KryssTal : The Piccadilly Line
Introduction
The
Piccadilly Line
is London's premier tube, passing from
the airport through the hotel, shopping, and tourist areas of London. How did
it begin? How did it reach its current size? Where did the name come from? For
the answers, we go back to the turn of the century.
Two private companies had permission from Parliament for two railway projects.
The rights to these projects were bought by an American called Charles Yerkes and
amalgamated through business cash advances and other financial arrangements.
The new project became
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and
Brompton Railway
. This snappy name was abbreviated to the
initials
GN, P & B Rwy
. In 1933, when the tube lines were
nationalised, this became the
Piccadilly Line
. The first
section between
Finsbury Park
and
Hammersmith
was begun in July 1902 and opened on 15 December 1906. The spoil from the digging of the tunnels was used to build up
the terraces at Chelsea's football ground.
The
Great Northern
referred to was
the
Great Northern Railway
that ran (and still runs) from
Kings Cross, via Finsbury Park up to the north of England. An arrangement was
made with this company for them to build the first part of the new tube using
its own land.
The Original Route
The northern terminus of the Piccadilly Line was
Finsbury
Park
. The platforms are right below the overground railway reached by
steps. The old Piccadilly Line terminal platforms are now the northbound
Victoria / Piccadilly Lines. The area is named
after
Lord Finsbury
who lived nearby; indeed the
park was part of the grounds of his house. On the platforms now are mosaics of
balloons. This is because the first British balloon flight took place nearby.
From here the line travels in twin tubes southwards under the overground
railway. The next stop was
Gillespie Road
. When the line
was opened this was a residential street dominated by a theological college. In
1914, a south London football club
Woolwich
Arsenal
decided to move to north London. Doing so, they dropped
the
Woolwich
from their name and leased the sports
ground from the college. Within a few years, the club became one of the most
famous in the world and bought the land from the college. In 1932, the
station name was changed to
Arsenal
to reflect the
club's importance to the area. On the platforms it is still possible to see the
old name written on the tiles partially obscured by adverts.
Continuing under the overground railway, we arrive at
Holloway
Road
. Because of the involvement of the
Great
Northern
, this station is by the railway bridge rather than on a central
intersection. The red tiled surface building is typical of this line. Above the
entrance you can still see the initials "GN, P and B Rwy". The name comes
from
hollow way
because the road was originally a
ditch built by a hermit. Continuing south under the overground railway we get
to
Caledonian Road
, which again, is in the middle of nowhere.
This street is named after the Latin for Scotland. Between here and King's
Cross there used to be
York Road
. It was sited (again next to
the overground) in an industrial area that quickly became derelict. So derelict
that this station was closed in 1932. Between Caledonian Road and King's Cross
(on the right hand side) you can still see the ghostly platforms. The red tiled
surface building is part of a garage.
Finally we reach the end of the overground at
King's Cross
.
Although the Piccadilly Line at King's Cross intersects with several other
lines, these were all built by private companies with no interchange. They
were all connected only after nationalisation in the 1933. King's Cross is
London's second busiest Underground station (54 million passengers per year)
and the one with most lines (six: Piccadilly, Northern, Victoria, Circle,
Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City). It certainly makes a good international
terminus for the Channel Tunnel. In 1291, the body
of
Eleanor
(wife of
Edward
I
) was brought from Nottinghamshire for burial in Westminster Abbey.
Crosses were placed at each of the body's resting places on the journey. This
was the site of the penultimate cross (the final one was Charring Cross).
From here the tube follows normal practice for the beginning of the century and
travels mainly under the roads. This is so that there wouldn't be any
compensation to pay if any damage was done to property at street level by the
trains. Still travelling south, the next stop is
Russell
Square
. Unlike previous stations with the platforms between the
tracks, this one has them on the outside. This means that the doors open on the
"wrong" side. This area was part of the estate of the Dukes of Bedford whos
family name was Russell. It is the second largest square in London (after
Lincoln's Inn Fields). It's only a short ride to
Holborn
(named
after another hollow this time for the river Bourne). At this station the
southbound platform is below the northbound one. The platform design shows
columns and statues because this station is close to the British Museum. Next
to the higher southbound platform is a single platform for the old shuttle
service to
Aldwych
. This was formally
called
Strand
(opened in 1907) because it marked the north
bank of the river before the embankment was built. It was closed in 1994.
From Holborn, the main part of the tube turns rapidly west (to the right) and
snakes under the narrow streets to
Covent Garden
, once the
site of London's fruit and vegetable market, now a lively area full of street
theatre and live music. The "garden" was originated by monks of Westminster
Abbey. Samuel Pepys saw England's first puppet show here. Covent Garden is the
deepest station on the Piccadilly Line. On the platform, are one or two older
London Transport signs. These have a full red circle rather than the red circle
on the white background. The distance between Covent Garden and
Leicester
Square
is the shortest on the London Underground (0.26km). Leicester
Square's platforms have a blue film strip along the top representing the large
number of cinemas in the area. The escalator here was the longest on the tube
(304 steps) until the new one at the
Angel
.
Leicester Square is named after the Earl of Leicester who had land here during
the 17th century.
Piccadilly Circus
is at the very heart of London. The name
comes from "piccadil", a type of collar made by a tailor in nearby Haymarket.
The tailor built himself a house which he called Piccadilly Hall. The station's
circular ticket office is right beneath the statue of Eros (which is not
actually Eros). The platform design was inspired by the neon lights around
Piccadilly. Still moving westwards, the line passes under Piccadilly itself
to
Green Park
(first called
Dover
Street
). World War II bombing destroyed the surface building so the
ticket office is below the street.
Down Street
was next but
this was closed in the 1932. The building is still there around the corner
from the Japanese Embassy. The old station is bricked up and this can be
spotted if you sit on the right between Green Park and
Hyde Park
Corner
. This old station was used during World War II as a secret war
bunker safe from the bombs and crowds. Hyde Park Corner itself is less busy
since the roundabout and underpass were built. Its platforms haven't changed
their appearance much since 1906. The surface building is no longer used and
is now a pizza restaurant.
Knightsbridge
is the stop for Harrod's and so is very busy.
The platforms were decorated during the 1930s and so it looks more modern than
Hyde Park Corner. The name comes from a bridge over the River Westbourne.
Knights would cross this bridge on their way to Fulham to receive a blessing
from the Bishop of London before going off to war. From here the tube passes
under Brompton Road. There used to be a station called
Brompton
Road
(from "broom town" - a place where shrub grew) just next to the
Victoria and Albert Museum; the red tiled surface building is still there and
gaps in the bricked up platforms can be spotted. It was closed in 1934. From here the tubes zig zag
dramatically as the tunnels attempt to stay under the narrow roads. In fact at
South Kensington
, the road was so narrow that the tube was
built with one platform below the other. This is the stop for the museums (V &
A, Natural History, Geological, Science) and the Royal Albert Hall. The area is
named after a Saxon family called
Kensige
who once
lived here.
A little further is the unremarkable
Gloucester Road
, named
after the Duchess of Gloucester, and surrounded by hotels. Next
is
Earl's Court
where the first escalator on the tube was
opened in 1928. The area is famous for Australian tourists, travel agents and
Arabic restaurants. From here the tunnels rise steeply coming up to the surface
between the tracks of the District Line. The four tracks share platforms at
Barons Court
before the short hop to the other end of the
original line,
Hammersmith
. In many of the older stations it
is still possible to see the original direction signs stating
To Finsbury Park
and
To Hammersmith
.
Later History
In 1911 the line was extended to
Acton Town
following the
existing District Line tracks. From here it split into two. Northwards
to
South Harrow
(1932) and
Uxbridge
(1933);
westwards to
Hounslow West
(1933). Between 1975 and 1977, this
section was extended to
Heathrow Airport
making London the
first city to have an Underground Railway link to its airport. In 1986 a
station at Terminal 4 was added. Terminal 5 was added in 2008 giving Heathrow three underground stations.
At the other end, the line was extended to
Arnos Grove
in 1932
and
Cockfosters
a year later. The platform architecture of the
1930s can be seen by comparing
Manor House
(with its square
biscuit coloured tiles) and
Arsenal
(with the original
rectangular glazed tiles). Incidentally, the same differences can be seen between
Highgate
(1939) and
Tufnell Park
(1907)
on the Northern Line.
The Piccadilly Line now has 51 stations and a route length to 70km.
For stylish, comfortable accommodation on the
Piccadilly Line
, or anywhere else in London, look no further than
Citybase Apartments. Our serviced
London apartments
are a refreshing alternative to a hotel giving you a great base, in a great location for a great price.
Just for completeness, here is a little information about the other "tube" lines of the Underground. The Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, and District Lines are not real tubes
and are much older.
Northern Line
Part 1 began as
The City And South London Railway
(
Bank
to
Stockwell
, 1890).
Extended to
Clapham Common
and
Moorgate
(1900),
Euston
(1901),
Camden Town
(1924). Part 2 was
The Charring Cross and Hampstead Railway
(
Charring Cross
to
Archway
and
Golders Green
, 1907).
Extended northwards to
Hendon Central
(1923)
and
Edgware
(1924) and southwards
to
Embankment
(1914) and to connect with the City and South
London at
Kennington
(1926). South
to
Morden
(1926). North to
East
Finchley
(1939),
High Barnet
(1940)
and
Mill Hill East
(1941).
Hampstead
is the
deepest station on the entire Underground.
Central Line
Began as
The Central London
Railway
(
Shepherds
Bush
to
Bank
, 1900). West to
White
City
(1908) and
Ealing Broadway
(1920); west
to
Liverpool Street
(1912). To
Stratford
(1946).
To
Greenford
,
Woodford
and
Newbury
Park
(1947). To
West Ruislip
,
Hainault
,
Woodford
on the loop,
and
Loughton
(1948). To
Ongar
(1949). The
Ongar branch was closed in 1994.
Bakerloo Line
Began as
The Baker Street and Waterloo
Railway
. The newspapers gave the line its current name!
First stretch:
Baker Street
to
Elephant and Castle
, 1906. Extended north to
Edgware
Road
(1907),
Willesden Junction
(1915)
and
Watford
(1917). In 1982 the line was cut back to
Queen's Park
and re-instated to
Harrow and Wealdstone
in 1984.
Victoria Line
Originally called
Route C
in the
planning stage.
Walthamstow Central
to
Warren
Street
(1968), to
Victoria
(1969),
to
Brixton
(1971).
Jubilee Line
Originally a part of the
Metropolitan
Line
(
Finchley Road
to
Willesden
Green
, 1913; to
Wembley
Park
, 1914; to
Stanmore
, 1932). Transferred to
the
Bakerloo Line
with a stretch
linking
Finchley Road
and
Baker
Street
(1939). Became the Jubilee Line after being extended
to
Charring Cross
in 1979. Extended to
Stratford
in 1999.
Questions
- What have the football clubs
Arsenal
and
Chelsea
to do with the
Piccadilly Line?
- Which other cities apart from London have a tube link to their
airports?
- Which city now has the largest tube system in the world?
- What are the modern names of the following stations:
Post Office
,
Highgate
,
Aldersgate
,
Enfield West
,
Walham Green
,
Mark Lane
,
Addison Road
?
External Railway Links
These links will open in a separate window
Railway Technology
A good resource for railway buffs.
Sponsored Link