Work to upgrade the Victoria line will make it the most frequent Tube service in Europe, with the long-term gain worth the short-term pain, London Underground bosses said today.
An £11 million programme to replace a “scissors” track-crossing outside Walthamstow Central station has forced the closure of the northern end of the line for three weeks and caused disruption for thousands of commuters.
Tube bosses said the upgrade would set the “gold standard” for public transport, with 36 trains an hour — double its capacity when it opened in 1968.
David Waboso, capital programmes director at LU, said: “We are renewing the ironwork, track, foundations signalling and power so we can get trains to come in faster and leave faster. I think the Victoria line now sets the bar for where we want to take our next lines. Thirty-six trains an hour is really pushing at being the best in the world.”
The closure has taken three years to plan. The aim is to finish by August 30, with services resuming for the bank holiday and Notting Hill Carnival.
