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The Central Line was opened on the 30th July 1900 as a cross London route from Bank to Shepard's Bush (Bit like a Victorian version of Cross-Rail!).  It was heavily used by customers from the beginning, and was the first company to abolish a 'class fare' system, so everybody had to pay the same and travel together, be they rich or poor.  This gained the Central Line (or the Central London Railway as it was then called) the name of the 'Two-Penny Tube', as all fares were two pence!  The Central Line used have control of the Epping to Ongar shuttle service, which was run by London Underground from 1957 until it closed in 1994.  London Underground have since sold off the land on which the Epping to Ongar shuttle ran on, interestingly though, 'Ongar' can still be programmed as a destination on the Central Line's 1992 Tube Stock!  This stock was responsible for the first major crash on the tube since the Moorgate Disaster.  On January 25th 2003, a Central Line train derailed at Chancery Lane.  Fortunately, nobody was injured, but all of the lines trains had to be checked to ensure that another derailment would not occur, and as a result, the line was out of action for several months.  The Central Line also plays host to a disused station.  If you look out of the window between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road, you'll notice a section of tunnel that appears to be tiled.  This is where British Museum station used to be.  British Museum station was closed after the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton railway opened a station at Holborn, and the two stations were merged into one, with British Museum station closing after only 33 years on 25th September 1933, the same day the Central Line platforms at Holborn were opened.

BVE Route:  Central Line (Both Directions)
Author: Originally John Owen, now "Slick" and "Stupid Person"
Screenshot:  Showing Queensway Station, with classic Central Line tiling.
News Update:  The line is rumored to be in production again.  Watch this space for more details.

BVE Route:  Epping to Ongar
Author: Chris Rogers
Download from:  Chris's BVE Homepage