Underground Systems in the UK

17.9.24

The holy trinity of UK underground systems is the Glasgow Subway, Newcastle Metro, and the London Underground. Plus, we give one honorary mention to an often-unsung subterranean rail network.

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Back to the matter at hand: UK underground train networks.

Glasgow Subway: The Clockwork Orange

Inaugurated in 1896, The Glasgow Subway is the world’s third-oldest underground system, after London and Budapest. The Clockwork Orange as it’s known because of the colour of its livery, this small circular metro system has two lines (inner and outer), looping around the city clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Glasgow Subway history

The Glasgow Subway used cable traction akin to San Francisco's cable cars when it opened before being electrified in 1935. Its tunnels have remained remarkably unchanged since the 19th century, with the small gauge and narrow tunnel profile giving the system its distinctive tiny feel.

Modernising The Glasgow Subway

It was modernised in the 1970s. We’re talking rolling stock, stations, and tunnels. The major overhaul included the introduction of new trains and the conversion of the cable-driven system to a fully electric operation. Glasgow Subway now boasts automated systems for train control and maintenance, and brand new trains.

While the same length as the old three-car set trains, the new ones are a four-car set with open gangways.

Replacing the Subway’s signalling and communications system is ongoing. Also still to come is a new operational control centre and platform screen doors (PSDs) to station platforms. Once complete, it'll then be time to debut the driverless trains.

London Underground

The London Underground opened in 1863, making it the world’s oldest operational underground system. Originally a steam-powered railway, it connected Paddington to Farringdon via today’s Metropolitan line.

London Underground history

The early sections of the London Underground were built using the cut-and-cover because of the densely populated London streets above. This involved digging trenches, laying tracks, covering, and then repeating. Steam power in confined underground tunnels compromising air quality and efficiency presented challenges early on. However, the introduction of electric trains in 1890 combatted this, starting with the City and South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line). Then followed the rapid expansion of the London Underground.

Technology and London Underground

Electric traction was a big breakthrough that transformed not just the London Underground but urban transit worldwide, with automatic signalling from the 1920s improved safety and efficiency. In later years, the London Underground incorporated advanced digital signalling systems, like the modernised Victoria and Jubilee lines, where real-time train control allows for closer spacing and beefier capacity.

Crossrail/Elizabeth Line

The Elizabeth Line (formerly Crossrail) is a new east-west underground railway that spans the city. Works on what were ambitious modern tunnelling projects were completed in May 2023 and it employed the latest technology and automation.

Automated train control and air-conditioned carriages give us a peek into the future of underground rail. The new nine-carriage Class 345 trains run in the central section of up to 24 trains per hour in each direction. Then, services divide into two branches: in the west to Reading and Heathrow Central and Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.

The Tyne and Wear Metro

The Tyne and Wear Metro, dubbed the Newcastle Metro, opened in 1980. It’s the UK’s second-largest rapid transit system after the London Underground. Its rapid transit hybrid form sets it apart: it combines underground sections with overground tracks. As well as Newcastle it serves Sunderland and Gateshead, a huge swathe of Tyne and Wear.

Newcastle Metro history

The Metro was born in response to decaying traditional rail networks in the Northeast of England in the 1970s. It was decided to convert parts of existing suburban railway lines into a high-frequency metro system. Some of the Newcastle city-centre tunnels used by the Metro are repurposed Victorian railway tunnels.

newcastle metro modernisation

The Metro was one of the first in the UK to adopt modern signalling systems and integrated ticketing when it opened. The Metro has since invested in rolling stock replacement and station upgrades, integrating renewable energy sources, like solar panels at stations, plus smartcard technology.

Merseyrail

Liverpool’s Merseyrail is an unsung hero of the underground and rapid transit networks in the UK and merits an honorary mention.

While it operates an impressive network of mostly overground lines, its city centre sections run underground, just like Newcastle and Glasgow. The tunnels beneath the River Mersey were a major engineering feat when they debuted in 1886, making Merseyrail one of the world's oldest electrified train systems.

Sources

tfl.gov.uk
spt.co.uk
nexus.org.uk