London Underground
Opened in 1863, the Tube is the world's oldest metro - and 160 years on, it still moves a city.
The London Underground - better known as the Tube - is the world's oldest metro system, opened in 1863, and still one of the busiest. It runs 11 lines across 272 stations, covering 402 km of track through nine fare zones. Around 1.35 billion journeys are made on it every year, making it the backbone of travel across Greater London.
Metro Lines
13 linesBakerloo Line
25 stations · 23.2 km
Central Line
49 stations · 74 km
Circle Line
27 stations · 27 km
District Line
60 stations · 64 km
Hammersmith & City Line
29 stations · 25.5 km
Jubilee Line
27 stations · 36.2 km
Metropolitan Line
34 stations · 66.7 km
Northern Line
50 stations · 58 km
Piccadilly Line
53 stations · 71 km
Victoria Line
16 stations · 21 km
DLR
45 stations · 42.4 km
Overground
112 stations · 167 km
Elizabeth Line
41 stations · 118 km
Stations
View allKing's Cross St Pancras
Paddington
Oxford Circus
Baker Street
Liverpool Street
Waterloo
Victoria
Westminster
London Bridge
Bank / Monument
Canary Wharf
Green Park
Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus
Covent Garden
Tottenham Court Road
Bond Street
South Kensington
Tower Hill
Stratford
Embankment
Camden Town
Notting Hill Gate
Hammersmith
Wembley Park
Heathrow Terminal 5
Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3
Brixton
Farringdon
Euston
Moorgate
Charing Cross
Holborn
Blackfriars
Whitechapel
Angel
Highbury & Islington
Warren Street
Morden
Ealing Broadway
Richmond
Wimbledon
East Ham
Barking
Mile End
Bethnal Green
Aldgate
Aldgate East
Shadwell
Bermondsey
Canada Water
Rotherhithe
Oval
Stockwell
Clapham Common
Tooting Broadway
Edgware
Finchley Central
Archway
Golders Green
Elephant & Castle
Lambeth North
Marylebone
Edgware Road
Warwick Avenue
Maida Vale
Kilburn Park
Queen's Park
Kensal Green
Willesden Junction
Harlesden
Stonebridge Park
Wembley Central
North Wembley
South Kenton
Kenton
Harrow & Wealdstone
West Ruislip
Ruislip Gardens
South Ruislip
Northolt
Greenford
Perivale
Hanger Lane
North Acton
East Acton
White City
Shepherd's Bush Market
Holland Park
Queensway
Lancaster Gate
Chancery Lane
St. Paul's
Leyton
Leytonstone
Snaresbrook
South Woodford
Woodford
Buckhurst Hill
Loughton
Debden
Theydon Bois
Epping
Newbury Park
Barkingside
Fairlop
Hainault
Grange Hill
Chigwell
Roding Valley
Vauxhall
Pimlico
Seven Sisters
Tottenham Hale
Blackhorse Road
Walthamstow Central
Finsbury Park
Manor House
Turnpike Lane
Wood Green
Bounds Green
Arnos Grove
Southgate
Oakwood
Cockfosters
Stanmore
Canons Park
Queensbury
Kingsbury
Neasden
Dollis Hill
Willesden Green
Kilburn
West Hampstead
Swiss Cottage
St John's Wood
Southwark
North Greenwich
Canning Town
West Ham
High Barnet
Totteridge & Whetstone
Woodside Park
West Finchley
Mill Hill East
Burnt Oak
Colindale
Hendon Central
Brent Cross
Hampstead
Belsize Park
Chalk Farm
Tufnell Park
Kentish Town
Cutty Sark
Greenwich
Lewisham
Arsenal
Caledonian Road
Holloway Road
Russell Square
Knightsbridge
Hyde Park Corner
Gloucester Road
Barons Court
Hatton Cross
Heathrow Terminal 4
Osterley
Boston Manor
Northfields
South Ealing
North Ealing
Park Royal
Alperton
Sudbury Town
Sudbury Hill
South Harrow
Rayners Lane
Eastcote
Hillingdon
Earl's Court
West Kensington
Fulham Broadway
Parsons Green
Putney Bridge
East Putney
Southfields
Wimbledon Park
Stamford Brook
Turnham Green
Chiswick Park
Acton Town
Gunnersbury
Kew Gardens
Ealing Common
West Brompton
Bayswater
High Street Kensington
Sloane Square
Temple
Mansion House
Cannon Street
Monument
Stepney Green
Bow Road
Plaistow
Upton Park
Bromley-by-Bow
Becontree
Dagenham Heathway
Dagenham East
Elm Park
Hornchurch
Upminster Bridge
Upminster
Kensington (Olympia)
Nine Elms
Battersea Power Station
Mornington Crescent
Goodge Street
Borough
Kennington
Clapham North
Clapham South
Balham
Tooting Bec
Colliers Wood
South Wimbledon
East Finchley
Highgate
Royal Oak
Westbourne Park
Ladbroke Grove
Latimer Road
Wood Lane
Goldhawk Road
Euston Square
Great Portland Street
Barbican
Edgware Road
Finchley Road
Harrow-on-the-Hill
North Harrow
Pinner
Northwick Park
Chorleywood
Rickmansworth
Croxley
Watford
Northwood
Northwood Hills
Ruislip
Ruislip Manor
Chalfont & Latimer
Chesham
Amersham
Regent's Park
Wanstead
Gants Hill
Redbridge
Marble Arch
Shepherd's Bush
West Acton
New Cross
New Cross Gate
Tower Gateway
Woolwich Arsenal
Mudchute
Poplar
West India Quay
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Island Gardens
Devons Road
Langdon Park
Bow Church
Pudding Mill Lane
Royal Victoria
Custom House
Prince Regent
Royal Albert
Beckton Park
Cyprus
Gallions Reach
Beckton
Deptford Bridge
Elverson Road
King George V
Star Lane
Stratford High Street
Stratford International
Abbey Road
Limehouse
Blackwall
Woolwich
Abbey Wood
Hayes & Harlington
West Drayton
Forest Gate
Maryland
Manor Park
Ilford
Seven Kings
Goodmayes
Acton Main Line
Fare Guide
How to Use the London Metro
- 1
Pay with an Oyster card or tap a contactless bank card or phone directly on the yellow reader at the gate. Both give you the same capped fares - the cheapest way to travel.
- 2
Touch in when you enter a station and touch out when you leave. Forgetting to touch out triggers a maximum fare charge that can be corrected but is a hassle to fix.
- 3
The network runs across nine fare zones. Zone 1 is central London - most tourist landmarks are in Zones 1 and 2. Your fare depends on how many zones you cross.
- 4
A daily price cap kicks in automatically. Once you hit the cap (for Zones 1-2 it is £8.50), every journey for the rest of that day is free. You never need to buy a day travel card.
- 5
Most lines run from around 05:30 to between midnight and 00:30. On Friday and Saturday nights the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines run all night as part of the Night Tube.
- 6
Download the free TfL Go app or Citymapper before you travel. Both show live departure times, service alerts and step-free routing.
Travel Tips for London
- Stand on the right on escalators. The left side is kept free for people walking up or down - this is an unwritten rule Londoners take seriously.
- Move down inside the carriage, away from the doors. Packed trains become much more bearable when passengers spread out rather than clustering near the doorways.
- The Central, Northern and Jubilee lines get brutally crowded during rush hour (roughly 08:00-09:30 and 17:00-19:30 on weekdays). If you can shift your journey by 30 minutes either side, do it.
- Walking between very close stations is often faster than taking the Tube. Leicester Square to Covent Garden, for example, is a 5-minute walk but the lift queue at Covent Garden alone can take longer.
- The Elizabeth line is not part of the Underground map but uses the same Oyster and contactless payment. It is faster, quieter and more comfortable than most Tube lines for east-west journeys across London.
- Heathrow Airport is served by the Piccadilly line (around 50 minutes to central London, roughly £5.50 with Oyster) and the faster Elizabeth line (around 40 minutes to Paddington, same fare).
History of the London Underground
On 10 January 1863 the Metropolitan Railway ran its first steam-hauled trains between Paddington and Farringdon Street, carrying 38,000 passengers on opening day and launching what would become the world's first urban underground railway. Within a generation the network spread across the city, and in 1890 the City and South London Railway became the world's first deep-level electric tube line. By 1933 all the competing private operators were merged under the London Passenger Transport Board, and two years later Harry Beck's famous diagram map - which prioritised clarity over geography - was issued to passengers. It changed how transit maps were drawn everywhere. The 11 lines of the Underground today span 402 km of track and serve 272 stations across nine fare zones, from Chesham in the Chilterns to Heathrow Airport. The newest major addition is the Elizabeth line (Crossrail), which began through-running services in 2022 and now carries over 600,000 passengers daily, though it operates under its own branding. Night Tube services on five lines run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Accessibility
107/ 272 stations
Step-free access (39% coverage)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Tube cost?
With Oyster or a contactless card, a single journey in Zone 1 costs £2.80 at peak times and £2.70 off-peak. The daily cap for Zones 1-2 is £8.50, so however many trips you make, that is the most you will pay in a day. A 7-day Travelcard for Zones 1-2 costs £41.80.
How many lines does the London Underground have?
The London Underground has 11 lines: Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, and Waterloo and City. The Elizabeth line (Crossrail) shares stations with the Underground but is operated separately by TfL under its own name.
Does the London Underground run 24 hours?
Not on all lines. Most services run from around 05:30 until just after midnight. On Friday and Saturday nights, Night Tube services run all night on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. Sunday services generally start later, around 07:00.
Which line goes to Heathrow Airport?
The Piccadilly line runs directly to all Heathrow terminals (T2, T3, T4 and T5) from central London. The journey from King's Cross takes around 50-55 minutes. The Elizabeth line also serves Heathrow and is faster to Paddington (around 40 minutes), though both cost the same fare with Oyster.
How accessible is the London Underground for wheelchair users?
Step-free access is available at 107 of 272 stations. Many central Zone 1 stations - including Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Charing Cross and Green Park - still have stairs only. The TfL Journey Planner has a step-free option, and the Elizabeth line was built to be fully accessible throughout.
What is the difference between Oyster and contactless?
Both give you the same fares and the same daily cap protection. Contactless (bank card, phone or smartwatch) is the more convenient option - no top-up needed and your journey history is saved to your account. An Oyster card is useful if you want to load a period Travelcard, apply a railcard discount, or use the 18+ Student Oyster photocard.
Operating Hours
- monday05:30 - 00:30
- tuesday05:30 - 00:30
- wednesday05:30 - 00:30
- thursday05:30 - 00:30
- friday05:30 - 00:30 (Night Tube: Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria run 24h)
- saturday05:30 - 00:30 (Night Tube: Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria run 24h)
- sunday07:00 - 23:30
Quick Facts
- TimezoneEurope/London
- CurrencyGBP
- LanguageEnglish
- Population9,002,488
- Annual Riders1.35 billion