In London, a tunnel under the River Thames was opened on August 2, 1870. The so-called Tower Subway, which became known as the first ‘Tube’ tube line, ran from Tower Hill on the north bank of the river to Vine Lane on the south side.
A funicular was installed in the tunnel that could carry twelve passengers at a time, from one side of the river to the other. The crossing took just over a minute. The cable service was not very successful and the company that operated it went bankrupt at the end of 1870. The tunnel then became a pedestrian tunnel and quickly grew in popularity. Half a penny had to be paid for a crossing.
After the Tower Bridge was opened in 1894, the tunnel under the Thames was less and less used by pedestrians. In 1898 the tunnel was closed to traffic. Since that time, various pipes have been found in the tunnel, including telecommunication cables and water pipes.
