The line was constructed in the 1960s and was the first entirely new Underground line in London for 50 years. It was designed to reduce congestion on other lines, particularly thePiccadilly line and theCharing Cross branch of theNorthern line. The first section, from Walthamstow Central toHighbury & Islington, opened in September 1968 and an extension toWarren Street followed in December. The line was completed toVictoria station in March 1969 and was opened byQueen Elizabeth II who rode a train fromGreen Park to Victoria. The southern extension to Brixton opened in 1971, andPimlico station (the only station in the line without an interchange) was added in 1972.
The Victoria line is operated usingautomatic train operation, but all trains have drivers. The2009 Tube Stock replaced the original1967 Tube Stock trains. The line serves 16 stations and all but Pimlico provide interchanges with otherTransport for London orNational Rail services. The line, the most intensively used on the Underground,[note 2] was used by 302 million passengers in 2019, making it the second-busiest tube line. With trains arriving every 100seconds at peak times, it is one of the most frequent rapid transit lines in the world.
The first proposal for a railway in this area appeared in theCounty of London Plan, published in 1943.[2] In 1948, a working party set up by theBritish Transport Commission (BTC) proposed a tube railway fromVictoria toWalthamstow,[3] largely based on a 1946 plan for aCroydon-to-Finsbury Park line. Its main purpose was to relieve congestion in the central area, which had been a problem since the 1930s.[4] Other benefits were linking the key railway stations atVictoria,Euston,King's Cross andSt Pancras and improving connections between north-east London and the city.[5]
In early 1949, the BTC committee looked at the feasibility of building a deep-level tube to fulfil these requirements.[6] For the first time,cost–benefit analysis was used to ensure the line would be built within budget and be profitable.[7] Aprivate bill was introduced in Parliament in 1955, describing a line fromVictoria to Walthamstow (Wood Street), next to theBritish Rail station. Another proposal, not in the bill, supported an extension from Victoria toFulham Broadway on theDistrict line terminating atEdmonton instead of Walthamstow.[8][9] Proposals were made to extend the line north toSouth Woodford orWoodford to provide interchange with theCentral line.[10] In 1961, it was decided that the line would terminate at Walthamstow (Hoe Street) station rather than Wood Street – this would cut costs by £1.4million, and "satisfactory interchange" withBritish Railways was available at Hoe Street station.[11][12] Walthamstow (Hoe Street) was later renamedWalthamstow Central on 6 May 1968 in anticipation of the line's opening).[13][14] The line was planned to havecross-platform interchanges atOxford Circus,Euston andFinsbury Park (with the Bakerloo, Northern (Bank) and Piccadilly lines respectively) and at Walthamstow Central to provide a quick and easy connection between the new line and existing services.[15]
The name "Victoria line" dates from 1955; other suggestions were "Walvic line" (Walthamstow–Victoria), "Viking line" (Victoria–King's Cross), "Mayfair line" and "West End line".[9] During the planning stages, it was known asRoute C and named the Victoria line (after the station) by David McKenna, Chairman of British Transport Advertising, whose suggestion was seconded bySir John Elliot.[9][16] The board decided that the Victoria line sounded "just right".[9]
Initial construction began in January 1960, when two test tunnels were started fromTottenham toManor House underSeven Sisters Road. The tunnels were excavated using an experimental "drum digger" rotary shield, powered byhydraulic rams, that could cut more than 60 feet (18 m) per day. The work was completed in July 1961, with the expectation it would be used for the completed Victoria line.[17]
After the line gained parliamentary approval on 20 August 1962 with a budget of £56million, construction began the following month.[18] The economic boom of the mid-to-late 1950s had faded leading to a rise in unemployment in London, and the government had hoped that building the Victoria line would alleviate this.[19] Work began adapting Oxford Circus station to link to the new line; a cross-platform interchange was provided with theBakerloo line and a subway link with the Central line.[20] A steel umbrella was erected over the junction in August 1963 so that a new ticket hall could be built without disrupting existing traffic.[18] Rolling stock on the line was fitted withAutomatic Train Operation (ATO), which allowed self-driving of the train based on automatic electrical signals along the track.[21] In March 1964, a £2.25million contract was awarded toMetro-Cammell for the Victoria line fleet.[22]
That October, theNorthern City Line closed betweenDrayton Park andFinsbury Park so that the latter station could be redesigned for a cross-platform interchange between the Victoria and Piccadilly lines. All major contracts had been awarded by 1965, and construction was on track to be completed in 1968.[23] New stations were constructed at Walthamstow Central,Blackhorse Road,Tottenham Hale andSeven Sisters.[24] The station at Blackhorse Road was built on the opposite side of the road from the mainline station (serving theKentish Town to Barking line) and was not an interchange.[25][note 3]
The line opened from Walthamstow Central toHighbury & Islington on 1 September 1968.[27][28] There was no opening ceremony; instead the normal timetable started.[27] The first train left Walthamstow Central for Highbury & Islington at 7:32 a.m. The line proved to meet a need; more than 1,000 tickets were purchased at Highbury & Islington within its first hour of opening.[29]
The next section toWarren Street, opened on 1 December 1968, again without ceremony.[27] The line was formally opened by QueenElizabeth II on 7 March 1969 when it had been completed to Victoria. At 11:00 a.m., the Queen made the first trip, on a 5d (2.08p) ticket, from Green Park to Victoria, where she unveiled a plaque.[30][31] In so doing, she was the first reigning monarch to ride on the Underground.[32] The line was open to the general public by 3:00 p.m. Trains from Walthamstow to Victoria took around 24minutes.[30]
Pimlico station was the last part of the Victoria line to open, and is the line's only station that is not an interchange.
The 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension from Victoria to Brixton with stations atVauxhall andStockwell was approved in March 1966.[23] Preparatory work had started at Bessborough Gardens nearVauxhall Bridge Road in May 1967.[33] The contract was awarded on 4 August 1967.[23] A proposal to buildPimlico tube station received Government approval on 28 June 1968.[34][27] In July, theDuke of Edinburgh and thePrince of Wales visited tunnel workings under Vauxhall Park.[35]
The Brixton extension was bored using the olderGreathead shield. Although slower, use of thetunnelling shield allowed easier digging through the gravel strata south of the Thames. It was opened on 23 July 1971 byPrincess Alexandra, who made a journey from Brixton toVauxhall.[36][37] On opening, it was the first new section of Underground to open south of the Thames since the extension of theCity and South London Railway fromClapham Common toMorden in 1926.[36] The final piece of the Victoria line, Pimlico station, opened on 14 September 1972.[38]
London Transport considered extensions to Streatham, Dulwich and Crystal Palace to provide a connection to southeast London and Kent but no construction work was undertaken.[39]
The Kentish Town to Barking line did not close as expected and both stations at Blackhorse Road remained open. The mainline station was moved to the same side of the road as the tube station and was connected to the Victoria line on 14 December 1981 via an overbridge. The original station was then closed and demolished.[40][41]
The London Underground (Victoria) Act 1991 allowed for the construction of a 43-metre (140 ft) underground pedestrian link at Victoria station between the Victoria line platforms and the sub-surface Circle line platforms above.[42] The London Underground (Victoria Station Upgrade) Order 2009 came into force in September that year, authorising the construction of a second 1,930-square-metre (21,000 sq ft) ticket hall at Victoria.[43]
Warren Street tube station was attacked in the 2005 London bombings. There were no fatalities in this attack. After the 2005 London bombings, there was heightened security. The London Police wrongly detained and fatally shot 27-year-oldJean Charles de Menezes once he boarded a train at one of the stations on the Victoria line. After his death, a memorial to Menezes was placed close to Stockwell station.[44]
On 23 January 2014, during upgrade work at Victoria, construction workers accidentally penetrated the signalling room of the Victoria line and flooded it with quick-dryingconcrete, leading to the suspension of services south of Warren Street.[45] Services resumed the following day after sugar was used to slow the setting of the concrete and make it easier to shovel out.[46][47]
A 24-hourNight Tube service on Friday and Saturday nights, due to start in September 2015 on the entire line,[48] was delayed because of strike action.[49] The service began in August 2016, with trains running at 10-minute intervals on the whole line.[50]
Every Victoria line station, apart from Pimlico and Blackhorse Road, was built as aninterchange and several stations were rearranged to allow for cross-platform interchange with the line. In some stations, the Victoria line platforms were built on either side of the existing arrangement; in others, the Victoria line uses the older platforms and the existing line was diverted onto a new alignment.[51] All platforms on the line are 132.6 metres (435 ft) long.[52] The line has hump-backed stations to allow trains to storegravitational potential energy as they slow down and release it when they leave a station, providing an energy saving of 5% and allowing trains to run 9% faster.[53][54]
The stations were originally tiled in blue and grey, each decorated with tiled motifs in seating recesses for identification.[55] Some motifs were puns; the image for Brixton, for instance, was a ton of bricks.[36] During construction of the first stage of theJubilee line in 1979, the motifs onGreen Park station were replaced by others matching the design for the Jubilee line platforms.[56]
In late 2010 and 2011, platform humps were installed on all Victoria line stations except Pimlico to provide step-free access to trains.[57] The project was in accordance with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 and theDisability Discrimination Act 1995.[58][59] The Victoria line humps resemble theHarrington Hump, a type of ramp being installed on some mainline stations, but are of a masonry construction.[60]
The line's original1967 Stock was used until mid-2011. It is seen here atHolborn on a farewell tour.
About 200million passengers a year use the Victoria line.[61] It is the sixth-most heavily used line on the network in absolute figures, but in terms of the average number of journeys per mile it is by far the most intensively used.[62] From May 2017, trains run every 100seconds during peak periods, providing 36 trains per hour.[63] All trains run from Brixton to Seven Sisters and some continue to Walthamstow Central.[64]During off-peak periods, the Victoria line runs 27 trains per hour between Brixton and Walthamstow Central.[65]
When the line opened, services were operated by a fleet of39+1⁄2 eight-car trains of1967 Tube Stock trains. In the early planning stages, an articulated type ofrolling stock was considered, but not progressed because of difficulties transferring the stock to Acton Works for heavy overhauls.[66] After Acton Works closed, this no longer applies. The2009 tube stock has a wider profile and slightly longer carriages which precludes it from running on other deep-level tube lines. The 1967 stock was supplemented by1972 Mark I Tube Stock, transferred from theNorthern line and converted to be compatible with the 1967 stock.[67]
Replacement of the 1967 rolling stock began in July 2009.[68][69] The 2009 Tube Stock fleet of 47 eight-car trains was built byBombardier Transportation.[70] Testing the first prototypes began in 2008. The trains began to be introduced in 2009 and most were in operation by the following year. The last of the 1967 stock trains ran on 30 June 2011, after which the entire service was provided by 2009 stock.[71][72]
On opening, the line was equipped with a fixed-blockAutomatic Train Operation system (ATO). The train operator closed the train doors and pressed a pair of "start" buttons and, if the way ahead was clear, the ATO drives the train at a safe speed to the next station. At any point, the driver could switch to manual control if the ATO failed.[29] The system, which operated until 2012, made the Victoria line the world's first full-scale automatic railway.[note 4]
The Victoria line runs faster trains than other Underground lines because it has fewer stops, ATO running and modern design.[76][77] Train speeds can reach up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). A common method used by north London residents to visit the West End is to take the Northern line Bank branch, change platforms at Euston, and continue on faster Victoria line trains.[54][76] In the 2010s, the original signalling was replaced with a more modern ATO system fromWestinghouse Rail Systems incorporating 'Distance to Go Radio' and more than 400 track circuits. London Underground claimed it was the world's first ATO-on-ATO upgrade.[68][70][78] The new signalling system allowed a revised timetable to be introduced in February 2013, allowing up to 33 trains per hour instead of 27.[79] In combination with new, faster trains, the line's capacity increased by 21%, equivalent to an extra 10,000 passengers per hour.[68][71] By 2019, the line was running around 36 trains per hour at peak times, with a train arriving every 100seconds – making it one of the most frequent rapid transit lines in the world.[80]
Notice explaining about step-free access. This can be found inside every Victoria line train.
When the line was built, budgetary restrictions meant that station infrastructure standards were lower than on older lines and on later extension projects.[19] Examples include narrower than usual platforms and undecorated ceilings at Walthamstow Central,Blackhorse Road and Tottenham Hale, affecting lighting levels.[81] The line was built with fewer escalators than other lines as a cost-saving measure.[82] The lack of a third escalator linking station entrances to platforms at some stations can cause severe congestion at peak times.[83] Stations have closed temporarily for safety reasons when escalators have been unserviceable.[84]
Step-free routes are available between the Victoria line and other lines at most interchanges.[85]Tottenham Hale,Finsbury Park,King's Cross St Pancras, Green Park, Victoria, Vauxhall andBrixton have step-free access from street to train.[86][85][87][88][89][90] Platform humps have been installed at all stations (except Pimlico) to provide level access to trains, improving access for customers with mobility impairments, luggage or pushchairs.[91]
Ferry Lane fan shaft and emergency access point at Heron Island, approximately halfway betweenBlackhorse Road andTottenham Hale stations
About 50 ventilation shafts were constructed during the construction phase.[92] Midpoint tunnel ventilation shafts remain between stations. Special "local arrangements" are in place should it be necessary to evacuate passengers from trains via Netherton Road emergency escape shaft.[93] Planning permission for a shaft at Ferry Lane, next to Tottenham Hale station, was granted on 11 January 1968, during the first phase of construction.[94]
By mid-2009, trialboreholes for a cooling system at Green Park station had been drilled and more were scheduled to be created by the end of 2009.[95] In 2010,Engineering & Technology reported that 200 litres (44 imp gal) of water per second for the cooling system was being pumped through heat-exchangers at Victoria station from theRiver Tyburn and into the River Thames.[96]
Between 2009 and 2014, thirteen ventilation shafts were refurbished. In the first phase were Drayton Park, Gillingham Street, Moreton Terrace, Pulross Road, Somerleyton Road and Tynemouth Road.[97] For the second phase were Cobourg Street, Dover Street, Gibson Square, Great Titchfield Street, Isledon Road, Kings Cross, Palace Street and Rita Road.[97]
By 2009, changes at Cobourg Street were in the planning stage and demolition at Moreton Terrace, Somerleyton Road and Drayton Park shafts had taken place.[95] Planning permission for Netherton Road shaft was granted on 8 September 1967.[98] On 31 March, the demolition and rebuilding of Netherton Road shaft was allowed aspermitted development.[99][100]
2009 tube stock at the Victoria line's Northumberland Park Depot
The depot atNorthumberland Park, the service and storage area for trains, is the only part of the Victoria line above ground. Trains access the depot via a branch line in a tunnel to the north ofSeven Sisters.[101]
The depot opened with the first stage of the line in September 1968. It is next toNorthumberland Park railway station, onTottenham Marshes in theLondon Borough of Haringey, over a mile from the Victoria line. When built, it was 900 feet (270 m) long and had working space for 22 eight-car trains.[25] As part of Transport for London's tube upgrade scheme, the depot has been expanded and upgraded to accommodate all the 2009 Tube Stock trains[102][103] and a new signalling system.[104]
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and its supporters have campaigned for a surface station next to Northumberland Park Station, adjacent to the depot to improve the stadium's transport links. The plans would require co-operation with the local council andNetwork Rail to minimise disruption.[105][106] It was announced by Haringey Council in its 2012A Plan for Tottenham report that there was "potential for a Victoria Line extension to Northumberland Park".[107]
Crossrail 2, also known as the Chelsea-Hackney line, is a proposed line across central London between Victoria and King's Cross St Pancras tube station to increase capacity in Central London by 270,000 passengers per day. It is intended to relieve congestion on the Victoria line, a key line connecting several important London termini.[108][109]
Proposals have been made to extend the line one stop southwards from Brixton toHerne Hill, a significant interchange in south London providing access to Kent,Blackfriars,London Bridge andSutton. Herne Hill would be on a largereversing loop with a single platform removing a critical capacity restriction eliminating the need for trains to reverse at Brixton and provide a more obvious route for passengers who look for the nearest tube station before any other transport options.[110][111]
^Opened as Hoe Street, renamed when Victoria Line opened on 1 September 1968.[116]
^Opened as Tottenham, renamed on 1 December 1968.[117]
^Seven Sisters is the only station with more than 2 platforms. The third is a holding platform for trains that terminate their journeys from Brixton at Seven Sisters instead of at Walthamstow. The third platform allows access to the Northumberland Park depot.[118]
^Opened as Seven Sisters Road (Holloway), renamed 15 November 1869.[120]
^in terms of the average number of journeys per mile
^The Kentish Town-to-Barking service, serving Blackhorse Road, was proposed for closure under theBeeching cuts.[26]
^Although the system was tested on the Tube on a smaller scale before that, initially on a short section of theDistrict line; then a larger trial was carried out on theCentral line betweenWoodford andHainault.[73][74][75]
^"Victoria Line Change".London Transport Magazine.15 (10): 5. January 1962.Plans for the alignment in the Walthamstow area of the proposed Victoria tube railway line are being changed so that it ends at Hoe Street station, and not at Wood Street station as originally intended. This is because alterations to the layout of the British Railways track and overhead electrical equipment at Wood Street would too costly. Satisfactory interchange with the Eastern Region electric service to Highams Park and Chingford will be provided at Hoe Street. [...] The revision of plans will cut the capital cost of the Victoria line by about €1,400,000.
^Horne, Mike (2005).The Victoria Line: An Illustrated History. Capital Transport. p. 26.ISBN1-85414-292-5.
^Feather, Clive (20 June 2017)."Victoria Line – Services".Clive's Underground Line Guides.Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved25 October 2018.
^"Driverless metros poised to expand".Railway Gazette International. 1 March 2000. Archived fromthe original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved25 October 2007.These trials matured into 'attended ATO'. London's Victoria line was the first into revenue service on 1 September 1968, with Philadelphia's Lindenwold line close behind in January 1969.
^London Underground (28 April 2002)."Detrainment of Passengers"(PDF).Standards. Tc100 (2): 1. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved24 October 2018.
^"OLD/1968/0211".Online Planning Services. Haringey Council. 11 January 1968. Archived fromthe original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved1 August 2013.Land At Ferry Lane: Construction of new fan house form Victoria Line.
^abLondon Underground Limited (20 May 2009). Parry, Richard (ed.).Performance Report to the Rail and Underground Panel(PDF).Managing Director's Report – London Underground (Report). Transport for London. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 1 August 2013. Retrieved12 June 2012.
^abKlettner (24 January 2008)."Underground keeps its cool".Construction News. Event occurs at Andrea.Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved11 June 2012.
^"OLD/1967/0517".Online Planning Services. Haringey Council. 8 September 1967. Archived fromthe original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved1 August 2013.Construction of new ventilation shaft and emergency staircase for Victoria Line.
^Urban Environment Directorate (6 April 2004)."01/03/2009 to 31/03/2009"(PDF). HGY/2009/0151: LUL Mid-Tunnel Vent Shaft, Netherton Road N15.Planning Applications Decided (Report). Haringey Council. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 October 2009. Retrieved21 June 2012.Demolition and rebuilding of existing headhouse in order to upgrade existing cooling system to Victoria Line.
^"HGY/2009/0151".Online Planning Services. Haringey Council. 31 March 2009. Archived fromthe original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved1 August 2013.Demolition and rebuilding of existing headhouse in order to upgrade existing cooling system to Victoria Line.
^Strickland, Alan; Kober, Claire; Vanier, Bernice; Lipton, Stuart;Lammy, David; Fletcher-Smith, Fiona; Head, Paul; Campling, Andrew; Travers, Tony; Boylan, Brian; Girt, Matthew (26 July 2012).A Plan for Tottenham(PDF) (Report). Haringey Council. p. 19.Archived(PDF) from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved2 August 2012.potential for a Victoria Line extension to Northumberland Park