The experience back then was properly weird. The steam engines had to be designed so the smoke went into a “condensing apparatus” to reduce the fumes. It didn’t work well. Men wore smoking jackets on the train to protect their clothes. Women carried handkerchiefs soaked in lavender water. The carriages had straw on the floor to catch the spit and debris. Charming, right?
BBC News - In pictures: Steam train to recreate London Tube journey
Practical tip for today: avoid the Metropolitan line during peak hours if you can. It’s still one of the busiest commuter routes, filling up with people heading to and from Harrow, Uxbridge, and Watford. But do take it on a Sunday afternoon. Sit on the left side heading out of Baker Street, and you’ll catch a glimpse of the original 1863 tunnel near Edgware Road. It’s not much—just a darker patch of brickwork—but it’s a real time machine.
Another fun fact: the Metropolitan Railway Company had a sports club. They built a football ground at Wembley Park, which later became the site of the original Wembley Stadium. The station they built to serve it, “Wembley Park,” is still there. So the tube literally created one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world. You can thank a Victorian railway engineer next time you watch the FA Cup final.
The cultural legacy
The Metropolitan line has left its mark on art and literature. In The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, Sherlock Holmes follows a stolen submarine blueprint through the underground. And of course, there’s the classic “Mind the Gap” announcement, first used on the Piccadilly line but now synonymous with the entire system. That phrase is so iconic that it was included in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.
For a modern twist, look at the Tube map. Harry Beck’s 1933 design—with its straight lines and 45-degree angles—was inspired by electrical circuit diagrams. It’s now a cultural icon, printed on mugs, t-shirts, and even socks. The Metropolitan line appears as a deep magenta color, a hue that’s instantly recognizable to any Londoner. It’s bold, confident, and a little bit retro, just like the line itself.
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Practical tip: if you want a quiet ride, board at Farringdon on a weekday evening. This is where the Metropolitan line splits into branches, and many passengers get off. You’ll often have a carriage to yourself, especially if you’re heading to the outer reaches like Amersham or Chesham. Bring a book. The train hums nicely at 50 miles per hour.
And here’s a tiny, mind-bending fact: the Metropolitan line still uses some of the oldest rolling stock on the network. The S Stock trains, introduced in 2010, are actually wider than the tunnels in some sections. They had to be specially designed with retractable steps. So when you board one, you’re riding on a train that barely fits through a hole dug in 1863. That’s engineering poetry.
Let’s talk about the stations. Baker Street is the crown jewel. It’s the oldest underground station in the world, and the platforms still have that classic arched brickwork. You can see a plaque marking the original 1863 entrance. But my favorite is Great Portland Street. It’s small, quiet, and has a beautiful 1930s tiled ceiling. Look up, and you’ll see a faded advertisement for “Bovril—the essential food.” It’s a ghost from a different century.
Today, the Metropolitan line carries over 60 million passengers a year. That’s about 164,000 people every day. They’re all part of a long, dirty, glorious tradition that started with a single, smoky train. The next time you sit on that magenta-colored seat, remember you’re in a moving museum. The tunnels were dug by hand. The signals were once semaphores. And the first passengers stepped aboard hoping they wouldn’t suffocate.
We’ve come a long way, but the tube is still the tube. Unpredictable, grimy, and oddly beautiful. As you lurch through the dark, maybe you’ll see a flash of brickwork from 1863. It’s a quiet reminder that even the most ordinary commute is built on extraordinary history. So go ahead—mind the gap, find a seat, and let the Metropolitan line carry you through time.
