在1896年區域铁路（DR）提交了一项就興建深层地鐵的法案，將在現有線路之下，格洛斯特路站和市長官邸站之間興建。[6]
DR 一直都是以蒸汽火车在其明挖回填式隧道中的線路上运行。為了减轻沿線的挤拥，公司计划興建一條快线，只在查林十字設一個中途站 (现在的堤岸站)，而在格洛斯特路以西连接到现有线路上的伯爵宮站。 像B&PCR一樣，深层地鐵将以电动火车運行，所以 DR 計畫在華林綠地（現在的富勒姆大道站）的旁邊建立一个发电站[7] 。法案在1897年8月6日获得批准，稱為《1897年大都会區域鐵路法案》。
^Rules and procedures known as standing orders existed covering the presentation of private bills to Parliament and a failure to comply with these could result in a bill's rejection. Standing orders for railway bills included requirements to publish a notice of intention to submit the bill in the London Gazette in the November of the preceding year, to submit maps and plans of the route to various interested parties, to provide an estimate of the cost and to deposit 5% of the estimated cost into the Court of Chancery.[2]
