Agenda item

19 April 2013

2013 marks the 150th Anniversary of the creation of the London Underground transport system.

The City of London Corporation played an important part in the origin of the underground network.  It was Charles Pearson, a Common Councilman and later City Solicitor, who, with the support of the City Corporation, advocated the creation of an underground railway.  Pearson foresaw that the underground would improve the social conditions of City workers by enabling them to commute into London at affordable rates from cheaper, better quality, housing outside the City.  In 1854, as a result of Pearson’s efforts, a Private Bill for the Metropolitan Railway between Paddington and Farringdon was passed.  Pearson continued to promote the project and helped to raise the £1 million of capital needed.  The City Corporation also contributed by buying £200,000 worth of stock and sold the required land around the new Farringdon Road to the railway company at a reduced cost.

In light of the City’s connection with the origins of the network, and the importance of the continued improvement of the system to the future success of the City, it is proposed that the City of London Corporation joins with Transport for London (TfL) and the London Transport Museum to mark the 150th anniversary by hosting a panel discussion chaired by the Lord Mayor, with anticipated speakers including a Government Minister, a representative of the Mayor’s Office, a representative of TfL and a transport historian, to be followed by an early evening reception.

It is hoped that a variety of London Underground related exhibits will be displayed around Guildhall for guests to view following the conclusion of the panel discussion.  These exhibits would be provided by the LMA and London Transport Museum. It is anticipated that the guest list for the reception would include politicians from local authorities who have the London Underground network within their constituencies, MPs and Peers, civil servants, transport and passenger associations, executives from the Crossrail project, City practitioners, diplomats and other TfL stakeholders.

We recommend that a number of guests, as mentioned above, be invited to attend the discussion and reception on 17 October 2013 and that the arrangements be left in the hands of the Policy and Resources Committee with the cost being met from within the approved cost parameters.

(This would be a Committee event)

Read and agreed to.