Line History:

The first section of what is now the District Line, but known when it opened as the Metropolitan District Railway, started operation on 24th December 1868 between South Kensington and Westminster. The District (as the railway became known), was the second company to start operating underground railway services in London, and like its predecessor, the Metropolitan, its history is inextricably linked with that of the Circle. The District was extended in stages beyond Westminster and the final link of the present day Circle line was completed in 1884. This link included an extension via Aldgate East to Whitechapel. In 1869 the District started operating a line between Gloucester Road and West Brompton and the following year installed its own pair of tracks between Gloucester Road and South Kensington, parallel to those of the Metropolitan Railway. The District also put in connections from Earl's Court to both High Street Kensington and Kensington Olympia. The District reached Hammersmith in 1874, Richmond in 1877 and Ealing Broadway two years later. In 1883 a short-lived extension was made to Windsor from Ealing Broadway, over the tracks of the Great Western Railway. This service was withdrawn in 1885. In 1902 the Whitechapel & Bow Railway - with tra ns provided by the District - opened, allowing trains to run through to Upminster. Further extensions to Hounslow (1884) and Uxbridge (1910) were served wholly by Piccadilly services from 1964 and 1933 respectively. The District has always been closely ass ociated with the operation of other railways, and in its time has run services not just to Windsor but also to Southend. When Railtrack was set up in 1994, the District Line took over all the infrastructure of the line from Putney Bridge to Wimbledon including East Putney, Southfields and Wimbledon Park stations. The Richmond branch of the line continues to be a joint operation with Silverlink Train Services over tracks between Gunnersbury and Richmond for which Railtrack is now responsible.

Stations and Trains:

The District Line covers 64 km (40 miles) and serves 60 stations, 42 of which are managed by the District Line team. 66 trains are required to operate the full morning and evening peak period services on the main section of the line , with an additional ten operating the Edgware Road branch. Two types of train operate District Line services. The main service uses D stock, which entered service between 1979 and 1983, while the Edgware Road and Olympia branches are served by C stock trains, (which also run on the Circle and Hammersmith & City Lines), purchased in two batches in 1969 and 1977. The C stock is maintained at the Circle's Hammersmith depot. The District Line's stations reflect its long and varied history, with a wid e range of architectural styles and including some which, such as Barons Court, have been listed as buildings of especial interest. Contrasting with the District Railway's early overall-roofed stations at West Brompton and Fulham Broadway are the ex-London, Tilbury and Southend Railway stations at Plaistow and East Ham with their ornately monogrammed canopy ironwork. Ex-London and South Western Railway cottage-style stations at Wimbledon Park and Southfields are similarly distinct from the classic 1930s Charles Holden station at Chiswick Park (also listed). Hammersmith Station's platforms and circulating areas have recently been completely updated in contemporary style. The busiest station managed by the District Line is Embankment (also served by Bakerloo and Northern Line trains) with 36 million passengers a year. At the opposite end of the scale is Upney with just 1.3 million.

District Route Map:

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