Northern line facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northern line
1995 Stock leaving the tunnel north of Hendon Central
Overview
Stations	50
Colour on map	Black
Website	tfl.gov.uk
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	London Underground
Depot(s)	Golders Green, Morden; sidings at Edgware, Colindale, Hampstead, Chalk Farm, High Barnet, East Finchley, Archway, Camden Town, Euston (Bank branch), Moorgate, Charing Cross, Kennington, Tooting Broadway
Rolling stock	1995 Stock
Ridership	252.310 million passenger journeys (2011/12)
History
Opened	18 December 1890 (as City and South London Railway) 28 August 1937 (renamed to Northern line)
Last extension	1926
Technical
Line length	58 km (36 mi)
Character	Deep-tube
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	45 mph (72 km/h)

The Northern line is a very busy train line on the London Underground system. It's easy to spot on the Tube map because it's coloured black. This line carries a huge number of people, more than any other Underground line. Over 250 million passengers use it every year!

The Northern line is mostly a "deep-level tube line." This means its tunnels are dug deep underground, unlike some other lines that run closer to the surface. The oldest part of the Northern line, between Stockwell and Borough, opened way back in 1890. This makes it the oldest deep-level tube section in the whole Underground network.

About the Northern Line

The Northern line is one of the busiest lines in London. In 2011/12, about 252 million journeys were made on it. For several years, from 2003 to 2010, it was actually the busiest line of all!

One special thing about the Northern line is that it has two different routes through the centre of London. This helps it serve more areas. Even though it's called the "Northern" line, it doesn't go to the very northernmost stations on the Underground. However, it does reach the southernmost station, Morden. It also serves 16 out of the 29 stations located south of the River Thames.

In total, the Northern line has 50 stations. Out of these, 36 stations have platforms that are deep underground.

History of the Line

The Northern line has a long and interesting history. Its current shape, with different branches in the north and two routes through central London, comes from how it was built. It started as three separate railway lines. These lines were later joined together in the 1920s and 1930s to form what we know today as the Northern line.

An extension built in the 1920s used a path that was originally planned by a fourth railway company. There were also plans in the 1920s and 1930s to extend the line even further, both north and south. These plans would have included parts of two more railway companies' routes.

From the 1930s to the 1970s, tracks from yet another company were also managed as part of the Northern line. This shows how many different parts came together to create this complex line.

Future of the Northern Line

Currently, there's a new extension being built from Kennington to Battersea. This project is called the Northern line extension to Battersea. Once it's finished, the Northern line might get a second branch in the south. It's also possible that the line could be split into two separate lines, each with its own name and identity. This would change how people travel across London.

Images for kids

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  City & South London Railway train from 1890, one of the first deep-level trains.

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  How the Northern line was formed from different railway companies.

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  A map showing the planned Northern Heights extension that was not completed.

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  A sign showing the route of the planned Northern Heights extension.

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  A close-up view inside the driver's cab of a 1995 stock train on the Northern line, heading towards High Barnet.

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  A notice inside a Northern line train, explaining how to find step-free access at stations.

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  A Northern line train, heading to High Barnet, arriving at Finchley Central.

See also

In Spanish: Northern Line para niños