London Tube Map
The London Underground is a metro railway system in England that covers much of the conurbation of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. It is the world's oldest underground system, and is the largest in terms of route length. Service began on the 10th of January 1863 on the Metropolitan Railway, from which the term "metro" is derived; most of the initial route is now part of the Hammersmith & City Line. Despite its name, about 55% of the network is above ground. Popular local names include the Underground and, more colloquially, the Tube, in reference to the cylindrical shape of the system's deep-bore tunnels.
The Underground is an electric railway and currently serves 275 stations and runs over 408 km (253 miles) of lines. There are also a number of former stations and tunnels that are now closed. In 2004–2005, total passenger journeys reached a record level of 976 million, an average of 2.67 million per day.
Since 2003, the Underground has been part of Transport for London (TfL), which also administers London's buses, including the famous red double-deckers, and carries out numerous other transport-related functions in the capital. Previously, London Regional Transport was the holding company for London Underground.
