The Central London Railway opened in 1900 as the route now known as the Central line.
The railway began passenger service on 30 June 1900, running between Shepherd’s Bush and Bank. It was nicknamed the Twopenny Tube because a journey cost two pence regardless of distance during its early years.
The Central London Railway used deep-level tunnels beneath the capital and relied on electric traction. It was later absorbed into the Underground system and became the Central line. Extensions eventually carried the route far beyond its original short central section, west to Ealing Broadway and east to Epping and beyond the main built-up area.
The Central line is shown in red on the modern map. Its opening should not be confused with the 1906 opening of the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway, which became associated with the Piccadilly line.