LONDON: The world's first subway system is marking its 150th
anniversary with events planned to mark how it has helped shape
London and its environs. The first stretch of the Metropolitan
Line was opened on Jan. 9, 1863, with regular service to the
public beginning the following day. Newspaper accounts show the
first trains were crowded with excited passengers. Transport for
London will run old-style steam powered trains underground on
Sunday to mark the occasion. The pioneering Metropolitan Line
sparked a new wave of underground development which today has
grown into a 249-mile (402 km) system carrying 1.2 billion
passengers each year. The aging system is credited with good
performance during the recent London Olympics.