Railway Traffic in London.

London's railway facilities grow apace. Recently there has been opened a new extension of the Metropolitan line from page 19 Wembley Park to Stanmore, giving easy access to a rapidly developing residential area north-west of the metropolis. On this extension is found the first example of centralised traffic control in the British Empire, all traffic at Stan-more being controlled, and the points and signals operated from Wembley Park, at a distance of no less than four and a half miles. Made and installed by the Westinghouse Brake and Saxby Signal Company, of London, the centralised control equipment opens up an entirely new field in scientific railway operation.

London's immense traffic movements may be realised by a study of the passenger census figures recently compiled by the Underground Railway Group. During a typical week, eight of the largest stations on the system handled no fewer than 4,250,000 passengers. The busiest station was Charing Cross, with 770,000 passengers. Next came Oxford Circus, with 616,000 passengers; and Piccadilly Circus, with 537,000. At Tottenham Court Road, 485,000 passengers were handled during the week; at the Bank Station 482,000 and at Leicester Square 477,000. Out in the suburbs, Morden Station accounted for 160,000 passengers in a single week. Rightly has this Empire capital beside the Thames been termed “the great modern Babylon.”