Evolution of the London Underground

An animated timeline showing how the London Underground started in 1863, and then grew over the years to present day. It shows how the lines were first created and how the Circle Line and Hammersmith & City Line were originally part of the Metropolitan, and District Railways.

This animation is just the London Underground and does not include the DLR, Overground.

The stations in the Hounslow area are really tricky to show (Hounslow Town opened in 1883, closed in 1886, then had a period when it was open again between 1903 and 1909).

The Northern City Line was not originally part of the Northern Line but is shown here in black, as it did later become part of the Northern Line, and appeared on carriage maps of Northern Line trains.