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In its present-day form, the Metropolitan Line functions much like an overground suburban commuter railway: Baker Street station is its terminus, and as it reaches the outer suburbs of London it progressively branches off into several directions.
The line's operation is quite complex: fast services skip stations and overtake slower services. Some trains, both at peak and off peak hours, run beyond Baker Street, further into London along the tracks of the Circle Line through to Aldgate.
The line has a complex history, and has seen many changes to its layout. It began as part of the low-level network which is now split into the Metropolitan Line, the Hammersmith & City Line and the East London Line. It expanded heavily into the north west suburbs of London and beyond as an overground railway. There are many additional branches and stations on existing branches which have either been abandoned or transferred to other railways and underground lines over the years.
in order from east to west
(continuing from Harrow on the Hill)
(continuing from Harrow on the Hill)
(continuing from Moor Park)
(continuing from Moor Park)
The Metropolitan line is the only London Underground line to operate fast services that miss out certain stations. (The Piccadilly Line also runs a fast service between Hammersmith and Turnham Green/Acton Town, but this operates round the clock and trains do not stop at the intermediate stations at any time). The current off-peak service pattern is as follows:
In the peak other services can run, including through trains to Aldgate from Watford/Amersham, semi-fasts to Watford/Uxbridge missing out Northwick Park and Preston Road and through trains to Chesham. There are also a few trains from Rickmansworth to Watford very early in the morning and vice versa late at night.
The oldest section of the Metropolitan Line opened in 1863, running between Farringdon and Paddington, and is the world's oldest underground railway that is still operational. (The world's first was the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel in New York.) For many years this section of track formed part of the Metropolitan line, but in 1990 it was incorporated into the Hammersmith & City Line.
The oldest section of the Metropolitan Line still running under that name opened in 1868.
The Metropolitan line has a long history. More to come!Overview
Stations
Shared Circle Line track and main branch
The line splits here into two branches - the Uxbridge branch and the Northwood branchUxbridge Branch
Northwood Branch
The line splits here into two branches -- the branch towards Amersham and the Watford branchWatford Branch
Towards Amersham
From Chalfont and Latimer station trains can go to Amersham (as the majority do) or to Chesham. Only in peak hours do trains run to Chesham; at all other times a shuttle service runs between Chalfont & Latimer and Chesham.Current service pattern
(tph=trains per hour)History