Some Imposing Figures.

The Metropolitan Railway forms one of London's most important transport links, and recent official figures tell of the striking growth of traffic over this route, and of the increase in the population served. In 1933, some 25,348,000 passengers bought tickets at Metropolitan stations. In 1938 the figure was 38,446,000, an increase of 52 per cent. Including passengers who purchased their tickets at other stations, it is calculated that some 53,300,000 people made use of the Metropolitan line in 1938. The Metropolitan Railway passes through thirteen administrative areas, and the population of these areas grew from 727,000 in 1931, to 958,700 in 1938, since when even more striking increases in population have occurred. To meet increased demands for travel facilities, the London Transport Board extended the running of Piccadilly trains to Uxbridge in 1933, and in 1935 embarked on a big improvement plan on the Metropolitan line. Recently, Bakerloo Line trains have commenced to run over the Metropolitan as far as Stan-more.