25/26 September 1940: The London Underground on this day 70 years ago
Nineteenth day/night of the London Blitz.
On Wednesday 25 September 1940, a suspected Delayed Action (DA) bomb on the track between Gunnersby and Kew Gardens suspended District line services between 09:07 and 10:25. A DA at Dagenham (now Dagenham East) at 09:16 suspended services between Barking and Upminster. Electric services between Barking and Dagenham, and steam services to Upminster, were resumed at 10:58, with full electric through services at 17:10.[1]
From 10:00, Tottenham Court Road station was open for interchange and exit only, with no booking facilities open.[1]
Northern line service between Strand (now Charing Cross) and Kennington were suspended from 12:20 to 12:53 for an inspection of the tunnel.[1]
On the Northern line, blast from a High Explosive (HE) bomb on the road outside damaged Oval station,[2] while another damaged Colindale station at 20:45.[3] Services between Archway and Woodside Park were suspended from 21:30 due to a current failure, and DAs between East Finchley and Finchley Central, and between Finchley Central and Woodside Park; services resumed between Archway and Finchley Central only at 01:03.[4] An HE on the viaduct at Brent (now Brent Cross) station resulted in northbound services terminating at Hampstead between 11:03 and 11:34.[4] At 23:45 a second HE at Colindale completely demolished the station, injuring a number of staff and passengers,[2], eight of them fatally.[5] Edgware to Hendon services suspended.[4]
On the Richmond branch of the District line, damage to the Thames Road Bridge led to services being suspended between Kew Gardens and Gunnersby,[4] while at 21:15, Incendiary Bombs (IBs) between Fishers Lane Bridge and Turnham Green station also affected services.[3]
IBs caused a fire at Chiswick sub-station, whilst elsewhere Goldhawk Road station and two arches of the viaduct were also set ablaze.[2] Services suspended Edgware Road to Hammersmith,[6] and resumed between Edgware Road and Ladbroke Grove at 07:10 on the 26th.[7]
On the joint District/Piccadilly line, the west signal box at West Kensington was damaged by a bomb, while fires under the arches damaged Stamford Brook station.[2] Piccadilly line services suspended between Hammersmith and Hyde Park Corner.[6]
On the short Metropolitan line branch between Latimer Road and Addison Road (see map below), Uxbridge Road station - which stood on the site of the new Shepherd's Bush London Overground station - was damaged by an HE.[2] Services on the branch suspended.[6] The Metropolitan line as a whole suffered a total failure of current between 22:05 and 22:36.[4]
At 22:13 a bomb damaged Kingsbury then-Bakerloo line station, while further down the line, Willesden Green was damaged by another bomb at 22:34. The windows of the sub-station at Finchley Road station were blown in by an HE, and as were those of the Hendon sub-station[2]
At 08:00 on the 26th, the following working conditions were reported:
[2] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form D2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 2 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[3] Ministry of Home Security, Key Points Intelligence Directorate: Reports and Papers, Daily Reports - September 1940: Damage Appreciation 25-26/09/40, page 5 [Kew: National Archives, reference HO 201/2]
[4] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[5] Casualty & Fatalty Analysis: Colindale 25/09/40
[6] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 2 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[7] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD1, 06:00-18:00 26/09/40, sheet 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[8] Ministry of Home Security, Key Points Intelligence Directorate: Reports and Papers, Daily Reports - September 1940: Railway Situation Report at 08:00 26/09/40, page 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference HO 201/2]
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On Wednesday 25 September 1940, a suspected Delayed Action (DA) bomb on the track between Gunnersby and Kew Gardens suspended District line services between 09:07 and 10:25. A DA at Dagenham (now Dagenham East) at 09:16 suspended services between Barking and Upminster. Electric services between Barking and Dagenham, and steam services to Upminster, were resumed at 10:58, with full electric through services at 17:10.[1]
From 10:00, Tottenham Court Road station was open for interchange and exit only, with no booking facilities open.[1]
Northern line service between Strand (now Charing Cross) and Kennington were suspended from 12:20 to 12:53 for an inspection of the tunnel.[1]
On the Northern line, blast from a High Explosive (HE) bomb on the road outside damaged Oval station,[2] while another damaged Colindale station at 20:45.[3] Services between Archway and Woodside Park were suspended from 21:30 due to a current failure, and DAs between East Finchley and Finchley Central, and between Finchley Central and Woodside Park; services resumed between Archway and Finchley Central only at 01:03.[4] An HE on the viaduct at Brent (now Brent Cross) station resulted in northbound services terminating at Hampstead between 11:03 and 11:34.[4] At 23:45 a second HE at Colindale completely demolished the station, injuring a number of staff and passengers,[2], eight of them fatally.[5] Edgware to Hendon services suspended.[4]
On the Richmond branch of the District line, damage to the Thames Road Bridge led to services being suspended between Kew Gardens and Gunnersby,[4] while at 21:15, Incendiary Bombs (IBs) between Fishers Lane Bridge and Turnham Green station also affected services.[3]
IBs caused a fire at Chiswick sub-station, whilst elsewhere Goldhawk Road station and two arches of the viaduct were also set ablaze.[2] Services suspended Edgware Road to Hammersmith,[6] and resumed between Edgware Road and Ladbroke Grove at 07:10 on the 26th.[7]
On the joint District/Piccadilly line, the west signal box at West Kensington was damaged by a bomb, while fires under the arches damaged Stamford Brook station.[2] Piccadilly line services suspended between Hammersmith and Hyde Park Corner.[6]
On the short Metropolitan line branch between Latimer Road and Addison Road (see map below), Uxbridge Road station - which stood on the site of the new Shepherd's Bush London Overground station - was damaged by an HE.[2] Services on the branch suspended.[6] The Metropolitan line as a whole suffered a total failure of current between 22:05 and 22:36.[4]
At 22:13 a bomb damaged Kingsbury then-Bakerloo line station, while further down the line, Willesden Green was damaged by another bomb at 22:34. The windows of the sub-station at Finchley Road station were blown in by an HE, and as were those of the Hendon sub-station[2]
At 08:00 on the 26th, the following working conditions were reported:
Northern line[1] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD1, 06:00-18:00 25/09/40, sheet 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
Closed Finchley Central to High Barnet, and Edgware to Hendon.
Restricted services Hendon to Golders Green.
District line
Damage at West Kensington.
No service Earls Court to Kensington, Ealing Broadway, or Richmond.
Wimbledon to Upminster in operation.
Piccadilly line
No service Hammersmith to Hyde Park Corner - damage at West Kensington.
Metropolitan line
Addison Road to Latimer Road closed.
Baker Street to Moorgate closed.
Aylesbury to Baker Street in operation.
Bakerloo line
Oxford Circus staion closed.
East London line
Closed.
Hammersmith & City line
Open.
Goods Exchange (Metropolitan)
Widened line open.[8]
[2] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form D2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 2 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[3] Ministry of Home Security, Key Points Intelligence Directorate: Reports and Papers, Daily Reports - September 1940: Damage Appreciation 25-26/09/40, page 5 [Kew: National Archives, reference HO 201/2]
[4] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[5] Casualty & Fatalty Analysis: Colindale 25/09/40
[6] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD2, 18:00 25/09/40 to 06:00 26/09/40, sheet 2 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[7] Railway Executive Committee: Files: Form RWD1, 06:00-18:00 26/09/40, sheet 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference AN 2/1104]
[8] Ministry of Home Security, Key Points Intelligence Directorate: Reports and Papers, Daily Reports - September 1940: Railway Situation Report at 08:00 26/09/40, page 1 [Kew: National Archives, reference HO 201/2]
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Labels: Blitz 70, London Underground, The London Underground at War
posted by Nick Cooper at
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