The Brit List: Summer of London – Places and Sights
The London Underground
Informally referred to as The Tube, London’s subway system contains the oldest section of underground rail in the world. It’s actually not all underground, but that’s what it’s most famous for and it’s where 45 percent of its 250 miles of track are located.
And while most subway systems are known for providing transportation – London’s is also known for saving lives: in World War II, the Tube sheltered hundreds of thousands of people from the heavy German bombing during the Blitz. Libraries and rooms for overnight classes were even built in some stations to ease the hardship.
In addition to riding the Underground, you can also read about it on some inventive websites. There’s the history of the Underground, a real-time map, and a blog, which last week spotted a group of people dressed as pandas for, what else, Panda Awareness Day.