• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / The Tube / The Tube: Ten Interesting Facts and Figures About the Northern Line

The Tube: Ten Interesting Facts and Figures About the Northern Line

Feb 10, 2020 By John Rabon

Running from Southwest London to Northwest London on a crescent-shaped path, the Northern Line has an interesting history that separates it from the other Underground routes.  Whereas most of the other original lines that made up the London Underground were formed out of complete, pre-existing railways when they merged as part of the London Transport Safety Board, the Northern Line was a merger of the City & South London Railway and the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway.  The line has expanded greatly since, extending to Morden in the south and separating into three separate branches to the north.  As with many of London’s Underground routes, it holds a lot of interesting facts and we’ve identified some of our favorites below.

You Know Who You Sound Like?

Word has it that Paul McCartney and Sting have both performed as buskers (or street performers) on the Northern Line while disguised.

Long Tunnel is Looooooong

The Northern Line is home to the Underground’s longest tunnel, running from East Finchley to Morden for 17.3 miles.

The Highs and the Lows

The line has the deepest station with Hampstead being 192 feet underground as well as the highest elevation, rising 60 feet above the street as the line goes over the Dollis Brook viaduct over Dollis Road.

Unfinished Business

The Northern Line has disused stations, but also one that was never completed.  The North End Station between Hampstead and Golders Green was started in 1903, but construction was halted for a housing development that was ultimately never constructed.  By the time construction had stopped in 1906, much of the tunnels, the passageways, and the lift shafts had been dug.  Even unfinished, it still managed to serve a purpose as a storage site during World War II and as part of London’s civil defense during the Cold War.

Mind the Gap

The iconic phrase was first recorded by sound engineer Peter Lodge in 1968 after the actor hired for the job demanded royalties.  While several other voice actors and personalities have recorded the words that play throughout the Tube system, Embankment Station still features Lodge after his widow asked them to keep it so she could still hear his voice.

Peak Hours

The Northern Line splits off when it gets to Central London starting after Kennington and coming back together at Euston.  Running through a number of the city’s popular stations including Leicester Square, Embankment, Waterloo, Charing Cross, and London Bridge, it’s no surprise that the Northern Line commands the greatest number of trains during peak service at 91.

Growing and Growing

As one of the busiest lines in the Underground, the Northern Line has expanded several times as the city grew in the 20th Century.  When the line opened in 1890, it ran from Stockwell to King William Street (the latter now a disused station).  After about ten years, the line was expanded to have it run to Moorgate via Bank Station and extended further to Clapham Common and Euston Station in 1907.

How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?

While the air quality of the London Underground has improved since the start of the millennium, a 2002 study discovered that the air was 73-times worse in the Underground tunnels than it was on the street.  That same study stated that twenty minutes on the Northern Line was the equivalent to smoking a cigarette.

Better Hope This Escalator Never Breaks

Normally that prospect isn’t so bad, since as comedian Mitch Hedberg stated: “Escalators can never break, they can only become stairs.”  However, that becomes a little more daunting when you realize the escalator at Angel station in Islington is 197 feet long.

Final Thoughts

The first baby born on the London Underground was Marie Cordery in 1924 at Elephant and Castle Station.  Meanwhile, one of the most famous babies born in the Tube was television presenter Jerry Springer, whose mother gave birth to him while taking shelter in Highgate Station during a bombing raid by the Germans in 1944.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, The Tube

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nick Davies says

    Feb 10, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    Don’t forget the coming Battersea extension.

    https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/northern-line-extension

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in