The London Underground

Short History Of...

Noiser

History

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 October 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The London Underground – often known simply as the Tube – is central to the city’s global identity. A pioneering feat of engineering at the time of its construction in the 19th century, on a typical weekday, the network now carries 5 million passengers between 272 stations, on 11 different lines, over a total of 250 miles of track. It’s an emblem of entrepreneurial ambition, cutting-edge technology, and genius design – but has also seen heartbreaking tragedy. Who were the audacious visionaries who built the London Underground from scratch more than 160 years ago? How did it go from being a marvel of transportation to a marketing phenomenon, and one of the most recognisable brands on earth? And, how did the Tube reinvent itself once again as the face of twenty-first century London? A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Christian Wolmar, author of ‘The Subterranean Railway,’ and host of the ‘Calling All Stations’ podcast. Written by Edward White | Produced by Kate Simants | Assistant Producer: Nicole Edmunds | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Dorry Macaulay, Rob Plummer | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact check: Sean Coleman Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's 7.29 p.m. on the 18th of November, 1987.
0:07.0	Beneath the streets of central London, King's Cross station is a churn of activity.
0:13.0	This is the busiest interchange on the London Underground,
0:17.0	the oldest subterranean railway in the world. Tonight, passengers hurry on and off the trains as usual.
0:24.6	Patrolling the station is police constable Stephen Hanson.
0:29.6	For him, it's been an uneventful evening, little to report.
0:33.6	But then his radio sparks into life.
0:36.6	The fire has been reported on the Piccadilly Line escalator.
0:41.3	As P.C. Hansen hurries to the scene, another officer calls the fire brigade.
0:47.3	Hansen descends the escalator.
0:51.3	Halfway down, he sees it. a lick of flame emerging from beneath the moving
0:56.9	wooden staircase. Two of his fellow officers see it too and head to the bottom. There, they
1:03.7	divert passengers towards the Victoria Line escalators, at the top of which Hansen now moves
1:09.0	to stand guard, shepherding passengers out of the station to safety.
1:14.3	All the while, the fire grows. Smoke drifts its way up into the ticket hall. The flames climb higher,
1:22.0	and the heat intensifies. Hopeful the trains are now being diverted away from the station until the situation is brought under control.
1:30.3	Hansen continues to encourage passengers to exit quickly but calmly.
1:35.3	Then he hears a sound that turns his blood cold.
1:42.3	A train coming to a halt.
1:45.0	Clearly, some haven't got the message to avoid King's Cross.
1:52.0	The doors of the train open. Dozens of passengers exit.
1:56.0	Now, unable to hide his agitation, Hansen starts shouting at the arriving passengers to leave the station immediately.
	...

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