The Victoria line celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, and TfL has released some historic images to celebrate.
It's half a century since the first phase of the Victoria line opened, running from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington. Further extensions to Pimlico, and finally to Brixton, followed shortly afterwards.
It was the first new tube line since the Central line opened (as the Central London Railway) in 1900, with the first Victoria line train leaving Walthamstow Central at 6.30am on 1 September 1968. Today, trains on the line run up to every 100 seconds, making it the second most frequent train service in the world.
TfL is celebrating the 50th anniversary with a series of events starting this weekend. Look out for special displays and handouts in stations covering some of the line's history including its official opening by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. As part of the opening, she rode the line from Victoria to Green Park, making her the only reigning monarch to have used the tube.
Cultural tube maps will also be available, showing some of the interesting places to visit and things to do along the Victoria line.
We love this fantastic poster from TfL's archives, advertising the new tube line — so efficient that you'd be likely to wake up in Walthamstow if you dared to doze off. 50 years on, we'd hazard a guess that this still happens on a regular basis, especially with the night tube now running on the Victoria line.
Frank Ibe, Head of Line Operations for the Victoria line said of the anniversary:
The Victoria line has been a key part of London’s transport network for 50 years and it’s amazing to think how many billions of journeys have been made in its history. When it opened, the Victoria line was one of the most modern subways in the world and, thanks to the recent improvements, it still sets the standard for the rest of the world today.
David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, said:
The Victoria line has served as the beating vein between Tottenham, Haringey and the rest of London, ever since it opened 50 years ago. Throughout my life, it has allowed the people of our constituency to access work, education and culture across the capital. With the recent modernisation and the improvements still being made, I look forward to the Victoria line benefitting people in my constituency and across London for years to come.
Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Clare Coghill said:
We'd like to wish the Victoria line a very happy 50th birthday! The Victoria line has been instrumental in connecting Waltham Forest to central London. It has helped millions of residents get to work, helped local businesses thrive and opened the borough up to visitors from London and further afield. Next year it will be play a key role in helping Londoners visit us for the first Borough of Culture celebrations. We look forward to the next 50 years and beyond!
