A proposed Underground line linking Victoria and Kilburn is unknown to many Londoners as it was never built.
The planned route would have included stops at Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Edgware Road, Maida Vale and Kilburn High Road. Construction was slated for 1892 with an estimated cost of £1.2 million.
Had the plan been approved, the Bakerloo line would have extended up to what is now Kilburn station on the Jubilee line.
This would mean that the Jubilee line, which later took over the Bakerloo line between Baker Street and Finchley Road, wouldn’t have needed to dig tunnels through Central London, as it could use the existing railway to Victoria station.
It once seemed like a feasible project – so what prevented it from being a reality?
Despite great efforts, the proposed Underground line faced significant opposition due to its planned route through the affluent areas of Mayfair and Victoria, reports MyLondon.
Before work could commence, the plans required parliamentary approval. In March 1893, a committee in the House of Commons was established to review the plans.
To sway the committee, the railway’s organisers targeted commuters, offering cheaper tickets for workers using the line, thus making commuting to Westminster more affordable for residents in the Kilburn area.
Petitions against the railway were filed even before the committee began its work, primarily from homeowners along the proposed route who were concerned about potential noise disruption.
Objections were also raised by the existing Metropolitan and District railways, the London County Council and the Duke of Westminster.
In a bid to appease homeowners, the proposed route was redirected to pass beneath Hyde Park instead of the homes on Park Lane.
However, this change led to further challenges in obtaining permission to tunnel under a Royal Park.
Ultimately, Underground planners were unable to convince Parliament and homeowners of their capacity to build the railway or its potential profitability.
The proposed railway was eventually dismissed by the House of Commons Committee on 24 March 1893.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
