Metropolitan District Railway

The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs. It was a private company that was purchased by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London and moved into public ownership in 1933 as part of the undertakings of the London Passenger Transport Board.

Line openings

The core section of the District commenced at the MetR's South Kensington station and extended in stages to Mansion House. Sections were opened as follows with the District also running westwards over the MetR's tracks to Gloucester Road and High Street Kensington:

• 24 December 1868: South Kensington to Westminster Bridge.
• 30 May 1870: Westminster Bridge to Blackfriars.
• 12 April 1869: Gloucester Road to West Brompton (Earl's Court was opened on 10 October 1871).
• 3 July 1871: Blackfriars to Mansion House.
• Also High Street Kensington to the West Brompton branch.

From this core, the District began extending branches to reach new population centres, mainly in the west:

• 1 February 1872: Earl's Court to Addison Road (renamed Kensington in 1946) on the West London Joint Railway.
• 9 September 1874: Earl's Court to Hammersmith.
• 1 June 1877: Hammersmith to Ravenscourt Park, where a connection was made with the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR), allowing District trains to run over......
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