District Line

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

District
Colour on map Green
Year opened 1868
Line type Sub-Surface
Rolling stock C , D stocks
Stations served 60
Length (km) 64
Length (miles) 40
Depots Upminster
Ealing Common
Journeys made 172,879,000 (per annum)
Rail lines of
Transport for London
London Underground lines
  Bakerloo
  Central
  Circle
  District
  East London
  Hammersmith & City
  Jubilee
  Metropolitan
  Northern
  Piccadilly
  Victoria
  Waterloo & City
Other lines
  Docklands Light Railway
  Tramlink
  Overground (starts November 2007)

The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels.

Contents

[edit] History

The District line has a long history. It was built by the Metropolitan District Railway and opened in stages between 1868 and 1905. The MDR was later bought by Charles Yerkes, forming part of the "Underground" group until it was nationalised in the 1930s.

It had branches to Uxbridge and Hounslow West, but both are now operated by the Piccadilly line. Eastbound services ran as far as the seaside town of Southend in Essex from 1 June 1910 and to Shoeburyness from 1911, until 30 September 1939. Between 1 March 1883 and 30 September 1885 the line also served stations from Ealing Broadway to Windsor.

[edit] Trains

Most of the District line's services use the sub-surface D stock, although the Wimbledon to Edgware Road branch is served by the C stock, which it shares with the Circle and Hammersmith and City lines. The D stock is currently undergoing mid-life refurbishment, during which it will receive the standard Underground livery of red, white and blue to replace the current unpainted aluminium finish, which is prone to damage by graffiti vandals. The stock will also receive a complete interior refurbishment and be fitted with CCTV and passenger information displays.


[edit] Map

Geographically accurate path of the District line

[edit] Stations

In order from west to east

[edit] Richmond branch

Gunnersbury station on the Richmond branch
Gunnersbury station on the Richmond branch

[edit] Ealing branch

Ealing Common is the only station where District and Piccadilly line trains call at the same platforms
Ealing Common is the only station where District and Piccadilly line trains call at the same platforms

The Richmond and Ealing branches join just west of Turnham Green.

[edit] Wimbledon branch

The District line platforms at Wimbledon
The District line platforms at Wimbledon

[edit] Kensington (Olympia) branch

The Kensington (Olympia) branch joins the main line west of Earl's Court, and trains from it normally run to High Street Kensington.

The Wimbledon branch joins the main line west of Earl's Court.

[edit] Main Line

Earl's Court station is the hub of the District line
Earl's Court station is the hub of the District line
A typical District Line cut & cover station - Temple
A typical District Line cut & cover station - Temple
Inside an unrefurbished District line car
Inside an unrefurbished District line car

[edit] Edgware Road branch

The District and Circle line platforms at Paddington station on the Edgware Road branch
The District and Circle line platforms at Paddington station on the Edgware Road branch

The Edgware Road branch diverges from the main line east of Earl's Court.

[edit] Current service pattern

The following off-peak service pattern currently runs on the District line

  • 6 tph Ealing Broadway - Tower Hill
  • 6 tph Richmond - Upminster
  • 6 tph Wimbledon - Upminster
  • 6 tph Wimbledon - Edgware Road
  • 4 tph Kensington (Olympia) - High Street Kensington

(tph=trains per hour)

[edit] Interavailabilty

c2c also serves Upminster, Barking, West Ham and Fenchurch Street (for Tower Hill). Tickets are interavailable between the two operators with Oyster Cards (including pay as you go) accepted on this part of c2c's route. South West Trains services occasionally operate on the Wimbledon Branch between East Putney and Wimbledon although trains do not stop at these or any of the intermediate stations.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:


West: Crossings of the River Thames East:
Kew Bridge Richmond branch,
between Gunnersbury
and Kew Gardens
Chiswick Bridge
Putney Bridge Wimbledon branch,
between Putney Bridge
and East Putney
Wandsworth Bridge