Victoria station (London) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London (and the UK) after Waterloo

Waterloo station

Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....

, and includes an air terminal for passengers travelling by train to Gatwick Airport. The area around the station has also become an important interchange for other forms of transport: a local bus station is in the forecourt, and a terminal for nationwide long-distance road coaches at Victoria Coach Station

Victoria Coach Station

Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line...

is nearby. Victoria is in Travelcard Zone 1

Travelcard Zone 1

Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...

.

There are effectively four railway stations on the site: two serving main line routes in south eastern England, one underground station built by the cut and cover method serving the District and Circle Lines, and one deep-level tube line station. The National Rail

National Rail

National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...

(overground) and London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

stations will be dealt with separately.

The mainline station's most important longer-distance destinations include Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Eastbourne, Canterbury and Dover.

History - National Rail stations

The railways of England to the south of London were at a disadvantage with respect to Central London

Central London

Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...

during the nineteenth century, as their lines were south of the river Thames, whereas the main centres of population, business and government were north of the river in the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

, the West End

West End of London

The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...

and Westminster

Westminster

Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...

. Victoria Station came about in a piecemeal fashion to help address this problem for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) and the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR). It originally consisted of two adjacent mainline railway stations which, from the viewpoint of passengers, were unconnected.

Lines to Victoria

The London and Brighton Railway

London and Brighton Railway

The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...

terminus at London Bridge provided reasonable access to the City of London but was most inconvenient for travellers to and from Westminster. As early as 1842 John Urpeth Rastrick

John Urpeth Rastrick

John Urpeth Rastrick was one of the first English steam locomotive builders. In partnership with James Foster, he formed Foster, Rastrick and Company, the locomotive construction company that built the Stourbridge Lion in 1829 for export to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad in America.-Early...

had proposed that the railway should therefore build a branch to serve the West End, but his proposal came to nothing. However, the transfer of the Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...

from Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...

to Sydenham Hill

Sydenham Hill

For other uses of 'Sydenham', see Sydenham .Sydenham Hill is a hill or ridge and a locality in South-East London and the name of a road which runs along the northern eastern part of the ridge and forms the boundary between the London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Lewisham. The...

between 1851 and 1854 created a major tourist attraction in the then rural area south of London, and the LB&SCR opened a branch line

Branch line

A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...

from the Brighton main line

Brighton Main Line

The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...

at Sydenham

Sydenham

Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...

to the site in 1854. Whilst this was under construction the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway

West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway

The West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway was an early railway company in south London between Crystal Palace station and Wandsworth, which was opened in 1856. The line was extended in 1858 to a station at Battersea Wharf which was misleadingly named Pimlico...

also planned a line from Crystal Palace to a new station at Battersea

Battersea

Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...

Wharf, at the southern end of the new Chelsea Bridge

Chelsea Bridge

Chelsea Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in west London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank. There have been two Chelsea Bridges, on the site of what was an ancient ford....

. (Despite its location, the new station was called Pimlico; it opened on 27 March 1858.) Shortly afterwards the LB&SCR leased most of the lines of the new railway, and built a further connection from Crystal Palace to the Brighton main line at Norwood Junction

Norwood Junction railway station

Norwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:...

thereby providing itself with a route into west London, although it was recognised that a terminus would be needed on the north side of the River Thames.

The Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway

During the summer of 1857 a scheme for an independent 'Grosvenor Basin Terminus' in the West End of London, 'for the use of the Southern Railways of England' was mooted. The station was originally referred to as the 'Grosvenor Terminus' but later renamed 'Victoria' as it was sited at the end of Victoria Street. Three other railway companies were also then seeking suitable locations for a terminus in Westminster: the Great Western

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

(GWR) and the London & North Western

London and North Western Railway

The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

(LNWR), and the East Kent Railway

East Kent Railway

The East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...

EKR. The first two of these companies already had rail access to Battersea

Battersea

through their joint ownership of the West London Line

West London Line

The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...

with the LB&SCR. In 1858, the EKR leased the remaining lines of the West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway

West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway

from Shortlands railway station

Shortlands railway station

Shortlands railway station is in Shortlands, in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It serves the southwest part of Bromley, and is 10 miles from London Victoria....

, and also negotiated temporary running powers over the lines recently acquired by the LB&SCR, pending the construction of its own line into west London. On 23 July 1859 these four companies together formed the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway

Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway

The Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway was an early British railway company which was incorporated by Act of Parliament 23rd July 1858. to build a railway line connecting the existing London Brighton and South Coast Railway terminus in Battersea to a new terminal at London Victoria station in...

(VS&PR) company, with the object of extending the existing railway from Stewarts Lane

Stewarts Lane

Stewarts Lane is a large railway servicing facility in Battersea in London, England, founded by the London Chatham and Dover Railway in 1862, to serve London Victoria railway station. It was sited in the midst of a maze of railway lines between 'Factory Junction' and 'Stewarts Lane Junction',...

Junction, Battersea

Battersea

across the river to a more convenient location nearer the West End, and the following month the EKR changed its name to the London Chatham and Dover Railway.

The new line followed part of the route of the Grosvenor Canal

Grosvenor Canal

Grosvenor Canal was a canal in the Pimlico area of London, opened in 1825. Almost nothing of it remains today.The canal started as the ponds of the Chelsea Waterworks Company, constructed in 1723 to supply west London with drinking water...

and required the construction of a new bridge over the Thames, originally known as Victoria Bridge and later as Grosvenor Bridge

Grosvenor Bridge

Grosvenor Bridge, often alternatively called Victoria Railway Bridge, is a railway bridge over the River Thames in London, between Vauxhall Bridge and Chelsea Bridge. It actually consists of two bridges, both built in the mid-19th century...

. It was of mixed gauge

Rail gauge

Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...

to cater also for GWR trains. The new Victoria station stood on the former canal basin.

The LB&SCR had hoped to amalgamate with the VS&PR and introduced a Parliamentary Bill to allow it to do so in 1860. This was opposed by the GWR and LC&DR and rejected. By way of compromise the LB&SCR was permitted to lease the new station from the VS&PR, but agreed to accommodate the other railways until such time as a second terminus could be built for them on an adjoining site.

Widening of the approaches

The new Victoria station proved to be unexpectedly popular for both the main companies, and by 1862 there were frequent delays due to congestion at the Stewarts Lane Junction. In March 1863 the LB&SCR and the LC&DR jointly funded a new high-level route into London, avoiding Stewarts Lane and requiring the widening of the Grosvenor Bridge. The work was completed during 1867/8.

The Brighton Line station

The LB&SCR side of Victoria station opened on 1 October 1860, the temporary terminus in Battersea having closed the day before. It consisted of six platforms and ten tracks with an entrance on Victoria Street. The site also included a hotel (the 300-bedroom Grosvenor). From 13 August 1866 the LB&SCR also ran services from Victoria to along the newly completed South London Line.

In 1898 the LB&SCR decided to demolish its station and replace it with an enlarged red-brick Renaissance-style building. Since widening of the station was prevented by the existing LCDR station and the Buckingham Palace Road, increased capacity was achieved by lengthening the platforms and building crossovers, to allow two trains to use each platform simultaneously. Work was completed in 1908, and included the rebuilding of The Grosvenor Hotel at the same time.

Overhead electric trains began to run into Victoria on 1 December 1909, on the line to . The line to Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace railway station

Crystal Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge...

was electrified on 12 May 1911.

The LB&SCR introduced the first all-Pullman

Pullman train (UK)

Pullman trains in Great Britain were mainline luxury railway services that operated with first-class coaches and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.-Origins:...

train in the UK in December 1881 running from Victoria to Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

, as the 'Pullman Limited'. Another all-Pullman service was introduced in 1908 under the name of the Southern Belle, then described as "... the most luxurious train in the world...".

The London Chatham and Dover Line Station

The LC&DR and GWR jointly leased the 'Chatham' portion of the station for 999 years from 28 June 1860, with the GWR responsible for 6.67%. The LCDR completed its main line as far as Canterbury

Canterbury

Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....

on 3 December 1860 and began to use the LB&SCR station on that day.

The LCDR and GWR opened their own station on 25 August 1862, occupying a less imposing wooden-fronted building with an entrance on Wilton Road. The Chatham line station had eight platforms, five of which were of mixed-gauge and shared by broad-gauge trains of the GWR which began its broad-gauge services from Windsor via Southall

Southall railway station

Southall railway station, is in Southall in west London, England. The station is in Travelcard Zone 4 and passenger services are provided by First Great Western from London to , and , and by Heathrow Connect from Paddington to Heathrow Airport....

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Station

From 1899 the LC&DR entered a working union with its rival in Kent, the South Eastern, to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway

South Eastern and Chatham Railway

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...

(SECR). As a result services from its station at Victoria began to be rationalised and integrated with those from the other SECR termini.

The LC&DR station was rebuilt and re-opened on 16 June 1906. The frontage of the new building was designed by A. W. Blomfield, architect to SECR, and is in Portland stone

Portland stone

Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...

.

The GWR ceased to use the station for scheduled services in 1915, partly due to World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

and partly through competition between Ealing Broadway station

Ealing Broadway station

Ealing Broadway is an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. The station is located in Haven Green , at the termination of The Broadway, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...

and Victoria from the electrified Metropolitan District Railway

Metropolitan District Railway

The Metropolitan District Railway was the predecessor of the District line of the London Underground. Set up on 29 July 1864, at first to complete the "Inner Circle" railway around central London, it was gradually extended into the suburbs...

. The station also became a terminus for trains carrying soldiers to and from France, many of them wounded. A plaque marks the arrival of the body of The Unknown Warrior

The Unknown Warrior

The British tomb of The Unknown Warrior holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, London on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interrment of a French unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in...

at platform 8 at 20:32 on 10 November 1920.

Southern Railway station

The two stations at Victoria came under single ownership in 1923 with the formation of the Southern Railway

Southern Railway (Great Britain)

The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...

(SR). The following year, steps were taken to integrate the two stations. The platforms were renumbered in a single sequence, openings were made in the wall separating them to allow passengers to pass from one to the other without going into the street, and various alterations were made to the tracks to allow for interchangeable working. The SR also concentrated Continental steamer traffic at Victoria, introducing the most famous of those trains, the Golden Arrow, in 1926, and the Night Ferry

Night Ferry

The Night Ferry was an international sleeper train between London Victoria and Paris Gare du Nord . It was operated by the SNCF and the Southern Railway then, following nationalisation on 1 January 1948, the Southern Region of British Railways.-Rolling stock:Introduced on the night of 5 October...

in 1936.

The station was also equipped with a news cinema

News cinema

A news cinema is a cinema specialising in short films, shown in a continuous manner. However, despite its name, a news cinema does not necessarily show only cinematographical news .- Timeline :...

(later a cartoon cinema) that would show a continuous programme for travellers. The cinema was designed by Alastair Macdonald, son of Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

Ramsay MacDonald

James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....

, and was in operation from 1933 until being demolished in 1981. The GWR remained part-owner of the station until 1932. Thereafter it retained running powers into the station, although it does not appear to have used them.

The station suffered some bomb damage during the Second World War but not as much as other London termini.

Southern Electric

The greatest change to the station during the 1920s and 1930s was the introduction of third rail

Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

electrification for all suburban and many main line

Main line (railway)

The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....

services, replacing the original LB&SCR overhead scheme by 1929 and largely replacing steam traction, except on Chatham Section mainline trains. Services to Orpington

Orpington railway station

Orpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street....

were electrified in 1925 and Epsom

Epsom railway station

Epsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street....

the following year. By 1932 the Brighton main line

Brighton Main Line

was electrified, quickly followed by those to other Sussex coastal towns and Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

by 1938. The brand name "Southern Electric" was applied to all these services. The Brighton Belle

Brighton Belle

The Brighton Belle was a named train which ran on the Southern Railway from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. The first electric all-Pullman service in the world, it ran from 29 June 1934 till 30 April 1972.-History:...

, the first electric all-Pullman

Pullman train (UK)

Pullman trains in Great Britain were mainline luxury railway services that operated with first-class coaches and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.-Origins:...

service in the world, ran from Victoria from 29 June 1934 until its withdrawal on 30 April 1972.

British Railways Station

British Railways took responsibility for the mainline and suburban station on 1 January 1948. During the 1950s and early 1960s British Railways completed its Kent-Coast Electrification schemes which meant that most of the remaining services from the station were electrified (including the boat train

Boat train

A boat train is a passenger train which connects with a passenger ship, such as a ferry or ocean liner. Through ticketing is normally available. -Notable named boat trains:*The Flèche d'Or Paris Gare du Nord to Calais...

s). Some minor services were withdrawn, and the few remaining steam services to Oxted railway station

Oxted railway station

Oxted railway station is a relatively busy interchange station and terminus located in Surrey, in the South East region of England. At present, all train services are provided by Southern. The station is the busiest suburban station on the Oxted Line and is a terminus for some services on the...

and East Grinstead railway station

East Grinstead railway station

East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...

were replaced by Diesel-electric multiple units.

The station was redeveloped internally in the 1980s, with the addition of shops within the concourse, and above the western platforms (the "Victoria Place" shopping centre). A major re-signalling scheme was also carried out to the station approaches.

Gatwick Express

The other major change to the station under British Railways was the gradual development of services to the new Gatwick Airport railway station

Gatwick Airport railway station

Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse...

after its opening in June 1958. In 1984 the non-stop Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

service was started aiming for a 30-minute journey time. This has been coupled with the provision of an airport lounge and check-in facilities at first-floor level, with dedicated escalators down to the Gatwick Express platforms. British Airways

British Airways

British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

and other major airlines had their own check-in desks there.

National Rail Station

Operationally, there continue to be two separate main line

Main line (railway)

The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....

termini:

The eastern (Chatham) side, comprising platforms 1–8, is the terminus for Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...

services to Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

on the Chatham Main Line
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...

and its branches. This also serves as the London terminus for the Venice Simplon Orient Express, from Platform 2, the longest platform. It was used for boat train
Boat train
A boat train is a passenger train which connects with a passenger ship, such as a ferry or ocean liner. Through ticketing is normally available. -Notable named boat trains:*The Flèche d'Or Paris Gare du Nord to Calais...

s to Dover and Folkestone, until these were made redundant by the introduction of direct Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....

trains to the continent in 1994.
The western (Brighton) side, comprising platforms 9–19, is the terminus for Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...

(including Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

) services to Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

, including Gatwick Airport and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...

and also the East Grinstead branch on the Oxted Line
Oxted Line
The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. It was originally operated jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway. It is now part of the Southern franchise....

.

The track layout does not allow much swapping, with only a small number of connecting flyovers between the main lines in the Battersea

Battersea

area, plus a single-track connection immediately outside the station. As the Brighton side is the busier of the two, disruption on that line sometimes results in some of its suburban services using the eastern side. This is particularly true of the Gatwick Express, which travels along the Brighton Main Line, as it will often divert over Chatham-side tracks during engineering works in order to maintain service levels.

There are ticket barriers to platforms 1-12 and 15-19. Platforms 13 and 14, where the Gatwick Express departs, are without ticket barriers.

Southeastern (Chatham Main Line)

Victoria platforms 1-8 provide the London terminus for services on the Chatham Main Line

Chatham Main Line

The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...

operated by Southeastern

Southeastern (train operating company)

London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...

, serving South East London, Kent, the South East Coast and The Medway Towns. There are typical off-peak metro services to Orpington

Orpington railway station

and Dartford

Dartford railway station

Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...

as well as mainline services to Ramsgate

Ramsgate railway station

Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line 127 km east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line, and the Ashford to Ramsgate line...

, Dover Priory

Dover Priory railway station

Dover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...

, Gillingham

Gillingham (Kent) railway station

Gillingham railway station in the town of Gillingham , north Kent, is on the Chatham Main Line between and Rainham stations. Train services are provided by Southeastern....

and Ashford International

Ashford International railway station

Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...

.

The typical off-peak service run by Southeastern

Southeastern (train operating company)

is:

4tph to Orpington
Orpington railway station
Orpington railway station serves the town of Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. Located in Crofton Road, the station is a 500m west of the southern end of Orpington High Street....

via Herne Hill
Herne Hill railway station
Herne Hill railway station is in Herne Hill, a location in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London, England. Its location is .The station is above road level near the junction of five main roads, between Railton Road and Milkwood Road. There is no entrance in Milkwood Road, but there is a...

and Bromley South
Bromley South railway station
Bromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
2tph to Dartford
Dartford railway station
Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...

via Lewisham
2tph to Ramsgate
Ramsgate railway station
Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line 127 km east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line, and the Ashford to Ramsgate line...

and Dover Priory
Dover Priory railway station
Dover Priory railway station is the main station in Dover in Kent, with the other station being Kearsney situated on the outskirts of Dover. . All train services are provided by Southeastern...

via Chatham
Chatham railway station
Chatham railway station is situated in Chatham, one of the Medway Towns in Kent, England. It is on the Chatham Main Line between Rochester and Gillingham, and is 34.3 miles from London Victoria...
2tph to Ashford International
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...

via Swanley
Swanley railway station
Swanley railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the town of Swanley in north Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Swanley Station is 17.4 miles from London Victoria....
1tph to Gillingham
Gillingham (Kent) railway station
Gillingham railway station in the town of Gillingham , north Kent, is on the Chatham Main Line between and Rainham stations. Train services are provided by Southeastern....

via Bromley South
Bromley South railway station
Bromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...

Southeastern also operate at London Charing Cross

Charing Cross railway station

Charing Cross railway station, also known as London Charing Cross, is a central London railway terminus in the City of Westminster, England. It is one of 18 stations managed by Network Rail, and trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...

, London Cannon Street

Cannon Street station

Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...

, London Bridge

London Bridge station

London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...

and London Blackfriars

Blackfriars station

Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...

Southern (Brighton Main Line)

Victoria platforms 9-12 and platforms 15-19 provide one of two London termini for services on the Brighton Main Line

Brighton Main Line

operated by Southern

Southern (train operating company)

Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...

, serving South London, Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

, Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

and The South Coast. There are off-peak metro services to London Bridge

London Bridge station

and Sutton as well as mainline services to Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis railway station

Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

, Epsom

Epsom railway station

Epsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street....

, Ore

Ore railway station

Ore railway station serves Ore Valley in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern, with a few peak services operated by Southeastern.Third rail 750V DC electrification from Hastings ends here....

, Portsmouth Harbour

Portsmouth Harbour railway station

Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...

and Southampton Central

Southampton Central railway station

Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...

.

The typical off-peak service run by Southern

Southern (train operating company)

is:

2tph to London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...

via Denmark Hill
2tph to London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...

via Crystal Palace
2tph to Sutton via Norbury
2tph to Sutton via Crystal Palace
2tph to Epsom
Epsom railway station
Epsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street....

via Hackbridge
1tph to Epsom
Epsom railway station
Epsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street....

via Norbury
1tph to Epsom Downs
Epsom Downs railway station
Epsom Downs railway station is a railway station located on the boundary of the Reigate and Banstead and Epsom and Ewell boroughs of Surrey with the railway to the north forming a continuation of the boundary....

via Norbury
2tph to Caterham
Caterham railway station
Caterham railway station serves the town of Caterham in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England.The station is the southern terminus of the Caterham Line, which branches from the London to Brighton main line at Purley...

via Norbury
2tph to Dorking
Dorking railway station
Dorking railway station is one of three railway stations that serve the town of Dorking in Surrey, England. The station is within walking distance of Dorking Deepdene station and interchange on a through ticket is permitted...

of which 1 continues to Horsham
Horsham railway station
Horsham railway station serves the town of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line 61 km south of London Victoria and the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines, and train services are provided by Southern...
2tph to East Grinstead
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
2tph to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

(express)
1tph to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

(slow)
1tph to Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...

and Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis railway station
Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
1tph to Southampton Central
Southampton Central railway station
Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...

and Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis railway station
Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
1tph to Eastbourne
Eastbourne railway station
Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station...

and Littlehampton
Littlehampton railway station
Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
1tph to Ore
Ore railway station
Ore railway station serves Ore Valley in East Sussex, England. It is on the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern, with a few peak services operated by Southeastern.Third rail 750V DC electrification from Hastings ends here....

and Littlehampton
Littlehampton railway station
Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....

Southern also operate at London Bridge

London Bridge station

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

is operated by Southern

Southern (train operating company)

out of platforms 13 and 14 at Victoria and operates a shuttle-style service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport every 15 minutes. The typical journey time is 30 minutes (up to 35 minutes on Saturdays). Note that unlike other rail services, tickets may be purchased on-board for Gatwick Express services between Victoria and Gatwick Airport only.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Service Pattern !! Destination !! Calling At !! Main Stock !! Journey Time
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | XX:00 || Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

only ||align=center| 442 || 30mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | XX:15 || Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

only ||align=center| 442 || 30mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | XX:30 || Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

only ||align=center| 442 || 30mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | XX:45 || Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

only ||align=center| 442 || 30mins
|}

In addition to the 15 minute off-peak timetable, there are six services during the evening peak which call at Gatwick Airport and then continue to Brighton. Journeys made to destinations beyond Gatwick Airport are subject to penalty fares if travelling without a valid ticket.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Service Timetable !! Destination !! Calling At !! Main Stock !! Journey Time
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 17:30 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

Haywards Heath railway station serves Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton, and train services are primarily provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...

, Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill railway station

Burgess Hill railway station serves Burgess Hill in West Sussex. Located on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink 15 km north of Brighton railway station, train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...

, Hassocks

Hassocks railway station

Hassocks railway station serves Hassocks in West Sussex. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink 12 km north of Brighton railway station, and train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect.-History:...

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 04mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 17:45 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

, Preston Park

Preston Park railway station

Preston Park railway station serves the northern suburban areas of Brighton in East Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink 2 km north of Brighton railway station, and train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 05mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 18:00 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

, Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill railway station

, Hassocks

Hassocks railway station

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 10mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 18:15 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

, Preston Park

Preston Park railway station

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 07mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 18:30 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

, Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill railway station

, Hassocks

Hassocks railway station

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 09mins
|-
|style="background:#FF2400" width="20px" | 18:45 || Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

|| Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport railway station

, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath railway station

, Preston Park

Preston Park railway station

, Brighton

Brighton railway station

Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

||align=center| 442 || 1hr 02mins
|}

Service Patterns

Platform usage

Platforms	Designation	Operator	Destinations
1–8	Chatham Main Line	Southeastern Southeastern (train operating company) London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...	Orpington, Dartford, Ramsgate, Dover, Ashford, Gillingham
9-12	Brighton Main Line	Southern Southern (train operating company) Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...	London Bridge, Dorking, Horsham, Sutton
13–14	Gatwick Express	Gatwick Express Gatwick Express Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...	Gatwick Airport
15-19	Brighton Main Line	Southern Southern (train operating company) Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...	Brighton, Epsom, Littlehampton, Ore, Portsmouth Harbour

Accidents and incidents

7 September 1866: a LB&SCR train misrouted due to a signaller error and point actuator defect, collide with another, 7 injuries.

26 February 1884: an explosion occurred in the cloak-room of the LB&SCR Victoria Station injuring seven staff, which was a part of the Fenian Dynamite Campaign 1867–1885.

27 August 1910: a derailment

Derailment

A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....

(LB&SCR) due to inadequate signalling arrangements, 4 injuries.

25 April 1933: (Southern Railway) Buffer stop collision due to driver error 80 injuries.

9 December 1949: (British Railways Southern Region) Signal passed at danger

Signal passed at danger

A Signal passed at danger , in British railway terminology, occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.-Categories of SPAD:...

, sidelong collision and derailment

Derailment

. 11 injuries.

18 February 1991: a Provisional Irish Republican Army

Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...

(IRA) bomb exploded in a litter bin, killing David Corner, and injuring 38. A general bomb warning for all mainline stations had been received by telephone at 7:00 am, but the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch

Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch

The Anti-Terrorist Branch was a Specialist Operations branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service, formed to respond to terrorist activities within the capital....

chose not to close the stations. Since that time, there have been no litter bins anywhere on London stations.

20 July 2007: flash flooding closed the station.

7 July 2009: flash flooding closed both the mainline and underground stations causing major disruption to commuters. Water overflowed from the roof drainage system causing flooding on the main concourse, flooding several retail outlets.

The station in fiction

In Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...

, the title character was found as an infant in a handbag at Victoria Station, much to the consternation of Lady Bracknell. "A handbag?" "The Brighton line." "The line is immaterial!"

In V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...

V is killed in Victoria station.

History

There are two connected London Underground

London Underground

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

stations at Victoria, on different levels and built more than a century apart. The older one, on the north side of the bus station, serves the District

District Line

The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...

and Circle Lines, constructed by 'cut and cover' methods just below road level. The newer station, closer to the mainline station, serves the Victoria line

Victoria Line

The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...

, which is a deep-level 'tube' line. Each has its own ticket hall, and the two are connected by a pedestrian passage beneath the bus station. Taken together, Victoria is currently the busiest station on the London Underground system, with just under 80 million using the station (not including interchanging passengers) in 2010, of which around 60.2 million (including interchanges) used the Victoria line platforms.

Metropolitan District Railway (District Line) Station

The first part of the station was opened on 24 December 1868 by the Metropolitan District Railway

Metropolitan District Railway

(MDR, now the District Line) when the company opened the first section of its line between and stations. The MDR connected to the Metropolitan Railway

Metropolitan railway

Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...

(MR, later the Metropolitan line

Metropolitan Line

The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...

) at South Kensington and, although the two companies were rivals, each company operated trains over the other's tracks in a joint service known as the "Inner Circle". The line was operated by steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s, creating the necessity to leave periodical gaps open to the air.

On 1 February 1872, the MDR opened a northbound branch from its station at to connect to the West London Extension Joint Railway

West London Line

(WLEJR, now the West London Line

West London Line

) which it connected to at Addison Road

Kensington (Olympia) station

Kensington station is a station in West London managed and served by London Overground and also served by Southern and London Underground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...

(now Kensington (Olympia)). From that date the "Outer Circle
Outer Circle (London)
The Outer Circle was a railway route in London operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries over tracks which are now mainly owned by Network Rail but include parts of the London Underground...

" service began running over the MDR's tracks. The service was run by the North London Railway

North London Railway

The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...

(NLR) from its terminus at Broad Street (now demolished) in the City of London

City of London

via the North London Line

North London Line

The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...

to , then the West London Line to Addison Road and the MDR to - the new eastern terminus of the MDR.

From 1 August 1872, the "Middle Circle
Middle Circle
The Middle Circle was a railway route in London which operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries over tracks which are now mainly part of the London Underground...

" service also began operations through Victoria, running from Moorgate

Moorgate station

Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...

along the MR's tracks on the north side of the Inner Circle to Paddington, then over the Hammersmith & City Railway

Hammersmith & City Line

The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...

(H&CR) track to Latimer Road

Latimer Road tube station

Latimer Road Station is a London Underground station in North Kensington on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines between Wood Lane and Ladbroke Grove stations...

and then, via a now demolished link, to the West London Line to Addison Road and the MDR to Mansion House. The service was operated jointly by the H&CR and the MDR.

On 30 June 1900, the Middle Circle service was withdrawn between Earl's Court and Mansion House. On 31 December 1908 the Outer Circle service was also withdrawn.

The original MDR station was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, initially as a single storey structure. An office building was built above it later. The line was also electrified in 1902/3.

In 1949, the Metropolitan-Line-operated Inner Circle route was given its own identity on the tube map

Tube map

The Tube map is a schematic transit map representing the lines and stations of London's rapid transit railway systems, namely the London Underground , the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground....

as the Circle Line.

Victoria Line Station

The new Victoria line station was opened on 7 March 1969, when the third phase of the line began operating south of . Victoria served as the temporary terminus of the line while the final phase was under construction to . Services to Brixton began on 23 July 1971.

Future

Victoria is a proposed stop on the Chelsea-Hackney line

Chelsea-Hackney Line

The Chelsea–Hackney line is a safeguarded route for an underground railway running from south-west London to north-east London...

also known as Crossrail 2.
The route was safeguarded in 1991 and 2007 and any rebuilding of the station will have space for Crossrail 2 platforms. In the safeguarded route it was between Chelsea

Chelsea tube station

Chelsea tube station is a proposed station on the Chelsea-Hackney line . Alternative names for the station are Kings Road , Chelsea Kings Road or simply Kings Road....

and Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus tube station

Piccadilly Circus tube station is the London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner...

. It has also been proposed that the DLR be extended to Victoria from Bank, probably using disused Jubilee line

Jubilee Line

The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...

tunnels in part, but this scheme is not yet a firm plan.

Current situation

The station is now the busiest on the London Underground system, serving nearly 80 million passengers per year. The station was not built for this number of passengers, which results in severe overcrowding. To prevent any dangerous situations like crowds pushing people off the platforms onto the track, crowd control measures are in place at the busiest times. This effectively means closing all the entrances to the Underground platforms and operating as an exit-only station until the overcrowding is relieved. These measures can last anywhere between a couple of minutes (when minor delays are occurring) up to several hours (during major incidents).

In order to provide a lasting solution to this problem preparatory building work has begun on major upgrade of the station. This will include a new northern exit/entrance on the north-west corner of Victoria Street which will be accessible via a new additional ticket office under Bressenden Place that will lead to both the Victoria Line and the Circle and District Line platforms. This upgrade is due by 2018. The work will also enlarge the existing Victoria Line ticket hall serving the railway station and add a new relief bank of escalators there. This aspect of the scheme has been criticised as access to platforms from the new escalators will be very long and indirect compared to the direct access using the existing escalators.

Trivia

An abandoned Victoria Underground station features in the V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s to about the 1990s. A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government,...

comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

series as the base for the anarchist freedom fighter "V".

Coach station

Victoria coach station is about 300 metres south-west of the railway stations. It is the main London coach terminal and serves all parts of the UK, and mainland Europe.

Transport links

London bus routes 2

London Buses route 2

London Buses route 2 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:Route 2 was the last West End bus route that was operated by step-entrance buses other than Routemasters...

, 11

London Buses route 11

London Buses route 11 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...

, 16

London Buses route 16

London Buses route 16 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, 24

London Buses route 24

London Buses route 24 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:This route dates back to 1910, when it ran between Hampstead Heath and Victoria...

, 36

London Buses route 36

London Buses route 36 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-The Beginning:...

, 38

London Buses route 38

London Buses route 38 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London....

, 44

London Buses route 44

London Buses route 44 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...

, 52

London Buses route 52

London Buses route 52 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, 73

London Buses route 73

London Buses route 73 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London...

, 82

London Buses route 82

London Buses route 82 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, 148, 170, 185

London Buses route 185

London Buses route 185 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...

, 211

London Buses route 211

London Buses route 211 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...

, 436

London Buses route 436

London Buses route 436 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...

, 507

London Buses route 507

London Buses route 507 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...

, C1

London Buses route C1

London Buses route C1 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:The route has always been operated by minibuses since London Transport operation...

, C2

London Buses route C2

London Buses route C2 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...

, C10, and night routes N2, N11, N52, N73 and N44.

External links

London Transport Museum Photographic Archive
- Mainline station
- Underground station
Station information on Victoria Station from Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
Platform Layout from Network Rail website
More photographs of Underground station

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.