Brixton tube station

Brixton is a London Underground station on Brixton Road in Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London. The station is the southern terminus of the Victoria line. The station is known to have the largest London Underground roundel on the network. The next station is Stockwell.

History

The City and Brixton Railway had planned to link Brixton with Central London by underground railway in 1897 but was unable to raise funds for construction.

Brixton station on the Victoria line was opened on 23 July 1971 by the London Transport Executive. It has high usage for an inner suburban station with 33.46 million entries and exits during 2016 making it the 19th busiest station by this measure.

In the 2000s, the station was extensively refurbished and upgraded, with a new external façade and entrance lobby, installation of step-free access, together with refurbishment of a number of smaller retail outlets and the ticket office. The refurbishment started in 2001, step-free access work was completed in 2005, and the station upgrade was completed in 2010. The station was briefly closed for asbestos removal in 2006. The refurbishment works were a long drawn out process. New panels and lighting were been installed in the escalator shaft.

Design

From the ticket hall, three escalators take passengers to and from the platforms. There are also passenger lifts between street level, the ticket hall and the platforms to provide step free access. The station is laid out as a two-track terminus with a scissors crossover north of the station, and the line continues for a short distance south of the station platforms to form a pair of sidings.

The 'Underground' logo, or otherwise known 'roundel' on the façade of the station building is the largest on the London Unerground network

Artwork

As with all Victoria line stations, the platforms feature tiled murals in the seat recesses – the work at Brixton by Hans Unger is a pun on the station name, suggesting a "ton of bricks". Since 2018, Art on the Underground has used the header wall above the main staircase to the ticket hall for temporary murals, by artists such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Shanti Panchal and Joy Labinjo. Artists are asked to consider the diverse local community, and as well as reflect the various Brixton murals painted in the local area in the 1980s.

Location

The station is in Brixton Road and is about 100 m from Brixton railway station (on the London Victoria to Orpington line, operated by South Eastern). Although the route of the London Overground South London line also runs close to Brixton tube station, there is no station in Brixton on this route because it passes overhead on high railway arches.

Services and connections

Train frequencies vary throughout the day, but generally every 3–5 minutes between 05:55 and 00:18.

London Bus routes 2, 3, 35, 37, 45, 59, 109, 118, 133, 159, 196, 250, 333, 355, 415, 432, P4 and P5, and night routes N2, N3, N35, N109 and N133 serve the station.

References

Bibliography

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.

External links

• Brixton tube station at urban75.org