Fastest sections of each line

[eastrail]

Hello, it is my understanding that the max speed of all Tube lines are well publicised on the internet, and would like to know if anyone has a detailed list of which sections the full line speed is achieved?

For example, I know that the max speed of the Jubilee line is 62mph and this can be achieved in the Wembley area, but not sure if the fast section between Canada Water and Canary Wharf is also that high.

 

[bramling]

Hello, it is my understanding that the max speed of all Tube lines are well publicised on the internet, and would like to know if anyone has a detailed list of which sections the full line speed is achieved?

For example, I know that the max speed of the Jubilee line is 62mph and this can be achieved in the Wembley area, but not sure if the fast section between Canada Water and Canary Wharf is also that high.

For Northern Line
Technically the maximum is 100kph (so 62mph), however these is a semi-permanent 50mph overlaid because of a long-standing issue with the braking performance of the trains. It has never been possible to achieve above 50mph since the resignalling, before that the maximum permissible was 45mph but going back beyond that maximum speed was always treated somewhat liberally.

50mph is achieved
Between each pair of stations north of East Finchley, though Barnet to Totteridge SB has a long-term TSR
Between most pairs of stations north of Golders Green
Kennington to Waterloo both roads
Clapham South to Clapham Common both roads
I think that’s it, although there are a few sections where 47mph is permitted and just about attainable.

In olden days Barnet to Totteridge SB was the practical fastest section, where it was possible to reach potentially 65-70mph.

Piccadilly Line theoretical maximum attainable can be reached in a few places, Heathrow T123 to Heathrow T5 WB, Hatton Cross to Hounslow West both roads but in different places, Oakwood to Southgate WB. There’s a couple of other particularly fast sections. However a lot of this is theoretical, and maximum speed does tend to be more strictly observed nowadays than in the past.

Victoria I believe max is 50 mph which is reached on most sections.

Central is very variable. Line speed is 100kph which was attainable on a number of open sections at both ends of the line. Since the Chancery Lane mishap maximum is 85kph. Maximum speed doesn’t seem to exceed 65kph in tunnel sections.

Bakerloo is generally fairly slow. In practice the fastest sections from memory are Harrow to Kenton SB, and possibly Harlesden to Stonebridge Pk NB.

 

[xtmw]

Central is very variable. Line speed is 100kph which was attainable on a number of open sections at both ends of the line. Since the Chancery Lane mishap maximum is 85kph. Maximum speed doesn’t seem to exceed 65kph in tunnel sections.

100kph can certainly be achieved in Coded Manual (if you have a 100kph code), however, as you say it is not permitted.
I believe there were plans to allow a greater speed above 65kph east of Liverpool Street, but the plans were thrown into the bin... I suspect this would be due to clearance issues/track quality/anxiety after Chancery Lane derailment.

 

[bramling]

100kph can certainly be achieved in Coded Manual (if you have a 100kph code), however, as you say it is not permitted.

This would be an interesting one if there was ever an incident. 100kph is presumably still the line speed and presumably the infrastructure is deemed safe for it. If the reduced speed is to reduce wear and tear on the trains then an occasional burst of 100kph in coded manual can’t really be deemed unsafe.

Presumably we could see 100kph once the retractioning of the fleet is completed, so potentially nearly 30 years after the Chancery Lane incident! Does show how long LU buries their head in the sand nowadays, given that an entire generation of Central Line users have had their journeys lengthened in consequence.

 

[Old Walter]

Piccadilly Line theoretical maximum attainable can be reached in a few places, Heathrow T123 to Heathrow T5 WB, Hatton Cross to Hounslow West both roads but in different places, Oakwood to Southgate WB. There’s a couple of other particularly fast sections. However a lot of this is theoretical, and maximum speed does tend to be more strictly observed nowadays than in the past.

Indeed, the other ones that come to mind are Osterley to Boston Manor EB, Park Royal to Alperton both roads and between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge, barring Ruislip to Ruislip Manor.

Maybe this is more suited to a historical thread but I recall the old (pre TBTC) Jubilee line supplement which stated there was no upper speed limit for the line (!). I think the Picc might have been the same many years ago (hence the 45 sign approaching Southgate tunnel WB) with the limit applying more for the stock. Certainly the old Met and C&H limits were stock based (50mph for an A stock and 40mph for a C stock).

Talking of the Jubilee, they regularly run neck and neck with fast Met trains, and certainly the 1996 stock can accelerate from a standing start at the intermediate stations and catch up with a Met train very easily. Impressive, but due to the train configuration being changed with CBTC, like the 95s, the 96s weren’t as powerful on legacy signalling.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 May 2026 ==

I believe there were plans to allow a greater speed above 65kph east of Liverpool Street, but the plans were thrown into the bin... I suspect this would be due to clearance issues/track quality/anxiety after Chancery Lane derailment.

I’ve heard more than once that Leytonstone - Newbury Park tunnels were 100kph when first resignalled but this was reduced as time went on.

 

[EnriqueEspaña]

Certainly the old Met and C&H limits were stock based (50mph for an A stock and 40mph for a C stock).

Almost right. A stock were only limited to 50 for the later half of their working lives. Before that, they regularly achieved higher speeds.

 

[3141]

When was aged 11 to 13 or 14 I used to check the times Piccadilly Line trains took between stations from Southgate to Holborn when travelling to and from school. This was in the days of standard stock, and later the 1938 stock trains as well. I disposed of the relevant notebooks many years ago, but I can remember the following.

Journeys were particularly fast going eastwards between Manor House and Turnpike Lane. There's a long downward grade from Manor House. Standard stock normally took about 2m 50s, but might do it two or three seconds faster. In the westbound direction, there a downgrade leaving Turnpike Lane but a longer upgrade to Manor House. The normal time was 3m 00s, but a train once did it in 2m.50s. Another good westbound trip was Caledonian Road to Kings Cross. Trains would roar through York Road closed station and brake sharply as Kings Cross was approached.

1938 stock trains might knock a further second or two off those times, but generally their advantage over the standard stock was in their passenger capacity rather than speed.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I remember doing Waterloo to Kennington in 2016 and it felt much faster than 50mph.

 

[THC]

Almost right. A stock were only limited to 50 for the later half of their working lives. Before that, they regularly achieved higher speeds.

My father was a Met driver from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. He told me that he regularly took 'A' stock above 70mph on the outer sections of the main line north of Rickmansworth.

THC

 

[EnriqueEspaña]

My father was a Met driver from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. He told me that he regularly took 'A' stock above 70mph on the outer sections of the main line north of Rickmansworth.

THC

I recon they also did a fair wack between Wembley-Harrow and North Harrow - Rickmansworth, providing they were on the fasts

 

[Dstock7080]

I recon they also did a fair wack between Wembley-Harrow and North Harrow - Rickmansworth, providing they were on the fasts

Northbound was uphill, southbound was faster.
Even in 1985/86 lineside signed as '70' southbound from Amersham, could be past the speedo mark of "70" and approach the next un-marked graduation on the speedo, Chorleywood-Rickmansworth.

 

[announcements]

My father was a Met driver from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. He told me that he regularly took 'A' stock above 70mph on the outer sections of the main line north of Rickmansworth.

I remember smelling the burning of the breaks when the A stock went at full speed on the last leg of the farewell tour!

 

[Old Walter]

I remember smelling the burning of the breaks when the A stock went at full speed on the last leg of the farewell tour!

Well yes, when I saw the post about the speeds that were reached pre-50mph, the first thing I thought of was the last bit of the tour and how post-50mph it happened as well : )

The downhill…..yes, Chalfont to Chorleywood SB in an A stock is the one that comes to my mind first : 0

 

[bramling]

I remember smelling the burning of the breaks when the A stock went at full speed on the last leg of the farewell tour!

Some staff involved in this found themselves in somewhat hot water as a result.

 

[jumble]

Almost right. A stock were only limited to 50 for the later half of their working lives. Before that, they regularly achieved higher speeds.

The A stocks were limited to 50 in theory but not in practice
I would get speeds of 60-65mph on my GPS many times Northbound around Neasden on the rush hour fasts
( I only started travelling on the Met often post 2010)

 

[Taunton]

For example, I know that the max speed of the Jubilee line is 62mph ... but not sure if the fast section between Canada Water and Canary Wharf is also that high.

This has always seemed a high speed section, for some reason especially westbound, but has varied over time, presumably with auto driving software changes. Sometimes it has been continuous motoring, other years a very notable on-off-on-off as the maximum is reached.