This is a list of deliberate attacks on the infrastructure, staff or passengers of the London Underground that have caused considerable damage, injury or death.
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In January 1885 a bomb exploded on a Metropolitan Line train at Gower Street (now Euston Square) station.
A bomb left by an anarchist group on a Metropolitan Railway train exploded at Aldersgate Street station (now Barbican) on 26 April 1897.[1] 60 people were injured, ten seriously, but the only fatality was Harry Pitts (born in 1861 in Devon) who died from his injuries. At the inquest into Pitts' death, the jury found that he had been killed "by a bomb, or some other explosive, maliciously placed in the carriage by some unknown person or persons". A verdict of "wilful murder" was recorded.[2]
In February 1913 a bomb - possibly planted by the Suffragettes - was discovered at Westbourne Park station.
The Provisional Irish Republican Army, is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation which, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern Ireland's status within the United Kingdom and bring about a United Ireland through armed force. On a number of occasions the group attacked the London Underground.
Bombs planted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded in the left luggage offices at Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square stations on 3 February 1939.
On 23 August 1973 a bomb was found in an abandoned bag in Baker Street station ticket hall. The bomb was defused. A week later another bomb was found by a member of staff at the same station and again was defused.
On 26 December 1973 a bomb was detonated in a telephone kiosk in the booking hall at Sloane Square station. Nobody was injured.
On 13 February a bomb weighing 20 pounds (9.1 kg) was found in a small case at Oxford Circus station and was defused.[3]
On 15 March an IRA bomb exploded on a Metropolitan Line train at West Ham station, on the Hammersmith & City section of the line. The bomber, Vincent Donnelly, possibly took the wrong train and attempted to return to his destination. However, the bomb detonated prior to reaching the City of London area. Donnelly shot Peter Chalk, a Post Office engineer, and shot and killed the train's driver Julius Stephen who attempted to catch the perpetrator. Donnelly then shot himself, but was apprehended by police.[4]
On 16 March an empty train was severely damaged by a bomb at Wood Green station. The train was about to pick up fans from an Arsenal Football match, but the bomb detonated prior to arriving at the station, injuring one passenger standing on the platform. Three men were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for this attack.[5]
On 29 August three incendiary devices were found under a train at Hammersmith tube station.
On 23 December two IRA bombs exploded, one on a train at Harrow-on-the-Hill station causing no injuries, and a smaller one on a train at Neasden depot.
In 1992 the IRA placed incendiary devices on several trains. At Elephant & Castle station and Neasden station devices were found and defused. One device went off at Barking station.
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In 2005 a group of Islamist extremists attacked a number of transportation lines in London.
On 7 July 2005, bombs exploded on Underground trains between Aldgate and Liverpool Street stations, Russell Square and King's Cross St. Pancras stations and Edgware Road and Paddington stations. A double-decker bus at Tavistock Square was also destroyed. The bombs were detonated by four homegrown terrorist suicide bombers. The explosions killed 52 people and resulted in over 700 injuries.
Four more attacks, unconnected with those on 7 July, were attempted on 21 July 2005 at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations, as well as on a bus in Shoreditch. In these incidents, each bomb detonator fired, but did not ignite the main explosive charge. The only injury reported initially was a bystander suffering an asthma attack.