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London Metropolitan Archives

METROPOLITAN RAILWAY COMPANY


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0074 ACC/1297/MET

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: METROPOLITAN RAILWAY COMPANY

Date(s): 1853-1933

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 29.13 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Metropolitan Railway Company

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Metropolitan Railway Company was responsible for the construction of the world's first underground passenger railway. Work began on the line in 1860, running from Paddington to King's Cross and then on to Farringdon Street. The first trial journey was held in 1862, with the line opened to the public in January 1863. The railway proved popular and extensions were constructed, the first being to Hammersmith by 1864 and Moorgate by 1865. This line formed the core both of the modern Circle Line (constructed as the Inner Circle) and the modern Metropolitan Line. In 1905 an electric service was introduced. In 1933 the Metropolitan Railway was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Metropolitan Railway Company, including minutes of Board meetings; General meetings; Finance Committee meetings; Electric Traction Committee meetings; Law and Lands Committee; Parliamentary, Law and Lands Committee meetings; Stores Committee meetings; Traffic Committee meetings; Officer's Monthly Conferences; reports; agreements; registers of accidents and special occurrences; guard books of circulars; books of diagrams; instructions to signalmen; petitions from users of the line; papers of the General Manager relating to various matters including construction of stations and line improvements, daily operations and personnel management; and publications.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

ACC/1297/MET/01: Minutes;
ACC/1297/MET/03: Legal and Plans;
ACC/1297/MET/04: Miscellaneous;
ACC/1297/MET/07: Memorials and petitions to the company;
ACC/1297/MET/10: General Manager's Papers;
ACC/1297/MET/15: Miscellaneous;
ACC/1297/MET/19: Publications;
ACC/1297/MET/25: Valuations.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Received in 1975 as part of an accession of records from London Transport.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: November 2009 to February 2010


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Business records | Documents | Information sources
Public transport | Transport
Transport companies | Companies | Enterprises
Transport organizations | Organizations
Underground railway networks | Railways | Transport infrastructure
Urban transport | Transport
Urban transport development | Transport planning | Transport
Company archives

Personal names

Corporate names
London Underground | Circle Line
London Underground | Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Railway Company

Places
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe