Why is the London Undeground known as the “tube” and not “Metro” like everywhere else?
The first subteranean railway in the world was in London and was called the Metropolitan Railway (built 1863). It now forms part of the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground. The Met as it became known was adopted as the name for other subway/underground railway systems and many became known as “Metro”, after the Metropolitan. London Underground is commonly referred to as the Tube due to the deep tunnels under London. The first lines were built using “cut and cover” techniques where the road above was dug up , railways laid, and then the tunnel built over them. This caused massive disruption. After 1880 the tunnels were dug deep down in the London clay at depths of around 60-70ft.
