History of the District line History of the District line The history of the District line started in 1864 when the Metropolitan District Railway was created to create an underground 'inner circle' connecting London's railway termini. The first part of the line opened using Metropolitan Railway gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. The District introduced its own trains in 1871 and was soon extended westwards through Earl's Court to Fulham, Richmond, Ealing and Hounslow. After completing the 'inner circle' and reaching Whitechapel in 1884, it was extended to Upminster in East London in 1902. To finance electrification at the beginning of the 20th century,
Romford–Upminster line Romford–Upminster line The Romford–Upminster line is a railway branch line in Greater London that connects , on the Great Eastern Main Line, to , on the London, Tilbury and Southend Line and London Underground. The route is in length and there is one intermediate station at . The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.09, and is classified as a rural line. The line is single-track throughout, electrified at 25 kV AC, has a loading gauge of W6, and a maximum speed of . As of May 2015 services are operated by London Overground, with two