18 Facts About District line

District line is a London Underground line running from Upminster in the east and Edgware Road in the west to Earl's Court in west London, where it splits into multiple branches.

Original Metropolitan District Railway opened in December 1868 from South Kensington to Westminster as part of a plan for a below-ground "inner circle" connecting London's main line termini.

Metropolitan District line Railway was formed to build and operate part of an underground 'inner circle' connecting London's railway termini.

The first District line opened in December 1868, with services from South Kensington to Westminster; these were operated by the Metropolitan Railway using wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives.

Between 1 March 1883 and 30 September 1885, the District line Railway ran trains between Mansion House and Windsor, via Paddington.

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At the start of the 20th century, the District was seeing increased competition from the new electric underground tube lines and trams, and the use of steam locomotives underground led to unpopular smoke-filled stations and carriages.

In 1933, Piccadilly trains reached to Hounslow West, the District line continuing to run services with an off-peak shuttle from South Acton to Hounslow.

In 2003, the infrastructure of the District line was partly privatised in a public–private partnership, managed by the Metronet consortium.

At Ealing Broadway station, the District line has platforms north of the Central line and the Great Western Main Line out of Paddington.

From Acton Town to Barons Court, the line has four tracks, paired by use: the District line uses the outer pair and the non-stopping Piccadilly line trains use the inner pair.

At Richmond station, the London Overground and District line platforms are north of the Waterloo to Reading line through platforms.

The District line follows the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway for another eight stations, before terminating at Upminster station.

West of Earls Court, the District line is entirely surface level, with the exception of the Hammersmith and Fulham Broadway stations, which are in cuttings built over by recent developments.

From 13 June 1905 until 28 February 1959, the District line ran a one-stop shuttle between Acton Town and South Acton.

The District line served the present Piccadilly line stations between North Ealing and South Harrow until 4 July 1932 and the stations between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge until 25 October 1933.

Currently part of the East London line, the District Railway branched away from the main line west of Whitechapel and served stations between Shadwell and New Cross from 1 October 1884 until 31 July 1905.

Between Whitechapel and Aldgate East, the District line served St Mary's from 1 October 1884 to 30 April 1938, closing when Aldgate East station moved.

Construction of the District line was delayed by World War I and, as part of a deal with the Southern Railway to agree to the extension of the City and South London Railway to Morden, construction of the District line was taken over by the SR.