City and South London Railway, first deep-level tube, opens

Background. The City and South London Railway was the first successful deep-level tube railway in the world and the first major railway to use electric traction. Its act received royal assent on 25 July 1890 as the City and South London Railway Act 1890 (53 & 54 Vict. c. cxiv), which also effected a change of the company's name. The small diameter of its tunnels and the difficulty of providing sufficient ventilation meant steam power, used on London's other underground railways, would not work for a deep-level tube railway.

Official Opening. The railway was officially opened by Edward, Prince of Wales, on 4 November 1890. Public access began later in December. The line initially featured six stations running 3.2 miles between the City of London and Stockwell, passing under the River Thames. Despite cramped carriages known as padded cells, the railway attracted 5.1 million passengers in its first year of operation.

Traction and Infrastructure. The Patent Cable Tramway Corporation owned the rights to the Hallidie cable-car system, first invented and used in San Francisco in 1873, on which trains attached to the cable with clamps opened and closed at stations. It is reported that a problem with the CL&SS contributed to the cable company's bankruptcy in 1888. For the deep-level tube, steam power was ruled out as a design constraint, and electric traction was adopted instead.