The Victoria line is a London Underground line that runs between Brixton in South London, and Walthamstow Central in the east, via the West End. It is printed in light blue on the Tube map & is one of the only two lines on the network to run completely underground, the other being the Waterloo & City line. The line was constructed in the 1960s and was the first entirely new Underground line in London for 50 years. It was designed to reduce congestion on other lines, particularly the Piccadilly line & the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line. The first section, from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington, opened in September 1968 & an extension to Warren Street followed in December. The line was completed to Victoria station in March 1969 and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II who rode a train from Green Park to Victoria. The southern extension to Brixton opened in 1971, and Pimlico (the only station in the line without an interchange) was added in 1972. The Victoria line is operated using automatic train operation, but all trains have drivers. The 2009 Tube Stock replaced the original 1967 Tube Stock trains. The line serves 16 stations and all but Pimlico provide interchanges with other Transport for London or National Rail services. The line, the most intensively used on the Underground, was used by 302 million passengers in 2019, making it the second-busiest tube line. With trains arriving every 100 seconds at peak times, it is one of the most frequent rapid transit lines in the world. History Planning The first proposal for a railway in this area appeared in the County of London Plan, published in 1943. In 1948, a working party set up by the British Transport Commission (BTC) proposed a tube railway from Victoria to Walthamstow, largely based on a 1946 plan for a Croydon-to-Finsbury Park line. Its main purpose was to relieve congestion in the central area, which had been a problem since the 1930s. Other benefits were linking the key railway stations at Victoria, Euston, King's Cross & St. Pancras & improving connections between north-east London and the city. In early 1949, the BTC committee looked at the feasibility of building a deep-level tube to fulfil these requirements. For the first time, cost–benefit analysis was used to ensure the line would be built within budget and be profitable. A private bill was introduced in Parliament in 1955, describing a line from Victoria to Walthamstow (Wood Street), next to the British Rail station. Another proposal, not in the bill, supported an extension from Victoria to Fulham Broadway on the District line terminating at Edmonton instead of Walthamstow. Proposals were made to extend the line north to South Woodford or Woodford to provide interchange with the Central line. In 1961, it was decided that the line would terminate at Walthamstow (Hoe Street) station rather than Wood Street – this would cut costs by £1.4 million, and "satisfactory interchange" with British Railways was available at Hoe Street station. Walthamstow (Hoe Street) was later renamed Walthamstow Central on May 6th, 1968 in anticipation of the line's opening). The line was planned to have cross-platform interchanges at Oxford Circus, Euston & Finsbury Park (with the Bakerloo, Northern (Bank) and Piccadilly lines respectively) and at Walthamstow Central to provide a quick and easy connection between the new line and existing services. The name "Victoria line" dates from 1955; other suggestions were "Walvic line" (Walthamstow–Victoria), "Viking line" (Victoria–King's Cross), "Mayfair line" & "West End line". During the planning stages, it was known as Route C and named the Victoria line (after the station) by David McKenna, Chairman of British Transport Advertising, whose suggestion was seconded by Sir John Elliot. The board decided that the Victoria line sounded "just right". Walthamstow-Victoria Initial construction began in January 1960, when two test tunnels were started from Tottenham to Manor House under Seven Sisters Road. The tunnels were excavated using an experimental "drum digger" rotary shield, powered by hydraulic rams, that could cut more than 60 feet (18 m) per day. The work was completed in July 1961, with the expectation it would be used for the completed Victoria line. After the line gained parliamentary approval on August 20th, 1962 with a budget of £56 million, construction began the following month. The economic boom of the mid-to-late 1950s had faded leading to a rise in unemployment in London, and the government had hoped that building the Victoria line would alleviate this. Work began adapting Oxford Circus station to link to the new line; a cross-platform interchange was provided with the Bakerloo line & a subway link with the Central line. A steel umbrella was erected over the junction in August 1963 so that a new ticket hall could be built without disrupting existing traffic. Rolling stock on the line was fitted with Automatic Train Operation (ATO), which allowed self-driving of the train based on automatic electrical signals along the track. In March 1964, a £2.25 million contract was awarded to Metro-Cammell for the Victoria line fleet. That October, the Northern City Line closed between Drayton Park & Finsbury Park so that the latter station could be redesigned for a cross-platform interchange between the Victoria and Piccadilly lines. All major contracts had been awarded by 1965, and construction was on track to be completed in 1968.New stations were constructed at Walthamstow Central, Blackhorse Road, Tottenham Hale & Seven Sisters. The station at Blackhorse Road was built on the opposite side of the road from the mainline station (serving the Kentish Town to Barking line) & was not an interchange. The line opened from Walthamstow Central to Highbury & Islington on September 1st, 1968. There was no opening ceremony; instead the normal timetable started. The first train left Walthamstow Central for Highbury & Islington at 7:32 a.m. The line proved to meet a need; more than 1,000 tickets were purchased at Highbury & Islington within its first hour of opening. The next section to Warren Street, opened on December 1st 1968, again without ceremony. The line was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on March 7th, 1969 when it had been completed to Victoria. At 11:00 a.m., the Queen made the first trip, on a 5d (2.08p) ticket, from Green Park to Victoria, where she unveiled a plaque. In so doing, she was the first reigning monarch to ride on the Underground.The line was open to the general public by 3:00 p.m. Trains from Walthamstow to Victoria took around 24 minutes. Victoria-Brixton Pimlico station was the last part of the Victoria line to open, and is the line's only station that is not an interchange. The 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension from Victoria to Brixton with stations at Vauxhall & Stockwell was approved in March 1966. Preparatory work had started at Bessborough Gardens near Vauxhall Bridge Road in May 1967. The contract was awarded on August 4th, 1967. A proposal to build Pimlico tube station received Government approval on 28 June 1968. In July, the Duke of Edinburgh & the Prince of Wales visited tunnel workings under Vauxhall Park. The Brixton extension was bored using the older Greathead shield. Although slower, use of the tunnelling shield allowed easier digging through the gravel strata south of the Thames. It was opened on July 23rd, 1971 by Princess Alexandra, who made a journey from Brixton to Vauxhall. On opening, it was the first new section of Underground to open south of the Thames since the extension of the City & South London Railway from Clapham Common to Morden in 1926. The final piece of the Victoria line, Pimlico station, opened on September 14th, 1972. London Transport considered extensions to Streatham, Dulwich and Crystal Palace to provide a connection to southeast London and Kent but no construction work was undertaken. Post-opening The Kentish Town to Barking line did not close as expected and both stations at Blackhorse Road remained open. The mainline station was moved to the same side of the road as the tube station and was connected to the Victoria line on December 14th, 1981 via an overbridge. The original station was then closed & demolished. The London Underground (Victoria) Act 1991 allowed for the construction of a 43-metre (140 ft) underground pedestrian link at Victoria station between the Victoria line platforms & the sub-surface Circle line platforms above. The London Underground (Victoria Station Upgrade) Order 2009 came into force in September that year, authorising the construction of a second 1,930-square-metre (21,000 sq ft) ticket hall at Victoria. Warren Street tube station was attacked on July 21st, 2005 London bombings. There were no fatalities in this attack. After the July 7th, 2005 London bombings, there was heightened security. The Metropolitan Police wrongly detained and fatally shot 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes once he boarded a train at Stockwell. After his death, a memorial to Menezes was placed close to Stockwell station. On January 23rd, 2014, during upgrade work at Victoria, construction workers accidentally penetrated the signalling room of the Victoria line & flooded it with quick-drying concrete, leading to the suspension of services south of Warren Street. Services resumed the following day after sugar was used to slow the setting of the concrete and make it easier to shovel out. A 24-hour Night Tube service on Friday & Saturday nights, due to start in September 2015 on the entire line, was delayed because of strike action. The service began in August 2016, with trains running at 10-minute intervals on the whole line. Service & rolling stock The line's original 1967 Stock was used until mid-2011. It is seen here at Holborn on a farewell tour. About 200 million passengers a year use the Victoria line. It is the sixth-most heavily used line on the network in absolute figures, but in terms of the average number of journeys per mile it is by far the most intensively used. From May 2017, trains run every 100 seconds during peak periods, providing 36 trains per hour. All trains run from Brixton to Seven Sisters and some continue to Walthamstow Central. During off-peak periods, the Victoria line runs 27 trains per hour between Brixton and Walthamstow Central. When the line opened, services were operated by a fleet of 39+1⁄2 eight-car trains of 1967 Tube Stock trains. In the early planning stages, an articulated type of rolling stock was considered, but not progressed because of difficulties transferring the stock to Acton Works for heavy overhauls. After Acton Works closed, this no longer applies. The 2009 tube stock has a wider profile & slightly longer carriages which precludes it from running on other deep-level tube lines. The 1967 stock was supplemented by 1972 Mark I Tube Stock, transferred from the Northern line & converted to be compatible with the 1967 stock. Replacement of the 1967 rolling stock began in July 2009. The 2009 Tube Stock fleet of 47 eight-car trains was built by Bombardier Transportation. Testing the first prototypes began in 2008. The trains began to be introduced in 2009 & most were in operation by the following year. The last of the 1967 stock trains ran on June 30th, 2011, after which the entire service was provided by 2009 stock. On opening, the line was equipped with a fixed-block Automatic Train Operation system (ATO). The train operator closed the train doors and pressed a pair of "start" buttons and, if the way ahead was clear, the ATO drives the train at a safe speed to the next station. At any point, the driver could switch to manual control if the ATO failed. The system, which operated until 2012, made the Victoria line the world's first full-scale automatic railway. The Victoria line runs faster trains than other Underground lines because it has fewer stops, ATO running and modern design. Train speeds can reach up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). A common method used by north London residents to visit the West End is to take the Northern line Bank branch, change platforms at Euston, and continue on faster Victoria line trains. In the 2010s, the original signalling was replaced with a more modern ATO system from Westinghouse Rail Systems incorporating 'Distance to Go Radio' & over 400 track circuits. London Underground claimed it was the world's first ATO-on-ATO upgrade. The new signalling system allowed a revised timetable to be introduced in February 2013, allowing up to 33 trains per hour instead of 27. In combination with new, faster trains, the line's capacity increased by 21%, equivalent to an extra 10,000 passengers per hour. By 2019, the line was running around 36 trains per hour at peak times, with a train arriving every 100 seconds – making it one of the most frequent rapid transit lines in the world. For more info, go to... https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_line https://wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground_1967_Stock https://wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground_1972_Stock https://wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground_2009_Stock Victoria Line map
Has been suggested before but there is little likelihood it would ever happen. ATO operation doesn't tick many boxes, push button and sit back. In short, boring. Apart from the depot the whole line is underground so just continuous tunnel driving. Leading into the final point that DTG have pretty much ruled out doing routes with large numbers of sub surface stations due to the complexity of doing light baking in UE.
It's a well presented suggestion, far better than many I've seen here so big respect for that. However, underground lines are problematic in TSW, something to do with light baking and the Bakerloo Line needing a significant amount of new assets. So I can't see them making the Victoria Line. From a fans point of view, no thanks. While most Underground routes have ATO now the Victoria Line has always been ATO thus reducing the game play elements for drivers. There's no scenery because it's totally underground and it's all single bore tunnels. So I wouldn't buy it as I find the tunnel sections of the Bakerloo quite boring and can't wait to see daylight at Queens Park.
1. TS Classic runs on an entirely different game engine to TSW and it is DTG’s choice of UE in the latter which has created the seeming obstacle of light baking for underground stations. 2. I bought Glasgow Subway for TSC and while the first time around in each direction was different, apart from driving to and from the depot it boiled down to push button to open doors, push button to close doors, push button to start train. No gameplay there to speak of.
I think Glasgow Subway was a passion project by the developer, possibly also a chance to showcase ATO in TSC. But, I've been round it once since I bought it too.
It's also a simulation, and the Victoria line has never operated in a non-ATO way, it's been that way since it was opened. Why release a route and make it something it isn't? Might as well just drive the Bakerloo line back and forth in the underground sections and pretend you're on the Victoria line. There are various Tube lines that should be ahead of the Victoria line in the queue, in terms of scenery and playstyle. Pretty much all of them, in fact.
One factor DTG look for is gameplay, its the most important one. Automatic train operation doesn't allow for much gameplay if all you do is sit opening doors.
Impressive but you're playing it like S3 Hauptstrecke München Augsburg Stammstrecke segment its Level 2 ATO for the whole line.
In that case the Metropolitan Line seems like the best option. It has the least amount of sub surface stations and only around 4 of those have zero light coming from outside.
I wouldn't really say the whole route is fully underground as some London Underground Victoria Line depots are overground
Well I did say "pretty much". Although W&C would be very short, so the boredom would be over quicker.
Not my first choice but would still be a day one purchase. If I had to pick one loco to be included it’d be the 2009 stock, the 67 would feel way too similar to the 72 stock
Now Waterloo and City aka The Drain would make an ideal novelty route. Set back when manually operated and the Class 487 sets https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_487 I might stump up £12 for it.
