Revealed: This TfL Tube map from 1946 shows how London Underground could have looked

A remarkable map has revealed what the Tube could have looked like in a 'parallel universe'
Alastair Carr
Ella Wills25 May 2018

A remarkable map has revealed how the London Underground could have looked if long-forgotten plans drawn up after the Second World War had come to fruition.

The chart, created by Cambridge economics student Alastair Carr, is based on ambitious proposals put forward in 1946 to modernise London's rail network.

Radical changes include the creation of several "Crossrail-style" lines to replace suburban trains serving the south-east - and the bulldozing of major transport hubs at Charing Cross, Blackfriars, Cannon Street and London Bridge as a result.

The map also shows plans to double the Northern line track as far as Tooting Broadway.

And keen rail enthusiasts will be able to spot early versions of the Victoria line and Crossrail hidden in the proposals.

London Bridge rail station was set to be bulldozed as part of the plans
Alastair Carr

Mr Carr created the map after unearthing a report sent by the Railway (London Plan) Committee to the Ministry of War Transport on January 21 1946.

The report detailed possible new routes and rail lines for the London Underground.

Key to lines: the map includes seven new lines

The 21-year-old then painstakingly redesigned our present day Tube map, designed by Harry Beck, to match the plans.

He told the Standard: "I've always been fascinated with putting a twist on the Tube map.

"This shows what it might have looked like in a parallel universe."

The Northern line could have extended up to Bushey Heath
Alastair Carr

As part of the plans the Northern line is doubled up between Kennington and Tooting Broadway, while extra stations appear in areas such as Trinity Road, North Cheam and Strand.

It also extends beyond Edgware up to Bushey Heath.

Mr Carr said: “The reason why Mill Hill sticks out on the real-life map is because they started they extension, so we just have a stump.

"It shows how the real Tube map has certain imperfections because of the history."

The Metropolitan line was planned to extend out to Aylesbury, while a new line may have served High Wycombe
Alastair Carr

The map also shows how the Tube could once have extended as far as Aylesbury on the Metropolitan line, and Watford Junction on the Bakerloo.

Meanwhile, seven new lines - dubbed by Mr Carr with names such as Bankbone, Wimbleching and Cricklefleet - run throughout the capital reaching the likes of Alexandra Palace in the north and Epsom Downs in the south.

Five of these would have replaced operators such as Southeastern, serving suburban areas in the south-east of the capital.

The Bankbone line might have served Aylesbury as well as High Wycombe, joining or replacing the Metropolitan line service.

The original Crossrail? The 'Waterling' line would have served similar stations
Alastair Carr

While the Viking line is based on an early suggestion for the Victoria line, and would have been wide enough to carry full-size trains.

The purple 'Waterling' line appears to be an ancestor of Crossrail, taking a route through Maidenhead, West Drayton, Hayes & Harlington, Acton and Paddington.

The map also reveals how the present day Tube map has evolved over time.

In an interesting look back at the history of the Underground, the chart details how the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines were once categorised as one service.

Remarkable old maps of London's Tube network

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And at one time, the Charing Cross we know now was originally two stations named Trafalgar Square and Strand, with Embankment previously known as Charing Cross.

Mr Carr researched historic station names for the map by looking at old Tube maps, and gathering information from people on Reddit.

The student posted versions of the map on the site, with people getting in touch to tell him old names for their nearby stations.

He said: "The proposals had all the stop names on it.

"This was an unusual case which had lots of detail. There have been tons and tons of proposals [for new lines].

"This one stood out for its detail - it's quite holistic."

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