All change!

TODAY’S London Underground famously dates back to the 3.75-mile privately-owned Metropolitan Railway, which opened on Saturday, January 10, 1863. Since then, the network has expanded and today incorporates more than 250 miles of railway, 270 stations, and 1.37 billion passengers per year. As the network grew and matured, signal cabins were constructed to allow trains to operate safely over the short sections of track they controlled.

There are a number of such signal cabins scattered across the LU network. They control the routes whilst ensuring that each train operates as close to the operating timetable as possible. Some may be surprised to learn that the Underground network operates round the clock, with engineering trains often operating after passenger services have ceased. Therefore, all operational cabins are manned at all times, every day. Some take the form of the traditional iconic building, whilst others are hidden, even in plain sight.

The world of automation has not passed signalling by, however. Rationalisation has taken effect, with cabins – often located to the far extremities of lines – being mothballed if not demolished. Yet some, typically being listed, have survived. Those that remain in use have been upgraded