While London commuters may begrudge paying £3.90 for a day's travel on the underground, Hollywood directors are queuing to pay £200 an hour to turn the Tube into a film set.

Last year, London Underground received over 200 filming requests and provided the backdrop for scenes from this year's hit, Billy Elliot. Previously it has been used as a location for films ranging from action blockbuster Mission Impossible to Sliding Doors, a romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and The Wings of the Dove, set at the beginning of last century, with Helena Bonham Carter and Linus Roache.

Now, the Tube's directors plan to further boost its movie appeal and have launched a marketing drive to entice the film industry's big names to the delights of London's subway.

London Underground has launched a glossy brochure, ranging from the grandeur of 1930s art deco stations to the futuristic Jubilee Line extension. London Underground's commercial filming facilities manager, Kate Blow, said: "We hope this new brochure will help promote London Underground as a premier film location.

"We don't make a vast amount of money from filming but at £200 an hour it is certainly a useful money spinner."

Most film-making takes place at night or at stations normally closed at weekends.

Canary Wharf station was the most popular film set last year because of its futuristic appeal.

However, the Waterloo and City line has also proved attractive because it is closed on Sundays, making it ideal for uninterrupted filming.

While London Underground has been able to accommodate most film-makers' requests such as the need to redecorate platforms, some were turned down on safety grounds or in the interests of taste. One company wanted to feature a stuntman performing somersaults over the track, but was diplomatically told that the 640 volt current made this impossible on health and safety grounds.