Editing District line (section)

== Route ==

=== Map ===
{{wide image|District Line & London map.svg|1200px|The route of the District line through the [[London Boroughs]]. More details of the routes between Tower Hill, Earl's Court and Edgware Road are shown at [[Circle line (London Underground)#Map|Circle line: Map]].|center}}

=== Railway line ===
{{District line simple RDT}}
The District line is {{convert|40|mi}} long and serves 60 stations.<ref name="Line Facts">{{cite web |url= http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/keyfacts/13166.aspx |title=District line facts |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=1 December 2012}}</ref><ref name="Key Facts">{{cite web |title= Key facts |publisher= Transport for London |url= http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx |access-date= 1 December 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070529041317/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx |archive-date= 29 May 2007}}</ref> The line is electrified with a four-rail DC system: from Upminster to Putney Bridge, Olympia, Barons Court, and Edgware Road a central conductor rail is now energised at {{Val|-250|ul=volts}} and a rail outside the running rail at {{Val|+500|u=V}}, giving a potential difference of {{Val|750|u=V}}. The section from Barons Court to Ealing Broadway remains at {{Val|-210|u=V}} with a rail outside the running rail at {{Val|+420|u=V}}, giving a potential difference of {{Val|630|u=V}}.<ref name="Martin2012">{{cite book |author= Martin, Andrew |title=Underground, Overground: A Passenger's History of the Tube |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vh3n5WD_YqsC&pg=PT137|year=2012|publisher=Profile Books|isbn=978-1-84765-807-4|pages=137–138}}</ref> The two sections over which main line trains run, from East Putney to Wimbledon, and from Gunnersbury to Richmond, have the centre rail bonded to the running rails.<ref>{{cite book |last=Glover |first=John |title=London's Underground |year=2003 |publisher=Ian Allan |isbn=978-0-7110-2935-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/londonsundergrou1000glov/page/158 158] |url=https://archive.org/details/londonsundergrou1000glov/page/158 }}</ref> West of Earl's Court, there are four branches. At [[Ealing Broadway station]], the District line has platforms north of the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]] and the [[Great Western Main Line]] out of Paddington. After about {{convert|2/3|mi}}, the line meets the Piccadilly line Uxbridge branch at Hanger Lane junction, and the tracks are then shared through [[Ealing Common station]] until [[Acton Town station]], where the Piccadilly line Heathrow branch joins. From Acton Town to Barons Court, the line has four tracks, paired by use: the District line uses the outer pair and the non-stopping Piccadilly line trains use the inner pair.<ref name="map">{{cite web |url= http://cartometro.com/cartes/metro-london/ |title=Detailed London Transport Map |access-date=1 December 2012|work=cartometro.com}}</ref> At [[Richmond station (London)|Richmond station]], the [[Mildmay line]] and District line platforms are north of the [[Waterloo to Reading line]] through platforms. The two tracks which cross the Thames at [[Kew Railway Bridge]] are shared with the Mildmay line trains until Gunnersbury junction, after which the District line tracks join the four-track District and Piccadilly lines just before [[Turnham Green station]].<ref name="map" />

On the main line, there are [[cross-platform interchange]]s at Acton Town, Hammersmith and Barons Court stations, after which the Piccadilly line tracks descend into tunnels, while the District line becomes two tracks through West Kensington station. Before the line enters Earl's Court station, the short Kensington (Olympia) branch joins at a flat junction and the Wimbledon branch at a grade-separated junction.<ref name="map" /> On the Wimbledon branch, the District line at [[Wimbledon station]] is west of the [[South West Main Line]] platforms, then the two-track line has a junction at [[East Putney station]] with the [[Hounslow Loop Line]], before passing over the River Thames on [[Fulham Railway Bridge]]; the line continues by passing under the West London Railway and coming alongside it at [[West Brompton station]] before the junction with the main line and the four-platform Earl's Court station.<ref name="map" />

[[File:Earl's Court District Line platforms.jpg|thumb|left|Overhead view of the District line platforms at Earl's Court, 2005]]

East of Earl's Court there is a grade-separated junction off the main line to the Edgware Road branch. This follows the Circle line after [[High Street Kensington station]] where there are also two bay platforms for the District line. After [[Paddington tube station (Bakerloo, Circle and District lines)|Paddington station]] this branch joins the [[Hammersmith & City line]] at Praed Street junction, before terminating at the four-platform [[Edgware Road tube station (Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines)|Edgware Road]].<ref name="map" /> The main line joins the Circle line at Gloucester Road and the line and stations are in cut-and-cover tunnels, meeting the Thames at [[Westminster station]], after which the railway is in the [[Victoria Embankment]] on the north bank of the river. At [[Tower Hill tube station|Tower Hill]] station, there is a bay platform.<ref name="map" />

After Tower Hill, the Circle line diverges, the District line joining the Hammersmith & City line just before [[Aldgate East station]]. The line passes over the Windrush line at Whitechapel station before continuing on the {{convert|2|mi|adj=on}} [[Whitechapel & Bow Railway]] to Bow Road, where the line surfaces, and Bromley-by-Bow, where the line runs alongside the [[London, Tilbury and Southend line]] from [[Fenchurch Street station]]. There is an interchange with this line at the next station, West Ham, as well as with the [[Jubilee line]] and the [[Docklands Light Railway]]. There is a bay platform at the next station, Plaistow, and the Hammersmith & City line terminates at Barking station.<ref name="map" /> The District line follows the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway for another eight stations, before terminating at [[Upminster station]].<ref name="map" />

The line mainly runs in cut and cover tunnels between [[West Kensington]] and [[Bow Road]], including the Edgware Road branch. However, due to the nature of sub-surface lines, the cutting is occasionally left open both at and between stations for ventilation. West of Earls Court, the line is entirely surface level, with the exception of the Hammersmith and Fulham Broadway stations, which are in cuttings built over by recent developments. There is also a small section of tunnel between Southfields and East Putney.