Part of the £700m station redevelopment which will benefit millions of passengers, with new escalators, lifts and enlarged ticket halls.
  • Main entrance to the station from National Rail now widened
  • Changes will include the closure of Wilton Road stairs and the relocation of the taxi rank to Hudson's Place
  • Passengers are advised to buy their tickets in advance to speed up their journeys

The £700m redevelopment of Victoria Underground station, one of the busiest and most congested on the network, is well underway and work to double the size of the south ticket hall is now starting.

While this work is under way Transport for London (TfL) is advising passengers that it will be quicker and easier to buy their tickets in advance.

This can be done online, at Gatwick, or at another National Rail or Underground station or ticket stop. 

Seven new lifts

The redevelopment of the Tube station will lead to a huge number of improvements for passengers.

As well as the new enlarged south ticket hall, these include a new underground north ticket hall at the junction of Bressenden Place and Victoria Street with an entrance at street level, nine new escalators, a new interchange tunnel connecting the three ticket halls, and seven new lifts providing step-free access between street and platform levels.
 
The station and five entrances will remain open while the work goes ahead.

Work on the south ticket hall will be carried out behind hoardings so it can remain in use, and the main stairs leading directly to the National Rail station have already been widened as part of the upgrade.

However, in order to deliver the upgrade, a number of changes will now take place at the station. These include:

  • From Monday 24 September, the stairs from Wilton Road will close. They will to be replaced by a new staircase in 2018 - plus a brand new entrance will open near the Cardinal Place Shopping Mall in 2016
  • The Victory Arch entrance to South Eastern services at the National Rail station and the pedestrian access in front will be closed in October, but a new entrance into the National Rail station was opened from Wilton Road on 31 May
  • The taxi rank at the front of the station will be relocated round the corner to Hudson's Place from 1 October 2012

Work to refurbish escalators connecting the District & Circle and Victoria line platforms will start in October.

Only one escalator will be out of action at a time.

Howard Collins, London Underground's Chief Operating Officer, said: 'The £700m transformation of Victoria Tube station, which will be completed in 2018, will result in a three ticket hall station including a brand new north ticket hall and entrance, a new south ticket hall twice the size of the existing one, and nine new escalators and seven new lifts making it step-free.
 
'Victoria Tube station is one of our busiest and most congested stations, which is why we are redeveloping it and making it step-free.

'We're doing everything possible to keep any disruption to a minimum, but while we are doing this work, passengers will find it quicker and easier to buy their Underground ticket in advance.'
 
Although passengers will still be able to buy tickets in the Tube station queuing space will be limited, so it will be much quicker and easier to buy them in advance.

This can be done by:

  • Ordering an Oyster card online
  • Purchasing an Underground ticket with your National Rail ticket to London visiting the TfL Travel Information Centre in the National Rail station (opposite platform 7)
  • Visiting one of the 4,000 ticket stops

Posters and leaflets about how to buy or top up Oyster and where to buy tickets in advance will be available at the station from next week.

Notes to editors:

  • Many improvements have already been delivered as part of the Tube Upgrade Programme, including: 
    • Greater reliability - with 40 per cent fewer delays than there were in 2007/08
    • An upgraded Jubilee line - now with 33 per cent more capacity, and a train every two minutes at peak times
    • An upgraded Victoria line - with new trains, track and signalling, the line is now twice as reliable as it was in 2007/08. There are an extra two trains each hour in the peak, which means a train every two minutes.  From early 2013 there'll be even more trains - up to 33 every hour
    • A transformed King's Cross St. Pancras station - now four times its original size, fully accessible and with two new ticket halls
    • Other major stations upgraded - including Farringdon, Green Park, Blackfriars and Heathrow (123). Major work is also under way at Victoria, Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road
    • A more accessible Tube - with 66 stations now having step-free access,  plus platform humps installed at many stations
    • Hundreds of kilometres of brand new rails with proper drainage and new track beds  preventing failures, ensuring a smoother ride and providing a more reliable service
  • These improvements, together with an enhanced programme of maintenance carried out ahead of the Games, helped London Underground during London 2012 to continue the trend of improved performance whilst carrying a record number of passengers.  The Tube carried over 60 million passenger journeys - the most in its 149 year history and up by around 30 per cent on normal levels
  • After a pause in major upgrade work in the lead up to, and during, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the work to replace old track, signals and trains is now re-starting. This work will further improve performance and deliver reliable Tube services for Londoners - with faster and more frequent journeys, fewer delays and, ultimately, 30 per cent more service across the network. This is vital to cope with the city's growing population and to support the growth of the London - and UK - economy
  • Every effort is being made to keep disruption to an absolute minimum and a core part of TfL's plan has always been to give clear information to passengers about services to help them to plan their journeys and avoid disruption. TfL keeps passengers informed of any works that may affect their journeys using a wide range of channels:
  • The TfL website (tfl.gov.uk/check ) details all closures in advance and gives extensive information about the alternative routes available. It also offers a series of blogs and short films, which explain the work taking place. TfL's Journey Planner includes the latest information and allows passengers to quickly see the quickest and most convenient route  
    • A regular weekend closures email goes to millions of passengers each week
    • Through social media, including increasing use of Twitter, following on from positive feedback from customers during the London 2012 Games
    • Through a range of Apps for handheld devices - made possible by our open sharing of data and information about train timetables and planned closures
    • Posters, leaflets and announcements at stations and on trains make sure that passengers are kept informed
    • TfL's staff, including when possible the Travel Ambassadors - first used during the London 2012 Games - will provide increased help and support for passengers
    • Free mobile and email alerts are available from the TfL website
    • The latest information can also be obtained from the London Travel Info 24hrs telephone helpline: 0843 222 1234
    • TfL's range of Travel Tools help passengers plan journeys, get travel information on the move and work out the best way home tfl.gov.uk/tfl/traveltools. The website also provides full information on bus replacement services during works
    • TfL is also continuing the close working with businesses, which was so successful during the Games, striving to keep them informed on and involved in the planning of essential work