Victoria line

The first proposal for a railway in this area appeared in the County of London Plan, published in 1943.[2] In 1948, a working party set up by the British Transport Commission (BTC) proposed a tube railway from Victoria to Walthamstow,[3] largely based on a 1946 plan for a Croydon-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 at Victoria, Euston, King's Cross and St 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] The Private bill was introduced in Parliament in 1955. It described a line from Victoria to Walthamstow (Wood Street) next to the British Rail station. Another proposal not in the Bill, supported an extension from Victoria to Fulham Broadway on the District line terminating at Edmonton instead of Walthamstow.[8][9] Proposals were made to extend the line north to South Woodford or Woodford to provide interchange with the Central line.[10] In 1961, it was decided to terminate the line at Walthamstow (Hoe Street) station, which was renamed Walthamstow Central on 6 May 1968 in anticipation of the line's opening.[11][12] The line was planned to have cross-platform interchanges at Oxford Circus, Euston and Finsbury 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.[13]

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 as Route C and named the Victoria line (after the station) by David McKenna, Chairman of British Transport Advertising, whose suggestion was seconded by Sir John Elliot.[9][14] The board decided that the Victoria line sounded "just right".[9]

Initial construction began in January 1960, when two test tunnels were started from Tottenham to Manor House under Seven Sisters Road. The tunnels were excavated using an experimental "drum digger" rotary shield, powered by hydraulic 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.[15]

After the line gained parliamentary approval on 20 August 1962 with a budget of £56 million, construction began the following month.[16] 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.[17] Work began adapting Oxford Circus station to link to the new line; a cross-platform interchange was provided with the Bakerloo line and a subway link with the Central line.[18] A steel umbrella was erected over the junction in August 1963 so that a new ticket hall could be built without disrupting existing traffic.[16] Rolling stock on the line was fitted with Automatic Train Operation (ATO), which allowed self-driving of the train based on automatic electrical signals along the track.[19] In March 1964, a £2.25 million contract was awarded to Metro-Cammell for the Victoria line fleet.[20]

That October, the Northern City Line closed between Drayton Park and Finsbury 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.[21] New stations were constructed at Walthamstow Central, Blackhorse Road, Tottenham Hale and Seven Sisters.[22] The station at Blackhorse Road was built on the opposite side of the road from the mainline station (serving the Kentish Town to Barking line) and was not an interchange.[23][note 3]

The line opened from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington on 1 September 1968.[25][26] There was no opening ceremony; instead the normal timetable started.[25] 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.[27]

The next section to Warren Street, opened on 1 December 1968, again without ceremony.[25] The line was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth 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.[28][29] In so doing, she was the first reigning monarch to ride on the Underground.[30] The line was open to the general public by 3:00 p.m. Trains from Walthamstow to Victoria took around 24 minutes.[28]

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 at Vauxhall and Stockwell was approved in March 1966.[21] Preparatory work had started at Bessborough Gardens near Vauxhall Bridge Road in May 1967.[31] The contract was awarded on 4 August 1967.[21] A proposal to build Pimlico tube station received Government approval on 28 June 1968.[32][25] In July, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales visited tunnel workings under Vauxhall Park.[33]

The Brixton extension was bored using the older Greathead shield. Although slower, use of the tunnelling shield allowed easier digging through the gravel strata south of the Thames. It was opened on 23 July 1971 by Princess Alexandra, who made a journey from Brixton to Vauxhall.[34][35] On opening, it was the first new section of Underground to open south of the Thames since the extension of the City and South London Railway from Clapham Common to Morden in 1926.[34] The final piece of the Victoria line, Pimlico station, opened on 14 September 1972.[36]

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.[37]

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.[38][39]

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.[40] 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.[41]

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 shot 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes once he boarded a train at one of the stations on the Victoria line. Jean did not survive. After he died a memorial was placed at the station.[42]

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-drying concrete, leading to the suspension of services south of Warren Street.[43] Services resumed the following day after sugar was used to slow the setting of the concrete and make it easier to shovel out.[44][45]

A 24-hour Night Tube service on Friday and Saturday nights, due to start in September 2015 on the entire line,[46] was delayed because of strike action.[47] The service began in August 2016, with trains running at 10-minute intervals on the whole line.[48]

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.[17] Examples include narrower than usual platforms and undecorated ceilings at Walthamstow Central, Blackhorse Road and Tottenham Hale, affecting lighting levels.[76] The line was built with fewer escalators than other lines as a cost-saving measure.[77] The lack of a third escalator linking station entrances to platforms at some stations can cause severe congestion at peak times.[78] Stations have closed temporarily for safety reasons when escalators have been unserviceable.[79]

Step-free routes are available between the Victoria line and other lines at most interchanges.[80] Tottenham Hale, Finsbury Park, King's Cross St Pancras, Green Park, Victoria, Vauxhall and Brixton have step-free access from street to train.[81][80][82][83][84][85] 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.[86]

Ferry Lane fan shaft and emergency access point at Heron Island, approximately halfway between Blackhorse Road and Tottenham Hale stations

About 50 ventilation shafts were constructed during the construction phase.[87] 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.[88] 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.[89]

By mid-2009, trial boreholes for a cooling system at Green Park station had been drilled and more were scheduled to be created by the end of 2009.[90] 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 the River Tyburn and into the River Thames.[91]

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.[92] For the second phase were Cobourg Street, Dover Street, Gibson Square, Great Titchfield Street, Isledon Road, Kings Cross, Palace Street and Rita Road.[92]

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.[90] Planning permission for Netherton Road shaft was granted on 8 September 1967.[93] On 31 March, the demolition and rebuilding of Netherton Road shaft was allowed as permitted development.[94][95]

Citations

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