London’s underground railway opened in 1863 as the world’s first underground passenger railway.
The Metropolitan Railway began service on 10 January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon. Steam locomotives initially hauled trains through cut-and-cover tunnels, which were built by excavating streets, constructing the railway, and covering the route again. The line was created to reduce severe congestion caused by horse-drawn traffic in central London.
London’s Underground later expanded through several companies and construction methods. Deep-level electric railways became possible in the late nineteenth century, and the system eventually developed into the network commonly called the Tube. The Underground’s famous roundel and map are now associated with London worldwide.
The Metropolitan Railway was not the first railway in London, but it was the first public railway designed to carry passengers underground. Other cities, including Budapest and Glasgow, opened underground systems later.