Circle Line (London Underground)

Circle Line (London Underground)

The Circle line of the London Underground is coloured yellow on the tube map. Before December 2009 it had a circular route around the centre of London on the north side of the River Thames linking the main line railway termini. In December 2009 it was extended to Hammersmith on its north-western side; trains from Hammersmith call at Edgware Road before travelling around the loop and terminating at Edgware Road. It is the seventh busiest line on the system with over 114,000,000 passengers a year.

In 1863 the Metropolitan Railway opened the world's first underground line between Paddington and Farringdon Street with wooden carriages and steam locomotives. The same year a select committee report recommended an 'inner circle' of railway lines connecting the London railway termini, and the Metropolitan District Railway was formed the next year to build the southern portion of the line. Due to conflict between the two companies it took an Act of Parliament before the inner circle was completed in October 1884. Further conflict delayed electrification, but a full electric circle line service started on 24 September 1905. In July 1933 the two companies were amalgamated when the London Passenger Transport Board was created. In 1949 the Circle line appeared on the London Underground map for the first time; before then, only the Metropolitan and District lines had been shown.

There are 36 stations in 17 miles (27 km). Most of the route and all of the stations are shared by the District, Hammersmith & City and/or Metropolitan lines.

Currently the service is provided by 6-car C Stock; these are to be replaced in 2012-14 by 7-car S7 stock.