London Passenger Transport Board

From Railways

The London Passenger Transport Board was formed by parliamentary edict on 1st July 1933. It comprised all of public transport operators whose primary business was within the London Passenger Transport area, an area larger than today's Greater London. Included were the LCC electric tramway system and other municipal and company tramways and bus companies, the main one being the London General Omnibus Company, usually known as 'the General'.

Omitted were the main-line railway companies, such as the ex-Great Eastern Railway lines in East London.

The following companies formed what would these days be referred to as the 'heavy rail' component of the LPTB :-

• Central London Railway
• City and South London Railway
• London Electric Railway
• Metropolitan Railway
• Metropolitan District Railway

The genesis of these to the well-known London Underground 'lines' is fairly straightforward.

The Central London became the Central Line. The City and South London became the City branch of the Northern Line. The Metropolitan Railway became the Metropolitan Line. The Metropolitan District Railway became the District Line.