Kingsway tramway subway

Kingsway Subway northern entrance ramp in Southampton Row
A tram emerging from the northbound tunnel in 1933
LCC Tramways in Holborn
Holborn
Piccadilly Line
Aldwych
Piccadilly Line
west
to Kennington Gate
east
to Tower Bridge
Map
Interactive map of subway route

The Kingsway tramway subway is a cut-and-cover tunnel in central London, built by the London County Council, and the only one of its kind in Britain. The decision in 1898 to clear slum districts in the Holborn area provided an opportunity to use the new streets for a tramway connecting the lines in the north and south. Following the pattern of tramways in New York (the Murray Hill Tunnel) and Boston (the MBTA Green Line), it was decided to build this as an underground connection.

The subway opened in 1906 and closed in 1952. The southern end was adapted as a traffic underpass in 1964. The separate northern section was listed at Grade II by Historic England in 1998.[1]

  1. ^ Historic England. "Kingsway Tram Subway (northern section only) (Grade II) (1378792)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2024.