Attacks on the London Underground

This is a list of deliberate attacks on the infrastructure, staff or passengers of the London Underground that have caused considerable damage, injury or death.

1885 Gower Street bombing

In January 1885 a bomb exploded on a Metropolitan Line train at Gower Street (now Euston Square) station.

1897 Aldersgate bombing

Bomb left by an anarchist group at Aldersgate Station (now Barbican) station in 1897

1913 Westbourne Park bombing

In February 1913 a bomb - possibly planted by the Suffragettes - was discovered at Westbourne Park station.

IRA attacks

The Provisional Irish Republican Army, is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation which, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern Ireland's status within the United Kingdom and bring about a United Ireland through armed force. On a number of occasions the group attacked the London Underground.

1939 attacks

Bombs planted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded in the left luggage offices at Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square stations on 3 February 1939.

1973 IRA attacks

On 23 August 1973 a bomb was found in an abandoned bag in Baker Street station ticket hall. The bomb was defused.A week later another bomb was found by a member of staff at the same station and again was defused.

On 26 December 1973 a bomb was detonated in a telephone kiosk in the booking hall at Sloane Square station. Nobody was injured.

1976 IRA attacks

On 13 February a bomb was found in a small case at Oxford Circus station and was defused. On 4 March a bomb exploded in an empty train near Cannon Street station, injuring eight people in a passing train.

On 15 March an IRA bomb exploded at West Ham station on a Hammersmith & City line train. The bomber, Vincent Kelly, possibly took the wrong train and attempted to return to his destination however the bomb detonated prior to reaching the City of London area. Kelly shot the train's guard, shot and killed the train's driver Julius Stephen who attempted to catch the perpetrator. Kelly then shot himself before he was apprehended by police. cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/15/newsid_2543000/2543605.stm|title=On This Day: 15 March, 1976: Tube driver shot dead|date=2007|accessdate=2007-08-26]

On 16 March an empty train was severely damaged by a bomb at Wood Green station. The train was about to pick up fans from an Arsenal Football match, but the bomb detonated prior to arriving at the station, injuring one passenger standing on the platform. Three men were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for this attack. [cite book
last = Croome
first = Desmond F.
coauthors = Jackson, Alan J.
title = Rails Through the Clay
publisher = Capital Transport Publishing
date = 1993 (2nd edition)
pages = pp. 537
month =
isbn = 185414-151-1 ]

1991 IRA attacks

On 18 February 1991 a bomb planted by the IRA exploded in a litter bin at Victoria Station. Warnings for the bomb were given prior to detonation, however, photographer David Corner ignored police warning and returned to the scene. He was subsequently killed by the bomb's explosion; 38 others were also injured.

On 29 August three incendiary devices were found under a train at Hammersmith tube station.

On 23 December two IRA bombs explode, one on a train at Harrow-on-the-Hill station causing no injuries. Another smaller bomb also explodes on a train at Neasden depot.

1992 IRA attacks

In 1992 the IRA placed incendiary devices on several trains. At Elephant & Castle station and Neasden station devices were found and defused. One device went off at Barking station.

2005 terrorist bomb attacks

In 2005 a group of Islamist extremists attacked a number of transportation lines in London.

7 July

On 7 July 2005, bombs exploded on Underground trains between Aldgate and Liverpool Street stations, Russell Square and King's Cross St. Pancras stations and Edgware Road and Paddington stations. A double-decker bus at Tavistock Square was also destroyed. The bombs were detonated by four suicide bombers. The explosions killed 52 people and resulted in over 700 injuries.

21 July

Four more attacks, unconnected with those on 7 July, were attempted on 21 July 2005 at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations, as well as on a bus in Shoreditch. In these incidents, each bomb detonator fired, but did not ignite the main explosive charge. The only injury reported initially was actually a bystander suffering an asthma attack.

References

* [http://www.cwgcuser.org.uk/personal/subterra/lu/luterror.htm Terrorist attacks on the London Underground, by Nick Cooper]