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SHOPPER to 80360 or email us London Underground celebrates 150th
birthday LONDON Underground has turned 150. The first stretch of
the world-famous network opened on January 9 1863, with the
first passenger journeys taking place the following day. London
Underground is planning a series of events to celebrate the
milestone year including a series of additional heritage rail
trips using steam trains, two new two-pound coins and a set of
10 special stamps issued by Royal Mail. The Mayor of London,
Boris Johnson, described the network as "arguably the best, and
most iconic, underground transport system in the world". Since
the first stretch of track was opened between Paddington and
Farringdon, then known as the Metropolitan Railway, the network
has expanded to 12 lines. Carrying 1,107 million passengers a
year and serving 270 stations, it links central London to
Surrey, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex and
Buckinghamshire. The network carried re