As one of the largest metros in the world, the London Underground now spans the length and breadth of the city, connecting the city’s nooks and crannies to each other. Some station locations have dramatically changed with the passage of time and would be unrecognisable to their Victorian inhabitants.
Whilst some stations may have been situated in a sleepy hamlet when they first opened, the area surrounding them has expanded as the years went by. Now, they share the streets with shiny glass tower blocks and a raft of takeaway food shops.
From its position on the north-west Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines, Rayners Lane station has seen dramatic changes in its surroundings since 1906, when the station opened its doors.
Historically, the town sprung up from a single lane which was used to shift grain across the region in medieval times, MyLondon reports.
Indeed, when plans for the rail station began in the late Victorian era, there was but a single estate in the area – a swathe of land owned by Daniel Rayner.
Needless to say, Met engineers were not spoilt for choice when the time came to christen their new station, opting to name it after the area’s only building.
Simply by being in the right place at the right time, Daniel Rayner now enjoys a permanent place on the London Underground Map.
Despite the new metro link, development in Rayner’s Park did not take off for more than 15 years.
Commuters were unimpressed with the station itself, dubbing it ‘Pneumonia Station’ thanks to the lack of protection from the elements it offered those waiting for a train.
It was not until the inter-war years that it began to rapidly expand, receiving its first cinema in 1935.
Helped by its uniquely impressive connections – being in Zone 5 and having two Underground lines – Rayners Lane has now blossomed into a thriving commuter hub.
