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London Underground: Which TfL Tube line is the oldest, how big is the network and how many people use the Tube?

Did you know that during the morning and evening rush hours, there are more than 543 Tube trains zooming around the capital at any one time?

Or that the network has 270 stations and 11 lines? Love it or hate it, the Tube network is essential for connecting Londoners, and there are number of surprising facts in its history.

Here are some of the most surprising facts.

What are the oldest and newest Tube lines?

The London Underground first opened in 1863 as the oldest section of underground railway in the world, running between Paddington (then known as Bishop’s Road) and Farringdon Street on what is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines.

The newest line to be built is the Jubilee Line, with the first section opening in 1979 and extending to the London Docklands in 1999.

How many people use the Tube every day?

Up to five million people use the Tube every day.

What is the busiest Tube station?

London Waterloo Station is regarded as the busiest, seeing 100.3 million passengers per year.

How many escalators are there on the Tube network?

Seen as synonymous with the Underground, there are 440 escalators on the network.

How many Tube stations are step-free?

There are still only 77 step-free stations - accounting for less than a third of the network.

Which station has the most platforms?

This accolade goes to Baker Street, which has 10 platforms.

What are the longest and shortest distances between stations?

Chesham to Chalfont & Latimer on the Metropolitan line is 6.3km, making it the longest distance between stations.

Compared to just 0.3km between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line.

Which station has the longest escalator?

It will come as no surprise that Angel station has the longest escalator at 60 metres. This is nearly 15 times as long as the shortest escalator at Stratford, which measures just 4.1 metres.

How long is the Tube network?

The network is 402km long, with the longest continuous tunnel measuring 27.8km from East Finchley to Morden on the Northern line via Bank.