Victoria Line

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The Victoria Line is a line of the London Underground, coloured light blue on the Tube map. It is a deep-level line running from the south to the north-east of London. It was built in the 1960s to relieve congestion on other lines, in particular the Piccadilly Line. The Victoria line was designed to maximise possible interchanges, yet keep a large distance between stations for trains to build up speed. It is because of this that the Victoria line has just one station that is not a tube or rail interchange: Pimlico.

Many stations on the route were rearranged to allow for cross-platform interchanges. 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 old platforms while the older line was diverted into a new platform. At Euston, while northbound Victoria and Northern Line (City branch) trains run along adjacent platforms, they go in opposite directions along them. Other cross-platform interchanges are at Stockwell (with the Northern Line), Oxford Circus (with the Bakerloo Line), Highbury & Islington (with the First Capital Connect operated Northern City Line) and Finsbury Park (with the Piccadilly Line). There is a connection from Seven Sisters to the line's depot at Northumberland Park.

1 Trains
2 Map
3 Stations
4 Opening
5 Depot
6 External links

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Trains

The Victoria Line is served by a fleet of 43 1967 Tube Stock trains. Each train is made up of two four-car units giving a total of eight cars per train. The line is equipped with an automatic train operation system (ATO); the train operator (driver) needs only to close the train doors and press a pair of "start" buttons, and if the way ahead is clear the ATO will drive the train at a safe speed to the next station and stop there. This system has been in place since the line opened in 1968.

The 1967 stock is due for replacement over the next decade as part of Transport for London's 5 year £10 billion redevelopment project. The replacement for the line's 1967 Tube Stock will be the 2009 Tube Stock built by Bombardier Transportation. The first prototypes will be built in 2006 and be tested in service from 2008, with the main fleet entering service between 2009 and 2012.

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Map

Image:Victoria Line.svg

Image:Victoria Line carriage - internal - night - London - 240404.jpg

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Stations

Walthamstow Central, opened: September 1, 1968.
Blackhorse Road, opened: September 1, 1968.
Tottenham Hale Template:NYCS acc opened: September 1, 1968.
Seven Sisters, opened: September 1, 1968.
Finsbury Park, opened: September 1, 1968.
Highbury & Islington, opened: September 1, 1968.
King's Cross St. Pancras, opened: December 1, 1968.
Euston, opened: December 1, 1968.
Warren Street, opened: December 1, 1968.
Oxford Circus, opened: March 7, 1969.
Green Park, opened: March 7, 1969.
Victoria, opened: March 7, 1969 (railway station)
Pimlico, opened: September 14, 1972.
Vauxhall, opened: July 23, 1971.
Stockwell, opened: July 23, 1971.
Brixton Template:NYCS acc opened: July 23, 1971.

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Opening

Image:VictoriaLineTicket.JPG

The first section to be opened to the public was between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington stations. There was no opening ceremony, instead the normal timetable started on September 1, 1968, which happened to be a Sunday. The first train ran from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington at about 6.30am.

The official opening ceremony took place at Victoria station when the line was opened right through to Brixton station.

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