Brixton Underground

[billythefish]

IIRC the original plan for the Victoria Line was to build right out to the South East (Kent way), but they found unexpectedly bad geology beyond Brixton and had to give up for financial reasons... it's all to do with the River Effra and its flood plain, gravel on clay and so on...

BTW - there's a secret exit from Vauxhall Station into the MI5 building.

 

[bluestreak]

I'd just walk to Herne Hill instead of Brixton. Same distance from my house.

Same here. No worries.

 

[Crispy]

That makes sense.

This diagram is from the BCA planning app:

(SITE is Ralleigh hall, next to the library)

I had no idea the ponds in Brockwell Park were the source of the Effra (or one of its tributaries anyway)

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Extend the victoria line now!

To Croydon please.

 

[greenfox]

There were of course plans in the 1930s to extend the Bakerloo line to Camberwell (and I believe that the tunnels were built for much of the route) but wartime and post-war economies meant that it never happened. They even included Camberwel on the undergorund map - http://flickr.com/photos/se5forum/355699434/sizes/o/

According to this website http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/104 low priority plans exist to again extend the Bakerloo to Camberwell and then on to Herne and Tulse Hills. Its going to take 15-20 years at least so dont hold your breath!

 

[mccliche]

There were of course plans in the 1930s to extend the Bakerloo line to Camberwell (and I believe that the tunnels were built for much of the route) but wartime and post-war economies meant that it never happened. They even included Camberwel on the undergorund map - http://flickr.com/photos/se5forum/355699434/sizes/o/

According to this website http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/104 low priority plans exist to again extend the Bakerloo to Camberwell and then on to Herne and Tulse Hills. Its going to take 15-20 years at least so dont hold your breath!

interesting...i have often thought the bakerloo is a bit lame in that it really could go a good distance deeper south

 

[ovaltina]

Look at the Northern line bit too - right up to Bushey, and across to Crouch End and Alexandra Palace!

 

[brixtongirl78]

BTW - there's a secret exit from Vauxhall Station into the MI5 building.[/QUOTE]

I have never heard that before, but it makes sense.

But then why don't they have an escape route from Buckingham Palace for the Queen through underground tunnel? Surely taking off the lamp posts down Pal Mal to land a plane is time consuming and the plane would be in exposed to posible attack. Even a helicoptor would be better to take her away if somthing were to happen.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

BTW - there's a secret exit from Vauxhall Station into the MI5 building.

I have never heard that before, but it makes sense.

But then why don't they have an escape route from Buckingham Palace for the Queen through underground tunnel? Surely taking off the lamp posts down Pal Mal to land a plane is time consuming and the plane would be in exposed to posible attack. Even a helicoptor would be better to take her away if somthing were to happen.[/quote]


I read somewhere that the lamp-posts retract

 

[hendo]

I have never heard that before, but it makes sense.

But then why don't they have an escape route from Buckingham Palace for the Queen through underground tunnel? Surely taking off the lamp posts down Pal Mal to land a plane is time consuming and the plane would be in exposed to posible attack. Even a helicoptor would be better to take her away if somthing were to happen.

I read somewhere that the lamp-posts retract [/quote]

The Queen is rumoured to hate helicopters but spends a good deal of time in her other residences. Balmoral is well out of harms way as is Sandringham.

I think i read once that rumours circulated about Buckingham Palace tunnels during the war when Britain appeared as if it might be invaded, as well as plans to land aircraft in the Mall etc. But I think the truth was more prosaic. If the Wermacht had arrived in Sussex it would have been Scotland for the King, the Queen Mum and the girls, then Canada via the Royal Navy. Would Churchill have fled too? I reckon probably but at gunpoint and at the last minute. Anyway it never happened thank God.

 

[pads72]

So if it goes directly into Portcullis House, then you must have to go in a sort of circle to go into the Palace... or not?

To clear this up - there is a tunnel that runs under Westminster Bridge Road between Portcullis House and the Palace of Westminster, which only Parliament passholders (or their visitors) can use.

At the Portcullis House end of said tunnel, there is a security point which exits into the tube station.

You can see where this is as a member of the public if you go down the steps into the station on the palace side of Westminster Bridge Road, although at weekends all you'll see is a big metal door as it's shut at that time. Really not all that exciting though!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

To clear this up - there is a tunnel that runs under Westminster Bridge Road between Portcullis House and the Palace of Westminster, which only Parliament passholders (or their visitors) can use.

At the Portcullis House end of said tunnel, there is a security point which exits into the tube station.

You can see where this is as a member of the public if you go down the steps into the station on the palace side of Westminster Bridge Road, although at weekends all you'll see is a big metal door as it's shut at that time. Really not all that exciting though!

Yep, I know that. The Portcullis exit is the one I'm talking about. If Portcullis House is new, then isn't that exit out of the tube station new?

 

[pads72]

Yep, I know that. The Portcullis exit is the one I'm talking about. If Portcullis House is new, then isn't that exit out of the tube station new?

That is the only exit from the Parliamentary buildings to the tube station. I believe (but may stand corrected) that the exit already existed prior to Portcullis House being built as an entrance to the foot tunnel that runs towards the Palace. They just joined Portcullis House to the tunnel exit via a set of escalators.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Apparently there's also a secret entrance to Brixton Underground station from the cellar of the Albert. Only locals are allowed to use it and it's a great way to get a cheeky pint after hours....

 

[brixtongirl78]

Where is the Albert? Where does it lead to exactly in Brixton underground?

 

[Crispy]

gotta be a joke, the station is at least 100m away

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Where is the Albert? Where does it lead to exactly in Brixton underground?

There's a tunnel in the back garden of The Albert that leads to the tube.

 

[quimcunx]

Yep, I know that. The Portcullis exit is the one I'm talking about. If Portcullis House is new, then isn't that exit out of the tube station new?

That is the only exit from the Parliamentary buildings to the tube station. I believe (but may stand corrected) that the exit already existed prior to Portcullis House being built as an entrance to the foot tunnel that runs towards the Palace. They just joined Portcullis House to the tunnel exit via a set of escalators.

Yep, I used that exit from The Palace of Westminster when I had a little private tour of it a short while ago. I felt ''special''.

 

[Bob]

That is the only exit from the Parliamentary buildings to the tube station. I believe (but may stand corrected) that the exit already existed prior to Portcullis House being built as an entrance to the foot tunnel that runs towards the Palace. They just joined Portcullis House to the tunnel exit via a set of escalators.

It's actually a slightly different exit from Parliament - about 25 feet closer to Parliament Square than the old one.

 

[newbie]

BTW - there's a secret exit from Vauxhall Station into the MI5 building./QUOTE]

I have never heard that before, but it makes sense.

There are rumoured to be a variety of tunnels around there, interconnecting Nine Elms coldstore, MI5, Keybridge House (BT building on South Lambeth Road) and Parliament. Plus Vauxhall tube, which I've never heard before.

Whether any of it is true I've no idea (and I've never looked on subbrit or statewatch) but I met some people who claimed to have helped construct the Nine Elms/Keybridge/Parliament tunnels during the 70s.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Tunnels have always been part of local folklore. Some exist and some do not.

 

[Kanda]

BT and Royal Mail have tons of tunnels all over the place don't they?

 

[Crispy]

There is a small-guage automatic railway line from westminster to the city (not sure exactly where) that royal mail used to use for sending mail between sorting offices. It hasn't run for about 10 years, afaik.

 

[PacificOcean]

There is a small-guage automatic railway line from westminster to the city (not sure exactly where) that royal mail used to use for sending mail between sorting offices. It hasn't run for about 10 years, afaik.

Didn't it run between Paddington and Mount Plesant in Bloomsbuy?

 

[brixtongirl78]

I think this is the best site out there. You may find answers in here

http://underground-history.co.uk/front.php

The part about deep level shelters is very interesting. Really good photos as well. The deep level tunnel on Clapham Common is massive. Apparently is was used as a government storage unit for documents in the past. But more recently it was advertised as up for lease, provided your plans were approved by Lambeth Council. They turned down many ideas such as a night club.

 

[brixtongirl78]

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/p/post_office_railway/index4.shtml

Another intresting site with good pictures

 

[lang rabbie]

A project that took so long the journal article is published before the works!

Anyone have access to a library or electronic copy of February's Proceedings of Insitute of Civil Engineers, Transport this to find out what the full story of the asbestos discovery was:

Brixton station congestion relief project, London
Author(s): G. Biggam1, | H. Jayawardena2
doi: 10.1680/tran.2008.161.1.3
Transport

Print ISSN: 0965-092X
Volume: 161 | Issue: 1
Cover date: February 2008
Page(s): 3-13

Keywords : rail & bus stations, tunnels & tunnelling, safety & hazards


Abstract

The Victoria line, extended to Brixton by July 1971, was London's first completely new underground line since the ‘tube boom’ of the early twentieth century. The new line created connections between the underground and national rail networks, and relieved congestion on London's transport network. Three decades later, Brixton station was at the forefront of a new challenge, this time to improve accessibility of the London Underground network to disabled and encumbered passengers. In 2001 work began to provide step-free access from street to platform levels at Brixton station, to alleviate congestion within the station, and to harness additional benefits by constructing new office and retail facilities. This paper describes the construction, emergency preparedness, site safety, contract administration and assurance aspects of delivering the project. The project successfully executed demolition, building construction, structural, tunnelling and services works while maintaining the safe and effective operation of the station. A number of recommendations are made to assist in the execution of similar projects.

Author(s): G. Biggam [1] , H. Jayawardena [2]

Author(s) affiliations
1 Principal consultant, Halcrow Group Ltd, London, UK (formerly Assistant Resident Engineer, Metronet Rail BCV Limited)
2 Senior Resident Engineer, Metronet Rail BCV Limited, London, UK

 

[Mr Smin]

You can see where this is as a member of the public if you go down the steps into the station on the palace side of Westminster Bridge Road, although at weekends all you'll see is a big metal door as it's shut at that time. Really not all that exciting though!

I went through that exit when I was visiting someone at Portcullis House. The fact that the door is one of those one-person glass tube things just like in Spooks was plenty exciting enough for me

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Extend the victoria line now!

To Croydon. Preferably to the tramlink stop outside my house.

 

[oryx]

To Croydon. Preferably to the tramlink stop outside my house.

Isn't the tube (the overground East London Line extension) coming to West Croydon in the next couple of years? (The one that goes to New X, Brockley, Honor Oak Park etc.).

I'm not sure if it will stop outside your house though.

It's really funny, for some reason I was trying to remember that BT building in Vauxhall, Keybridge House (my old bedroom there many years ago looked out onto it) and up pops this thread!