For three days this July, one of the London Underground’s most charismatic survivors is coming out of retirement. Sarah Siddons, a rare electric locomotive built in the early 1920s, will haul vintage carriages along the Metropolitan line on Friday 24, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026, as part of the London Transport Museum’s final heritage train journeys of the year. Tickets are on sale now.
It is a genuinely rare treat. Passengers will travel back in time through the leafy suburbs of Metro-land, boarding at Amersham — the furthest station from central London on the whole network — in a rake of original 1950s ex-British Rail 4TC coaches, hauled by Sarah Siddons herself. As one of only a handful of electric locomotives still in working order, her outings are few and far between: her last appearance on the Underground was back in 2019.
Two trains, one slice of transport history
Alongside Sarah Siddons, the Museum is also running its beautifully restored 1938 art deco-style Tube train — a burgundy four-car set complete with period green and red moquette seating, grab handles and distinctive art deco light fittings. The 1938 stock was the first kind of Tube train to carry all its electrical equipment beneath the floor, and went on to become one of the capital’s longest-serving trains, running on deep-level lines for half a century. It remains the only chance anywhere to ride a heritage train on the London Underground.
One thing to note when booking: the 1938 train runs on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July only, while Sarah Siddons is in action across all three days. Transport fans who can’t choose between the two can create a ticket bundle to ride both.
Three routes — including a ‘secret’ stretch of track
All journeys depart from Amersham station, with three ticketed options: a return from Amersham to Harrow-on-the-Hill, a return from Amersham to Watford, or a single from Amersham to Harrow-on-the-Hill. The Watford return is the connoisseur’s choice — some journeys travel via the North Curve, a rarely used and semi-‘secret’ section of track linking the Rickmansworth and Watford branches that is normally reserved for moving empty trains and the occasional engineering diversion.
Onboard, the Museum’s friendly volunteer stewards will be on hand to share the history of the line, with souvenir flyers and family activity sheets available. When Sarah Siddons is stationary, passengers will also get the chance to peek inside the Director’s Saloon Florence Nightingale — one of a handful of such carriages built for wartime track inspections, complete with a boardroom, kitchen, guard’s room and desk room. And at Amersham station, a London Transport Museum Friends stall will be selling transport memorabilia.
Who was Sarah Siddons?
Electric Locomotive No. 12 is one of 20 built for the Metropolitan Railway in 1922–23 to run between the City and the fast-developing suburbs of Metro-land. Only two survive today; the other, John Hampden, is on display at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. In a 1927 publicity campaign promoting suburban living, the locomotives were named after real and fictional figures connected to the railway’s catchment area. Sarah Siddons was a celebrated Welsh actress who rose to fame in the 1770s and was buried at Paddington Green — not far from the Metropolitan Railway’s original terminus. The locomotive stayed in working service until 1982, latterly on brake-testing and leaf-clearing duties, before joining the London Underground Heritage Fleet.
“We are really looking forward to seeing our 1920s Electric Locomotive No. 12 Sarah Siddons out on the tracks again, along with our gleaming 1938 art deco-style train. I am sure our guests will enjoy being transported back in time at our last heritage train journeys event of the year on the Metropolitan line. This is a rare treat — make sure you don’t miss out!”
Matt Brosnan, Head Curator, London Transport Museum
If You Go
- What: Heritage Train Journeys — Metropolitan line special, hosted by the London Transport Museum
- When: Friday 24, Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 July 2026 (the 1938 train runs Saturday and Sunday only)
- Departs from: Amersham station — the north-western terminus of the Metropolitan line
- Routes: Amersham to Harrow-on-the-Hill (return or single), or Amersham to Watford return via the North Curve
- Tickets: on sale now — must be booked in advance at ltmuseum.co.uk
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