LONDON UNDERGROUND HISTORY

Our heritage: Women in transport
Women have worked for London’s transport system for over 100 years. For much of that time, they were in back-of-house roles such as typist or canteen worker, taking up operational roles in depots or stations to address wartime labour shortages.

In the 1970s, new roles were opened to women in transport. In 1974, Jill Viner became the first female bus driver, and in 1978, Hannah Dadds became the first female Tube driver. Soon women were filling all types of roles, like bus inspector and line manager, that had previously been closed off to them.

Today, women account for 14% of all London Underground train operators-significantly higher than the national average of about 5%. Women are now involved in all aspects of planning and operating transport across London.

[Images]:
Below left: In 1983. Helen Cufford became the first bus mechanic
Below right: Bus inspector Paula Maynard looks at documents from driver Tess Donohoe in 1975
Right: Hannah Dadds started driving Distrct line trains in 1978

MAYOR OF LONDON
Logo of the Underground
TRANSPORT FOR LONDON - EVERY JOURNEY MATTERS

A venture of the City of London, Transport For London, and the London’s Transport Museum. In this project, which is usually located in the subway stations, a sign is displayed on each platform with the history of the current train station, or a page in the history of the London Underground. The signs are next to the other signs with train line maps or advertisements.

The current sign is at Old Street Station, and it focuses on the train’s signaling system.

The station where the sign was located was photographed that day Click for a larger image