Victoria Line Motifs

Today, 1 September 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Victoria line, as the line originally opened between Walthamstow Central and Highbury & Islington. Regular and observant users of the Victoria line may have noticed that each station on the line features different tile motifs at platform level. Each motif is related to the station's local area or simply a 'play on words', with some being more cryptic than others. This blog post will explore the reasons behind the motifs at each station.

The Victoria line is rather uninformed compared to most other lines, with each station, expect Pimlico, featuring platform humps. All sixteen stations on the line feature underground platforms, making the Victoria line one of only two lines to have their platforms entirely underground, the other being the Waterloo & City line.

Brixton

Starting from the southern terminus of the Victoria line, Brixton's motif is the first example of a clever play on words rather than being related to the local area. The motif resembles a pile of neatly stacked bricks, or perhaps a ton of brix. Brixton is the 19th most used station on the entire network and the busiest terminating station, with 33.46m individual users in 2016. The tracks continue south of the station so two trains can sleep here at night, and become the first northern bound trains in the next morning. The station building at Brixton features the largest roundel on the network.

Stockwell

Stockwell's motif is perhaps one of the most difficult to spot unless you are an avid enthusiast of the London Underground or know the local area well. The tiles are arranged in a pattern symbolic of a swan, with the beak forming in the top left-hand side of the motif. The reason a swan was chosen is due to the popular 'The Swan' pub located near Stockwell station. Stockwell was one of eight London Underground stations to have adjacent deep-level air-raid shelters constructed during World War Two. The shelter could accommodate up to 4000 people and was used for one year during the war. Opening in 1890, the station is also served by the Northern line and required significant upgrades to accommodate the construction of the Victoria Line.

Vauxhall

The motif at Vauxhall station is another difficult pattern to spot. The tiles are arranged to represent a bench in a park, which is a reference to the nearby Vauxhall pleasure gardens. The gardens were very popular in the 18th and 19th Century, but slowly started to close in the 1840s, and now only a small part remains. The station opened in July 1848 by the London and South Western Railway and became part of the London Underground network in 1971 as the Victoria line extended south from Victoria to Brixton.

Pimlico

The motif at Pimlico station features 150 yellow dots, which represents modern art, a reference to the nearby Tate Britain art gallery. Pimlico is the only station to be served entirely by the Victoria line as it does not interchange with another London Underground lines, London Overground services or National Rail services. In 2015, Pimlico station was chosen as a test for the Wayfindr app, which provides assistance for visually impaired passengers. Also, Pimlico was the last station to open on the Victoria line in September 1972. 

Victoria

The motif at Victoria station is the first obvious pattern. The tiles are arranged in a silhouette of Queen Victoria, the second longest reigning British monarch. Victoria station opened in 1860 as a railway station by the London Brighton & Sout Coast Railway. Two years later, the London, Chatham and Dover Railway and the Great Western Railway started operating services from its own station. This split is still seen today. The station joined the London Underground network in 1868 as the District Railway opened their first section between South Kensington and Westminster. The Victoria line started operating services here in 1969. Upgrades and expansion of the London Underground station will be completed in 2018.

Green Park

The tiles at Green Park station represent a birds-eye view of the nearby Green Park. The station is popular with tourists, being close to the Ritz Hotel, Bond Street and Fortnum & Mason. Green Park is also one of two stations that serve the popular tourist attraction, Buckingham Palace, the other station being St James's Park. Originally named Dover Street, the station opened in 1906 by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway, which became the Piccadilly line. The station extended in the 1960s and 70s to accommodate for the Victoria line (1969) and Jubilee line (1979).

Oxford Circus

Oxford Circus is one of London's busiest Underground stations. With 84.09m entries and exits in 2017, Oxford Circus is currently the third most used station on the network. As well as experiencing millions of entries and exits, the station also serves as a major interchange, which is the basis behind the tile motif. The coloured circles represent the three lines that serve Oxford Circus, the Victoria line, Central line and Bakerloo line, with the white circle representing the tube shaped tunnel. There are twice as many blue circles than red or brown, which is a reference to the motif being located on the Victoria line platforms. The motif is also replicated in the ticket hall at Oxford Circus station.

Warren Street

Warren Street was originally named Euston Road, and you can still evidence of this in the tiles on the Northern line platforms. The station received its current name in 1908, just one year after opening as part of the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway, which later became the Northern line. The motif at Warren Street is another example of play on words, as it depicts a maze, which is often called a warren. Try and solve the maze in the motif, as it is possible. The northbound Northern line was a film set for the 1972 horror film Death Line. In 2012, Warren Street became the first London Underground Wi-Fi enabled station. 

Euston

Despite being one of my least favourite national railway stations, the tile motif at Euston is one of my favourites. The motif is a reference to the arch that was once the entrance to the mainline railway station. The arch was built in 1837 but was sadly demolished in the 1960s as the station was largely rebuilt. There are proposals to reconstruct a similar arch as part of the High Speed 2 station redevelopments, to mark the station being the London terminus. It is not just High Speed 2 that will provide new services to the station, the proposed Crossrail 2 will also interchange with the existing services that include the Northern line, national rail, London Overground and of course the Victoria line. 

King's Cross St. Pancras

Did you know that there are twenty escalators in the King's Cross St. Pancras underground station, which is the joint highest with Waterloo? King's Cross St. Pancras is an interesting station for tube enthusiasts. Because of the size of the station and its complex nature, it is littered with shortcuts, that goes against the platform signage. For example, there is a well-known shortcut between the Northern line and Victoria line at King's Cross St. Pancras. The motif, however, has quite a simple clue. There are five crowns, a symbol of the monarch (or a king), and they are arranged in a cross. 

Highbury & Islington 

The tile motif at Highbury & Islington is another reference to a historic site, this time the former Highbury Manor. During the peasants' revolt of 1381 around 20,000 rioters destroyed the manor. The Lord at the time, Robert Hales was captured and beheaded on Tower Hill. The station was originally named Highbury, and it was not until 1922 when the station was renamed Highbury & Islington. 

Finsbury Park

With 31.22m passengers in 2016, Finsbury Park is the busiest station on the network where you can get to platform level without going through ticket barriers. Yet again, the motif at Finsbury Park features another historical reference with the two pistols representing duels that happened in this area when it was outside the boundaries of London. This, however, was a mistake by the artist, who was thinking of Finsbury Fields. The Great Northern Railway opened the station as Seven Sisters Road in 1861 but was later renamed Finsbury park in 1869. 

Seven Sisters

Similar to Brixton, Victoria, Warren Street and King's Cross St. Pancras, the motif at Seven Sisters is another example of play on words, as it features seven trees. The station took its name from the seven elm trees that once stood where the Seven Sisters Road, built in the 1830s, met with Ermine Street. The station is located near Tottenham Hotspurs stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is due to open sometime in the 2018/19 football season. 

Tottenham Hale

Four of London's last remaining Trolleybus poles stood near the station entrance at Tottenham, unfortunately, these were removed in 2016. The motif at Tottenham Hale is a reference to the nearby river Lea, with a ferryman taking a passenger across the water. There is some debate about the meaning behind Hale in the station name, with some believing it is a reference to somebody Haling, or calling, a ferryman. Cyrill Harris in his excellent What's in a name?, however, states that the Hale "derived from the Old English heath 'a corner of land.'" There are plans to upgrade Tottenham Hale by creating a new entrance, increasing the concourse capacity and providing an easier interchange between the Victoria line and national rail services.

Blackhorse Road

The penultimate motif is the final motif that is a play on name, with the tiles resembling a black horse. If you exit the station, there is an impressive Blackhorse by David McFall on the station building which is worth taking a look at. The station takes its name from the nearby Blackhorse Lane, which was recorded as Black House Lane in 1848. With 9 million users in 2017, Blackhorse Road is the least used station on the Victoria line. 

Walthamstow Central

If you have found some of the other motifs easy to spot, how about at the final stop on the Victoria line, Walthamstow Central? Unless you are a huge fan of the London Underground, or a local to Walthamstow, you may not realise that the motif is an example of a piece of work by William Morris. William Morris was a famous textile designer, poet, novelist and social activist who was born in Walthamstow. He moved to Water House aged 13, which you can now visit in Lloyd Park, where there is a gallery dedicated to his life and work. The station was originally named Walthamstow (Hoe Street) when it was opened by the Great Eastern Railway in 1870. The station was renamed Walthamstow Central in May 1968, just in time for the opening of the Victoria line 50 years ago today. 

20/270 - Mill Hill East

Consisting of just one platform, Mill Hill East is the least used station on the Northern line, however, it was never supposed to be like this. Opening in 1867 on the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway (EH&LR), World War Two had an influential impact on railways in this part of north London. The approach to the station, on the Dollis Brook Viaduct, is the highest point above ground on the London Underground.

The EH&LR built a branch line between Finsbury Park and Edgware in the 1860s, however, the line was purchased by the Great Northern Railway who operated services from King’s Cross through Finsbury Park and on to Potters Bar. Mill Hill East was originally called Mill Hill. This section of railway was intended to be double track, but only a single track was laid as the Great Northern Railway prioritised building a double track formation on the more popular Finsbury Park to High Barnet line in 1872. The formation of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in the 1920s, which took over Great Northern Railway services, saw Mill Hill change its name to Mill Hill East in 1928.

The London Passenger Transport Board announced a plan to take over some LNER lines in 1935, which became known as the North Heights project. As works began between Finchley Central and Edgware in 1938, the outbreak of World War Two considerably slowed progress, and only the single track between Finchley Central and Mill Hill East was electrified. This work was mainly completed to provide a service to the nearby Inglis Barracks. The electrification of the single branch line was completed by 1941 when the station re-opened as part of the Northern Line. 

After World War Two, a review of the North Heights project was conducted, but the majority of funds was spent on London Underground maintenance. As a result, works were never re-started, although the line between Finchley Central and Edgware appeared on London Underground maps as under construction until the 1950s. 

The building at Mill Hill East is the original EH&LR station building, and as a result is one of the oldest parts of the London Underground system. 2007 saw refurbishment of the station, with new CCTV cameras, help points and re-decoration of walls and floors. 

Mill Hill East receives a service every 11 to 15 minutes, with shuttle services off-peak to Finchley Central. During peak hours, Northern Line trains do extend to Morden. Mill Hill East is well worth a visit. The station building is impressive and historic, and it is interesting to think railways in this area could have been very different. 

19/270 - Southgate

Southgate Station's impressive exterior

Unless you have been living under a rock, the big news is London is still celebrating England reaching the semi-final of the world cup, the first time in 28 years. With this in mind, there really was only one station to visit today, Southgate. Opening in 1933, Southgate station is another example of the brilliance of Charles Holden. Holden made huge influences on the London Underground, but the Piccadilly line features some of his finest work, and Southgate is often regarded as one of his best.

The Piccadilly line extended from Arnos Grove to Enfield West (now Oakwood) in March 1933, with Southgate being the only stop in between. The Piccadilly line finally reached Cockfosters in July 1933, despite a severe recession that threatened the expansion project. During the same period, the Piccadilly line expanded west to Hounslow. Before opening, the station had alternative names proposed such as Southgate Central and Chase Side, but Southgate is the only name the station has ever had. When the station opened on 13 March 1933, local residents were given a free return journey to Piccadilly Circus. 

Original uplighting at Southgate station

The station is famous for its Art Deco and Streamline Moderne design, influenced by Charles Holden. By using a perfect blend of reinforced concrete and glass, Holden designed 47 stations in London, and 26 are on the Piccadilly line. The impressive circular flat-roof is supported by a central column in the ticket hall. The top of the building features an illuminated Tesla coil, which is worth seeing at night time. The station is circular to allow for an outer-ring of shops, offices, toilets and staff rooms. The escalators at Southgate feature original up-lighting. 

The Westbound platform at Southgate station

The station is not without change, however. In 2008, the station received new tiling at the platform level, a new ticket hall floor and modern signage throughout the station. Southgate station won the National Railway Heritage Award in 2008 for the modernisation of a heritage station. Furthermore, between all the underground stations between Finsbury Park and Cockfosters on the Piccadilly line feature their own unique colour scheme, albeit subtle, this was to help illiterate passengers, similar to the more famous unique tiling patterns of Piccadilly line stations in central London.  The subtle colour at Southgate station is yellow.

Southgate station is the northernmost station on the London Underground network to have underground platforms, this is due to the hill the station building is located on. Interestingly, the platforms at Southgate station are labelled 'Westbound' and 'Eastbound', however, the 'Westbound' platforms run south-east and the 'Eastbound' platforms run north-west. 

As the nation sings 'Southgate you're the one' as Gareth Southgate and the England team are making history, now is a perfect time to visit one of London's most treasured stations. Try and visit at night time, you will not be disappointed. 

For more photos and facts, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter where my name is tubespottingdan. 

Elton & Orston: Least used station in Nottinghamshire

Elton & Orston,
25th May 2018

Yesterday I visited a station that I have been past numerous times but never explored, Elton & Orston. With just 128 journeys being recorded in 2016/17, Elton & Orston is the least used station in the county of Nottinghamshire. The station has limited facilities, but there is something fascinating by Britain's quiet rural railway stations such as Elton & Orston.

A Class 156 train passing
through Elton & Orston,
25th May 2018

Elton & Orston is located on the Nottingham-Skegness railway line, operated exclusively by East Midlands Trains. Despite being roughly two trains an hour in each direction using the line, Elton & Orston only receives two services a day; one towards Nottingham at 06:25, and one towards Skegness at 17:10. There are no services on Sundays from this station either. National Rail actually states "This station is served by a very sparse train service, currently only one train a day in each direction. The nearest stations with a more frequent service are Bottesford or Aslockton". 

Both Bottesford and Aslockton are located on the same line as Elton & Orston, the Nottingham-Skegness line. Firstly, Bottesford is slightly under 4 miles from Elton & Orston by road and receives roughly one train in each direction every two hours. With 65,465 journies being recorded in 2016/17, Bottesford, despite being considerably busier than Elton & Orston, is the least used station in Leicestershire. Furthermore, Bottesford is the only station in Leicestershire to not have a direct service with Leicester. Secondly, Aslockton receives a slightly more frequent service than Bottesford and is 3 miles from Elton & Orston by road. Aslockton saw 30,572 journies in 2016/17, despite having more services than Bottesford. 

A view of Elton & Orston
from the barrow crossing,
25th May 2018

Elton & Orston is the joint 10th least used station in the country, alongside Stanlow & Thornton in Cheshire. There are limited facilities at Elton & Orston, there are two shelters, litter bins, a help point, a car park and bicycle storage, other than that, there is not much going on. There are two platforms at the station, and in order to change between the two, you have to use a barrow crossing over the tracks. There are no ticketing facilities at this station, however, you can purchase tickets with the train guard at no extra cost. 

Station sign on the platform,
25th May 2018

The station code for Elton & Orston is ELO. Hold On Tight, a few Electric Live Orchestra references are coming up. There was no Mr. Blue Sky on my visit to the station. If you need assistance at Elton & Orston, you will need to use the Telephone Line at the Help Point. I waited for the 17:10 towards Skegness and got off at Grantham in order to make the Last Train to London. Please Don't Bring Me Down, I promise this is the end of ELO. 

What makes Britain's railways so special? Partly it is stations such as Elton & Orston. There are over 2500 railway stations in Britain with millions of daily journies, however, there are small stations that only serve a handful of journies. Despite just 128 annual journies, Elton & Orston, like every station, plays an important role in building communities and connections. 

News: UK government to take over rail services on the East Coast Main Line

Class 91 Virgin Trains East Coast
locomotive at London King's Cross
16th May 2018

There was huge railway news this afternoon as Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announces the state takeover of the East Coast Main Line.

The current operators, Virgin Trains East Coast (owned by Stagecoach and Virgin Trains), will hand over services to the government on 24 June 2018. This is the third time in over a decade that the government have felt the need to intervene with an East Coast franchise. Taking over services in March 2015, Virgin Trains East Coast was initially intended to operate services until 2023, however, the news today comes as no surprise.

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, addressed the House of Commons today stating "we will start with the launch of a new long-term brand for the East Coast mainline through the recreation of one of Britain's iconic rail brands, the London and North Eastern Railway" (LNER). Whilst this decision is highly politically, I will let you decide for yourselves whether the railways should be nationalised. 

London King's Cross
16th May 2018

The LNER operated services along the East Coast Main Line from 1923 until 1948. The East Coast Main Line connects London with many northern cities such as Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh, with other operators using the track, such as Hull Trains and Great Northern. There are numerous questions that have arisen today that need to be answered. 

Short-term issues for passengers

Virgin Trains East Coast stated on Twitter earlier "Following today's franchise announcement, please be assured services are unaffected. You can continue to make bookings and travel with us as normal." For regular Virgin Trains East Coast passengers, such as myself, services should not be affected up to and beyond the 24 June. The Transport Secretary today has also stated that season tickets, timetables and employment conditions would remain unchanged. 

Long-term plans

Despite short-term questions being addressed, some of Virgin Trains East Coast stakeholders have long-term concerns. Under Virgin Trains East Coast, there has been an increase in services of 11%, and there have been plans put in place to further increase services. Passengers to and from Lincoln have been concerned today, as there is currently one train in each direction (07:30 from Lincoln Central and 19:06 from London King's Cross*), however, there have been long plans under Virgin Trains East Coast to increase services to one every two hours along this route. Whether these plans will be enforced under LNER is yet to be seen.

Furthermore, many Virgin Trains East Coast passengers have been excited ahead of the launch of Azuma on the network. Class 800s, Intercity Express Trains, have been introduced across Britain since October 2017, with 23 of them planned to be slowly introduced on the East Coast by the end of this year, with the nickname Azuma, which is Japanese for East. Will these be making an appearance for passengers under LNER? It is likely the Class 800s will be replacing the Class 43s and Class 91s currently used as planned, however, it is unclear whether the 'Azuma' name will still be present. 

Is this the beginning of the state taking control of the entire rail network? Perhaps not, as it is likely a new process to find a next franchise will begin in 2020. Whilst there are numerous questions that are not yet answered, in the short term passengers should not be affected. 

*From Lincoln Central 07:30 Monday-Friday, 07:33 Saturday and none on Sunday. From London King's Cross 19:06 Monday-Friday, 18:08 Saturday and 19:08 Sunday. 

I am back!

North Ealing

Wow, so 2017 and 2018 have been really busy years for me. I have not had much time to keep you updated with this blog, until now!

I have been busy with coursework, dissertation and exams, but finally, they are all over. So what does this mean? This means I will be back to blogging all things about the London Underground. However, one thing has changed since I last posted a blog entry, I now no longer live in London (for now?). I will keep on posting about the London Underground, but I will also, as some of you may have seen on my Instagram, be posting more generally about railways in Britain.

So just a reminder;

I have always been fascinated by the railways of Britain. That is probably because I come from an area, ironically, with little railways, Lincolnshire. Growing up I hardly ever used railways, because my parents drove everywhere as we had no services near where I live. When I turned fourteen, however, I started using railways and my love for them has grown ever since. Most weekends, and indeed weekdays I am travelling around Britain's railways and I thought it was about time I shared some of my personal highlights with you.

From quirky least used stations, to gorgeous Victorian architecture, to film locations and interestingly named stations, there is plenty to discover and enjoy from over 2500 stations. Many people see travelling by train as a chore, if this is you, welcome. I may convince you to experience something exciting on your next journey. I may even reveal a secret about a journey you do regularly that you thought you knew like the back of your hand.

Perhaps most exciting of all, is Britain's railways are going to become more accessible, more frequent and hopefully more popular in the near future, with more services and stations being introduced.

King's Cross St. Pancras

My interest in railways does not stop at National Rail, I am also fascinated by the London Underground and heritage railways. This blog is not a trainspotting blog. I have never written down a train's number, and nor do I have any desires to spot every train, but what I am interested in is the railways that help connect us all.

So sit back, relax and enjoy. You never know, the next time you go a train journey you might be inspired to experience something new.

Down in the tube station at midnight? - Night Tube, one year on

Westminster during the
Night Tube,
April 8th 2017

This weekend London celebrates one year since the start of a necessary service that helped modernise the city, Night Tube. Operating at weekends and now on five London Underground lines, getting Night Tube was a controversial and complicated procedure, but one year on, the capital is already seeing the benefits. 

Despite being an enthusiast of the London Underground, it took six months before I used the Night Tube for the first time. My first experience of travelling on the London Underground late at night occurred after Chelsea played Arsenal in February 2017 when my friend and I completely lost track of time in the pubs around Earl's Court. The Night Tube has received plenty of criticism about the type of user at night, mainly questions about those who have drank too much alcohol. However, campaigners for the Night Tube would argue that it is safer than people using illegal minicabs or the rise in Uber. One thing that struck me that night was the variety of people using the Night Tube, it was not just those who have been out partying in the evening, but people who work during the night, or who work in 24-hour entertainment, and those who have been to events in museums or concert halls that finished late into the evening. 

If you have never used Night Tube, or if you are planning to visit London and need to travel late at night, it is important to know that the services only operate on Friday and Saturday nights, and currently on just five lines. You can use services 24-hours on the entirety of the Victoria line and Jubilee line, the other three lines that Night Tube operates on, the Central line, the Northern line and Piccadilly line, only have services on part of the lines. The Central line operates between Ealing Broadway and Hainault, and between White City and Loughton. The Northern line operates between Morden and High Barnet or Edgware (via Charing Cross), this therefore means that the Mill Hill East and Bank branches are not served. Finally, the Piccadilly line operates between Cockfosters and Heathrow Terminal 5, but not Heathrow Terminal 4 nor the branch between Acton Town and Uxbridge. 

This is not the end for Night Tube? It was announced recently that London Overground services between Dalston Junction and New Cross are scheduled to begin on the Night Tube in December 2017. This has caused controversy amongst enthusiast as it is not correct to call London Overground night services Night Tube. Likewise, there are rumours that the Dockland Light Railway will be providing services throughout the night on Friday and Saturdays by around 2021. It is expected that once signal upgrades have been completed on the Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines they will join Night Tube. I personally do not believe that the Waterloo & City line is likely to join Night Tube based on the fact currently the line does not operate on Sundays. However, I could well be wrong. 

Has the Night Tube been a success in its opening year? It is predicted that Night Tubes 8 millionth user is likely to use the service this weekend on the services first birthday. With more services and the capital becoming more accustomed to the logistics of the Night Tube it is highly likely that more and more people will be using this necessary and important service. At the end of the day I am all for encouraging people using public transport as much as possible.