Graphical version

London Metropolitan Archives

METROPOLITAN DISTRICT RAILWAY


IDENTITY STATEMENT

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

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: METROPOLITAN DISTRICT RAILWAY

Date(s): 1864-1934

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 2.43 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Metropolitan District Railway

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) was formed in 1864 in order to raise capital to complete the 'Inner Circle' railway being constructed by the Metropolitan Railway, who constructed the line between Mansion House and South Kensington via Kings Cross. The MDR completed the section of line between South Kensington and Mansion House via Blackfriars, finishing by 1871. The expectation was that the two companies would merge once work was completed. However, they instead had a falling out over finances (and a personality clash of the two Chairmen) and began to run separate services using the same lines. Some agreement was eventually reached so that the final section of line, between Mansion House and Aldgate, was completed in 1884, thus forming the modern day Circle Line.

In an attempt to improve their finances the MDR embarked on a series of line expansions, to Hammersmith in 1874, Richmond in 1877, Ealing Broadway in 1879, Putney Bridge in 1880, Hounslow in 1883, and Wimbledon in 1889. The Whitechapel to Upminster line extension was opened in 1902. The line was electrified in 1905, following the construction of a power station at Lots Road. The majority of the line cosntructed by the MDR forms the modern London Underground District Line, although some sections of line (Ealing to Uxbridge) are now on the Piccadilly Line. The MDR was purchased by Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited and subsequently became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Metropolitan District Railway, including minutes of Board Meetings, General Meetings, the Traffic, Way and Works Committee, the Law, Parliamentary and Lands Committee, Stock Holders Meetings, Executive Officers Meetings and Standing Joint Committee; guard books containing copies of agreements with other railway companies and non-railway companies; volumes of statistics; financial ledgers; volumes of monthly reports; notices issued jointly with Piccadilly Line of London Electric Railway, concerning track and signal alterations and the bringing into use of new lines in connection with the extension of Piccadilly Line trains to Hounslow, South Harrow and Enfield West and Shareholders' Association circulars, newspaper cuttings and so on.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

ACC/1297/MDR/01: Minutes; ACC/1297/MDR/02: Legal documents; ACC/1297/MDR/03: Miscellaneous documents; ACC/1297/MDR/04: Accounts and Statistics; ACC/1297/MDR/25: Valuation.

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

Related material:

A guard book (former reference ACC/1297/MDR4/15) containing a collection of photographs of stations on the undermentioned railways: Metropolitan District Railway (District Railway); Great Northern Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (Piccadilly Tube); Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (Bakerloo Tube); Charing Cross Euston and Hampstead Railway (Hampstead Tube) has been withdrawn by the depositor. Please consult the London Transport Museum Photograph Section.

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 | District Line
London Underground | Piccadilly Line
Metropolitan District Railway Company
Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd

Places
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe