DESCRIPTION
London metro opened in 1863 (Baker Street-Farringdon; Farringdon-Paddington). The system was constantly developed and extended reaching its current asset (12 lines).
The first section of Metropolitan Line opened in 1863 (Baker Street-Farringdon); it was extended during 1865-1925.
The first section of Hammersmith & City Line opened in 1863 (Paddington-Farringdon); it was extended during 1864-1902.
The first section of District Line opened in 1863 (Paddington-Farringdon); it was extended during 1864-1867.
The first section of Northern Line opened in 1867 (Highgate-Mill Hill East); it was extended during 1870-1926.
The first sections of Circle Line opened in 1875 (Moorgate-Liveropool Street); it was extended during 1877-1879.
The first section of Jubilee Line opened in 1879 (West Hampstead-Kilburn); it was extended in 1880, 1893, 1932, 1979 and 1999.
Waterloo & City line opened in 1898 (shuttle service between Waterloo railway station and the City of London); it became operated as a part of the London metro in 1994.
The first section of Central Line opened in 1900 (Shepherd's Bush-Bank); it was extended during 1907-1948.
The first section of Bakerloo Line opened in 1906 (Elephant & Castle-Baker Street); it was extended in 1907-1917.
The first section of Piccadilly Line opened in 1906 (Finsbury Park-Hammersmith); it was extended in 1907, 1932-1933, 1975 and 1977.
Victoria Line opened in 1968 (Walthamstow Central-Warren Street; Warren Street-Brixton).
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Line opened in 1987 (Tower Gateway-Poplar; Poplar-Stratford; Poplar-Island Gardens). This driverless metro system mostly runs on viaduct with limited underground and ground level segments; DLR serves East End and Docklands northern areas (which were - at DLR opening date - very residual and under utilized).
DLR system currently consists in 4 branches (Stratford-Lewisham; Bank-Lewisham; Bank-Woolwich Arsenal; Tower Gateway-Beckton) converging at Poplar.
The first phase (1987) was Island Gardens-Tower Gateway plus Stratford-Poplar, followed in 1991 by Bank extension (assuring a crucial connection to the underground/metro network), in 1994 by Beckton extension (1994), in 1999 by Lewisham extension (Island Gardens-Lewisham), in 2005 by the London City Airport and King George V extensions, in 2009 by King George V-Woolwich Arsenal extension. Another important addition (Canning Town-Stratford) was completed on August 2011, mostly running along a former North London Railway section.