Piccadilly line

The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground. It is coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via all different 6 zones on the London railway fare system. However, there are a number of surface sections mostly in its westernmost parts. Out of the 53 stations served, 25 are underground. It is the second longest line on the system, after the Central Line.

 Infrastructure 
Rolling stock
Like all Underground lines, the Piccadilly line is operated by a single type of rolling stock. In this case it is the 1973 tube stock. The trains are painted in the standard London Underground livery of blue, white and red. Seventy-six trains out of a fleet of 88 are needed to run the line's peak service. One unit (166-566-366) was severely damaged by the terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005. The stock was recently refurbished, and was due for replacement by 2014, but the order for new trains was cancelled in July 2010.

The line was previously worked by 1959 stock, 1956 stock, 1938 stock, standard tube stock and 1906 gate stock.

The line has two depots, at Northfields and Cockfosters. There are sidings at Oakwood, South Harrow, Arnos Grove, Rayners Lane, Down Street, Wood Green, Barons Court, Acton Town, Ruislip and Uxbridge.

Signalling
The line is controlled from the control centre at Earl's Court, which it used to share with the District line. It was in need of resignalling, and this work was carried out in 2014.

Service pattern
The current off-peak service pattern is:

 6 trains per hour  –  (via Terminals 1, 2, 3)
 6 trains per hour Cockfosters –  (returning around the loop and serving Terminals 1, 2, 3)
 3 trains per hour Cockfosters – 
 3 trains per hour Cockfosters – 
 6 trains per hour Arnos Grove – 

Often late evening services terminate at  instead of Cockfosters.

Trains will also make an additional stop at  during early mornings and late evenings but will not stop at the station during the main part of the day.

Other services operate at times, especially at the start and towards the end of the traffic day.

Map
550px|center|Geographically accurate path of the Piccadilly line
Easier Versions can be found http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.gif 

Stations


(In order from east to west.)

Cockfosters branch
 Cockfosters branch Station  Image  Opened  Additional information     31 July 1933  One of the two depots is located here    50px  13 March 1933  Opened as Enfield West; renamed Enfield West Oakwood 3 May 1934; renamed 1 September 1946   50px  13 March 1933  in deep-level tunnel   50px  19 September 1932  Trains may terminate here: there are several sidings for stabling trains Tunnel section commences   50px  19 September 1932    50px  19 September 1932     50px  19 September 1932    50px  19 September 1932  Original Section    50px  15 December 1906     50px  15 December 1906  Opened as Gillespie Road; renamed Arsenal (Highbury Hill) 31 October 1932; the suffix was later dropped in 1960   50px  15 December 1906      50px  15 December 1906       50px  15 December 1906  Opened as King's Cross; renamed King's Cross for St. Pancras 1927; renamed 1933   50px  15 December 1906     50px  15 December 1906  Renamed Holborn (Kingsway) 22 May 1933; the suffix was later dropped.   50px  11 April 1907     50px  15 December 1906     50px  15 December 1906     50px  15 December 1906  Opened as Dover Street; renamed 18 September 1933   50px  15 December 1906  In the event of disruption, trains may terminate here via a crossover   50px  15 December 1906     50px  8 January 1907     50px  15 December 1906      50px  15 December 1906   Tunnel section ends   50px  15 December 1906      50px  15 December 1906 

Extension to Hounslow and Uxbridge
 Extension to Hounslow and Uxbridge Station  Image  Opened  Additional information   50px  1 January 1869  Originally the London and South Western Railway; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 June 1963    50px  1 July 1879  Originally the Metropolitan District Railway, later District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932 The line splits here into two branches – the Heathrow branch and the Uxbridge branch.

Heathrow branch
 Continuing from Acton Town Station  Image  Opened  Additional information   50px  1 May 1883  Originally the Metropolitan District Railway, later District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 29 April 1935   50px  16 April 1908  Originally the District line (one of the two depots is here and some trains terminate here); first served by the Piccadilly line 9 January 1933   50px  1 May 1883  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 13 March 1933   50px  23 March 1934      50px  2 May 1909  Opened as Hounslow Town by the District line renamed 1 December 1925; first served by the Piccadilly line 13 March 1933   50px  1 April 1886 Opened as Heston-Hounslow by the District line, renamed 1 December 1925; first served by the Piccadilly line 13 March 1933 Tunnel section recommences    50px  21 July 1884  Opened as Hounslow Barracks by the District line, renamed 1 December 1925; first served by the Piccadilly line 13 March 1933, resited 19 July 1975   50px  19 July 1975      50px  12 April 1986      50px  16 December 1977  Opened as Heathrow Central; renamed Heathrow Central Terminals 1,2,3 on 3 September 1983; renamed 12 April 1986    50px  27 March 2008   
Just beyond Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 tube station, the line goes into a new section to serve Heathrow Terminal 5 tube station, which opened in March 2008. Half of all Heathrow trains use the loop and serve Terminal 4 and the other half omit Terminal 4 and serve Terminal 5.

Uxbridge branch
 Continuing from Acton Town Station  Image  Opened  Additional information   50px  1 July 1879  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932   50px  23 June 1903  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932   50px  6 July 1931  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932; renamed Park Royal (Hanger Hill) 1 March 1936; renamed 1947   50px  28 June 1903  Opened as Perivale-Alperton by the District line; renamed 7 October 1910; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932    50px  28 June 1903  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932  ( )  50px  28 June 1903  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932   50px  28 June 1903  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 4 July 1932; closed when re-located 4 July 1935; re-opened 5 July 1935   50px  1 March 1910  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933 (from here to Uxbridge trains share track with Metropolitan line, and some trains terminate here)   50px  1 March 1910  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933   50px  5 August 1912  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933   50px  1 March 1910  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933 (some trains terminate here in Monday-Friday peak hours)   50px  1 March 1910  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933    50px  10 December 1923  Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933; renamed Hillingdon (Swakeleys) April 1934; the suffix was later dropped; closed when re-located 5 December 1992; re-opened 6 December 1992    50px  1 March 1910  Terminus. Originally the District line; first served by the Piccadilly line 23 October 1933; closed when re-located 3 December 1938; re-opened 4 December 1938

Closed stations
  opened on 30 November 1907 as the Strand tube station. It was at the end of a branch line from the main line at . An evening through-northbound 'Theatre' train ran until 1910. From 1917 onwards, it was served only by a shuttle from Holborn. In the same year it was renamed Aldwych when Charing Cross on the Northern line was renamed Strand. It was temporarily closed in 1940 during World War II to be used as an air-raid shelter. It re-opened in 1946. The possibility of extending the branch to Waterloo was discussed, but the scheme never proceeded. Aldwych was finally closed on 30 September 1994; the level of use was said to be too low to justify the £1 million in estimated costs of a complete replacement of the lifts. The station is regularly used by film makers.
  opened 15 December 1906; closed 30 July 1934, between  and .
  opened 15 December 1906; closed 21 May 1932, between  and .
 Osterley & Spring Grove first served 13 March 1933; closed 24 March 1934 between  and . It was replaced by Osterley.
  opened 23 June 1903; closed 5 July 1931. Although on the route of the current Piccadilly line, a short distance north of the present  station, it was never served by Piccadilly line trains. It was opened by the District line, the original operator of the line between  and , and was closed and replaced by the present Park Royal station before the Piccadilly line started running trains to South Harrow in 1932.
  opened 15 December 1906; closed 19 September 1932, between  and . It has been suggested that this station may be reopened to serve new developments on the nearby Kings Cross railway lands, but this idea is not being progressed at present. The road the station served, 'York Road', has since been renamed 'York Way'.
Future
The Piccadilly line was to be upgraded in 2014–15 and would have had new trains as well as new signalling. This would have increased the line's capacity by some 24%. Bids for the rolling-stock order were submitted in 2008. However, after the acquisition of Tube Lines by Transport for London in June 2010, this order was cancelled.

Maps
 Cockfosters – 
 Oakwood – 
 Southgate – 
 Arnos Grove – 
 Bounds Green – 
 Wood Green – 
 Turnpike Lane – 
 Manor House – 
 Finsbury Park – 
 Arsenal – 
 Holloway Road – 
 Caledonian Road – 
 King's Cross St. Pancras – 
 Russell Square – 
 Holborn – 
 Covent Garden – 
 Leicester Square – 
 Piccadilly Circus – 
 Green Park – 
 Hyde Park Corner – 
 Knightsbridge – 
 South Kensington – 
 Gloucester Road – 
 Earl's Court – 
 Barons Court – 
 Hammersmith – 
 Turnham Green – 
 Acton Town – 

 South Ealing – 
 Northfields – 
 Boston Manor – 
 Osterley – 
 Hounslow East – 
 Hounslow Central – 
 Hounslow West – 
 Hatton Cross – 
 Heathrow Terminal 4 – 
 Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 – 
 Heathrow Terminal 5 – 
 Ealing Common – 
 North Ealing – 
 Park Royal – 
 Alperton – 
 Sudbury Town – 
 Sudbury Hill – 
 South Harrow – 
 Rayners Lane – 
 Eastcote – 
 Ruislip Manor – 
 Ruislip – 
 Ickenham – 
 Hillingdon – 
 Uxbridge – 
 Cockfosters Depot – 
 Northfields Depot – 

Related pages
 Leslie Green – architect of the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway's early stations
 Vauxhall Cross tube station – fictional Piccadilly line tube station

References
Notes

Bibliography







Other websites





Category:Airport rail links in London
Category:London Underground lines
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Brent
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Camden
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Ealing
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Enfield
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hackney
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Haringey
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Harrow
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hillingdon
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Hounslow
Category:Transport in the London Borough of Islington
Category:Transport in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Category:Transport in the City of Westminster
Category:1906 establishments in England