So, when did the Jubilee line open? The first section of the line launched on 1 May 1979. Yes, you read that right—1979, not the 1950s. The name was chosen to honour the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, known as the Silver Jubilee in 1977. (The government clearly thought: “Hey, we missed the actual Jubilee year, but let’s name a train after it anyway.”)
The original route ran from Stanmore to Charing Cross—a short, unassuming line that basically borrowed tracks from the Bakerloo. It wasn’t exactly a blockbuster debut. If you were there in 1979, you probably thought, “Is this it?” But hey, every legend starts somewhere, right?
