Victoria line

Colour on map	Light Blue
Year opened	1968
Line type	Deep Level
Rolling stock	1967 Tube Stock; 2009 Tube Stock
Stations served	16
Length	21 km (13.25 mi)
Depots	Northumberland Park
Journeys made	183 million (per annum)
Rail lines of; Transport for London
London Underground lines
	Bakerloo
	Central
	Circle
	District
	Hammersmith & City
	Jubilee
	Metropolitan
	Northern
	Piccadilly
	Victoria
	Waterloo & City
Other lines
	Docklands Light Railway
	Tramlink
	Overground
	London Transport Portal

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This article is about the tube line in London. For other uses, see Victoria line (disambiguation).

The Victoria line is part of the London Underground system and is a deep-level line running from the south (Zone 2) to the north-east (Zone 3) of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map and, in terms of the average number of journeys per mile, is the busiest line on the network.^[1]^[2] It is the only line on the Underground, except for the two-station Waterloo & City line, which is operated entirely underground, with the only section of track to emerge above ground being the route to the depot from Seven Sisters to Northumberland Park. The line has hump-backed stations which allow trains to store gravitational potential energy as they slow down and release it when they leave a station. This provides an energy saving of 5% and makes the trains run 9% faster.^[3] 183 million passengers use the Victoria line each year making it the fourth busiest line on the network.^[4] Each platform constructed specifically for the Victoria Line from new is 132.6 metres long.^[5]

[edit] History

A new tube railway running from Victoria to Walthamstow was first proposed by a Working Party set up by the British Transport Commission in 1948.^[6] The main purpose of the line was to relieve congestion in the central area. The Private Bill necessary for construction was introduced into Parliament in 1955. The Bill described a line from Victoria to Walthamstow (Wood Street). There was also a proposal, although this was not included in the Bill, for a subsequent extension from Victoria to Fulham Broadway station on the District Line.^[7]

Construction work began in 1962 on the Walthamstow — Victoria section and continued until 1972, when Pimlico station was opened. A test tunnel from Tottenham to Manor House under Seven Sisters Road had been constructed in 1959 and this was later integrated into the running tunnels.^[6]

Air shaft & emergency access point, Heron Island; approximately halfway between Blackhorse Road and Tottenham Hale

Barbara Castle, the Minister of Transport, gave approval on 4 August 1967 for the Brixton extension to be built. Preparatory work had already started at a site at Bessborough Gardens near Vauxhall Bridge Road in May 1967, and on 28 June 1968 Richard Marsh, then Minister of Transport, approved the proposal to build a station at Pimlico.^[6]

The name "Victoria line" dates back to 1955; other suggestions were "Walvic line" (Walthamstow - Victoria) and "Viking line" (Victoria - King's Cross).^[8] Legend has it that a person in the planning department remarked that "Victoria line" sounded "just right" at which point it was adopted as the working title of the new line.

The Victoria line was designed to relieve congestion on other lines, in particular the Piccadilly line, as well as to maximise possible interchanges. It had been intended to build the line past Walthamstow Central to Wood Street (Walthamstow), where it would surface to terminate next to the British Railways station. Proposals were also made to extend the line as far as South Woodford or Woodford, to provide interchange with the Central line.^[9] However, a late decision in 1961 saw the line cut back to Walthamstow (Hoe Street) station which was renamed Walthamstow Central in 1968.^[6]

Each Victoria line station apart from Pimlico was built as an interchange station, and several existing stations were rearranged to allow for cross-platform interchange with the new line. In some cases this was achieved by placing the Victoria line platforms on either side of the existing station, while in others the Victoria line uses one of the older platforms and the existing line was diverted into a new platform.^[6]

At Euston, northbound Victoria and Northern line (Bank branch) trains run along adjacent platforms, although they travel in opposite directions. "Same-direction" cross-platform interchanges are available at Stockwell (with the Northern line), Oxford Circus (with the Bakerloo line), Highbury & Islington (with First Capital Connect, originally the Northern City Line) and at Finsbury Park (with the Piccadilly line).^[6]

All Victoria line stations were originally tiled in a nondescript cool blue/grey colour fashionable at the time. Each station was decorated with tiled motifs in seating recesses to help identify the station. During the construction of the Jubilee line in the late 1970s, the original motifs on Green Park station were replaced by motifs matching the new design for the Jubilee line platforms.^[6] These were in turn also replaced in 2009 by replicas of the origin design.

[edit] Opening

The first section to be opened was between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington. There was no initial opening ceremony, instead the normal timetable started on Sunday September 1, 1968. The first train left Walthamstow Central for Highbury & Islington at about 6.30am. Later that year, the section between Highbury & Islington and Warren Street was opened, again without ceremony.

The official opening ceremony took place at Victoria station on 7 March 1969: The Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque on the station concourse. After a short ceremony, she purchased a 5d ticket (five old pence = 2.08p) and travelled to Green Park.

Princess Alexandra opened the Brixton extension on 23 July 1971, making a journey from Brixton to Vauxhall. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh had previously made a visit to the line during its construction. In July 1968, they visited tunnel workings under Vauxhall Park.

[edit] Service and rolling stock

Trains run every two minutes during peak periods. In normal service, all trains run from Brixton to Seven Sisters, roughly three out of five continuing to Walthamstow Central.^[10]

The Victoria line is served by a fleet of 43 1967 Tube Stock trains. Each is made up of two four-car units. These are due to be replaced by the 2009 Tube Stock from late 2009 onwards (see below). In the early planning stages of the line, an articulated type of rolling stock was considered, but the idea was dropped because of difficulties in transferring the stock to Acton Works for heavy overhauls^[11]. Due to its wider profile, the new 2009 tube stock will also be line-bound, with all maintenance work taking place at Northumberland Park.

The line is equipped with an Automatic Train Operation system (ATO); the train operator (driver) closes the train doors and presses a pair of "start" buttons, and if the way ahead is clear, the ATO drives the train at a safe speed to the next station and stops there. This system has been in place since the line opened in 1968, making the Victoria line the world's first full-scale automatic railway.^[12]

[edit] The future

1967 Stock train leaving Northumberland Park Depot

The 1967 stock is due for replacement over the next few years as part of Transport for London's 5-year £10 billion redevelopment project.^[13] The replacement for the line's 1967 Tube Stock will be the 2009 Tube Stock built by Bombardier Transportation. The first prototypes were built in 2006 and tested out of service from 2008, with the main fleet introduced into revenue service from 2009 to 2012. The signalling will also be replaced with a more modern ATO system from Westinghouse Rail Systems during the Victoria line upgrade.^[6]^[13]

When the Victoria line was constructed, severe budget restrictions were imposed and as a result the station infrastructure standards were lower than on older lines and on later extension projects. Examples of these lower standards include narrower than usual platforms and undecorated ceilings at Walthamstow Central, Blackhorse Road and Tottenham Hale, adversely affecting lighting levels. At most stations there is still a concrete staircase between the up and down escalators, where an additional escalator could be installed. The lack of a third escalator can cause severe congestion at peak times. However in recent years an additional escalator has been installed in place of the fixed stairway at Brixton (2004) and Vauxhall (2006).^[13]^[14]

There have been station closures for safety reasons, when both escalators have been unserviceable. Over many years, heavy equipment has been installed in unsightly fenced-off sections at the ends of platforms owing to the lack of anywhere else to install them. It is not clear from Transport for London's Five-Year Investment Programme whether these shortcomings are likely to be remedied.

Supporters of Tottenham Hotspur (and the club itself) have campaigned for a surface station to be opened next to Northumberland Park Station, adjacent to the line's depot. This would improve the football ground's transport links, seen as essential if the club's wish to redevelop their ground and increase crowd capacity is to become a reality. The idea was looked into, but Network Rail own the necessary land and need it for their own expansion plans.^[15]

If the Chelsea-Hackney line were to be built then it would relieve a lot of congestion on the Victoria line, offering an alternative route across Central London between Victoria and King's Cross St. Pancras.

For many years there have been proposals to extend the line one stop southwards from Brixton to Herne Hill. Herne Hill station would be on a large reversing loop with one platform. This would remove a critical capacity restriction by eliminating the need for trains to reverse at Brixton. However this would be expensive and cannot currently be justified on cost-benefit grounds. Because the current line is heavily overcrowded this is considered to be the only extension proposal with any realistic prospect of coming to fruition; but to have any hope of being built, it would have to be seen to be effective in reducing overcrowding (by enabling trains to run more frequently) and not to increase it.

[edit] Map

The TFL line diagram is available online.

[edit] Stations

Notice explaining about step-free access. This can be found inside every Victoria line train.

Station	Opened	Motif
Walthamstow Central	September 1, 1968	Motif: William Morris pattern by Julia Black.
Blackhorse Road	September 1, 1968	Motif: A Black Horse by Hans Unger.
Tottenham Hale	September 1, 1968	Motif: A ferry punt by Edward Bawden - referencing the station's location on Ferry Lane and the former ferry crossing.
Seven Sisters	September 1, 1968	Motif: Seven Elm trees on green background by Hans Unger.
Finsbury Park	September 1, 1968	Motif: Crossed duelling pistols by Tom Eckersley - referencing the park's use as a duelling venue.
Highbury & Islington	September 1, 1968	Motif: Manor House on Highbury Hill by Edward Bawden.
King's Cross St. Pancras	December 1, 1968	Motif: Five crowns in a cross on a blue background by Tom Eckersley.
Euston	December 1, 1968	Motif: Doric Arch at Euston station by Tom Eckersley.
Warren Street	December 1, 1968	Motif: A maze or "Warren" by Alan Fletcher.
Oxford Circus	March 7, 1969	Original motif: Abstract pattern in a circle with line colours of Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines by Hans Unger, present only on the southbound platform as of summer 2008. Second motif from 1984: Snakes and Ladders, present only on the Central platforms as of summer 2008.
Green Park	March 7, 1969	Original motif: Green dots representing trees in Green Park by Hans Unger. Second motif from 1986: Leaves by June Fraser. Original motif restored in 2009
Victoria ( Trains to Gatwick)	March 7, 1969	Motif: Blue cameo of Queen Victoria on pink background by Edward Bawden.
Pimlico	September 14, 1972	Motif: A pattern of varied sized spots by Peter Sedgely — modern art at the nearby Tate Gallery.
Vauxhall	July 23, 1971	Motif: Old Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens by George Smith.
Stockwell	July 23, 1971	Motif: The Swan by Abram Games - references the name of a pub nearby.
Brixton	July 23, 1971	Motif: A ton of Bricks by Hans Unger.

[edit] Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Victoria Line

Ticket issued on 1 September 1968, the first day of service of the Victoria line.	Walthamstow Central Motif: William Morris design, by Julia Black	Blackhorse Road Motif: Black Horse by Hans Unger	Tottenham Hale Motif: Ferry across the River Lea, by Edward Bawden
Seven Sisters Motif: Seven elm trees, by Hans Unger	Finsbury Park Motif: Duelling pistols, by Tom Eckersley	Highbury & Islington Motif: Highbury House, by Edward Bawden	Kings Cross St Pancras Motif: Five crowns in a cross on a blue background by Tom Eckersley.
Euston Motif: original Euston railway station Doric arch by Tom Eckersley.	Warren Street Motif: Warren, by Alan Fletcher.	Oxford Circus Original motif: Circle and line colours by Hans Unger, present only on the southbound platform as of summer 2008.	Green Park Motif: Trees by Hans Unger. Reinstated in 2009 after a newer "Leaves" design was installed 1986-2008
Green Park Motif: Leaves. 2nd Design from 1986 by June Fraser (Removed for refurbishment in 2008, but replaced by "Trees" in 2009).	Victoria Motif: Blue cameo of Queen Victoria on pink background by Edward Bawden.	Pimlico Motif: Spots by Peter Sedgely.	Vauxhall Motif: Old Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens by George Smith.
Stockwell Motif: The Swan, representing the nearby pub, by Abram Games.	Brixton Motif: A ton of bricks, by Hans Unger.