloo and Bank.
The short route connects Waterloo station, a major national railway terminus, with Bank in the City of London. It was built primarily to carry commuters between the main-line railway and the financial district.
The line opened in 1898 as the Waterloo & City Railway. Unlike most Underground routes, it has no intermediate station and operates entirely underground. Its compact layout gives it a distinctive role in the network.
The Waterloo & City is sometimes nicknamed “The Drain,” a traditional name linked to its short underground route. It is also unusual because it does not normally operate on Sundays or public holidays, although special arrangements can change its timetable.