When did Victoria replace London Bridge?

[WesternLancer]

Yes the 'Blackfriar' is directly opposite the Queen Victoria St. entrance to Blackfriars station - well worth a look for its tiled interior. Back in the day I used to go to meetings in the (former) South West Trains offices on Blackfriars Rd. - this was a favoured rendezvous afterwards!

Thanks. I need to break my Thameslink journey sometime

 

[Surreytraveller]

Technically theyre permitted but only with prior permission to allow station staff to get the fans up to speed prior to arrival.

They're permitted in emergency. The fans are in the wrong position for 171s, so don't make any difference

 

[30907]

Brighton line services has long history of at least a few trains per day, usually in the morning and evening peaks, terminating and starting at London Bridge for people who worked in the city.

A 1950's timetable (1955 and 58 are freely available on timetableworld.com) will give a pretty good idea of the post-electrification pattern: offpeak at LBG there was just a Brighton/Reigate stopper and on some hours a semi-fast (I think this was hourly pre war) with similar stops to the xx28 from Victoria.
However every main line route had at least as good a peak service from LBG as from VIC and probably better. Not for nothing did the SR build 3 6-CITy sets with extra 1st class - the 5pm down City Limited dated back to LBSC days. (Edited)

 

[WesternLancer]

A 1950's timetable (1955 and 58 are freely available on timetableworld.com) will give a pretty good idea of the post-electrification pattern: offpeak at LBG there was just a Brighton/Reigate stopper and on some hours a semi-fast (I think this was hourly pre war) with similar stops to the xx28 from Victoria.
However every main line route had at least as good a service from LBG as from VIC and probably better. Not for nothing did the SR build 3 6-CITy sets with extra 1st class - the 5pm down City Limited dated back to LBSC days.

Thanks for the info. Yes I’ve just not had time to look or indeed peruse my own selection of paper old timetable books from selected years.

So helpful to read that. I’d forgotten about 6 CIT sets. I’ll have to look them up.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

A 1950's timetable (1955 and 58 are freely available on timetableworld.com) will give a pretty good idea of the post-electrification pattern: offpeak at LBG there was just a Brighton/Reigate stopper and on some hours a semi-fast (I think this was hourly pre war) with similar stops to the xx28 from Victoria.
However every main line route had at least as good a service from LBG as from VIC and probably better. Not for nothing did the SR build 3 6-CITy sets with extra 1st class - the 5pm down City Limited dated back to LBSC days.

Every main route during the rush hour you mean?

 

[Rescars]

Did much traffic ever go to Brighton via Uckfield and Lewes pre-Beeching? IIRC in the early 80's there were loco hauled trains from LBG to Uckfield during the evening peak, but only demus from VIC.

 

[35B]

Did much traffic ever go to Brighton via Uckfield and Lewes pre-Beeching? IIRC in the early 80's there were loco hauled trains from LBG to Uckfield during the evening peak, but only demus from VIC.

Relatively little, because the main flows were to Tunbridge Wells West - the side of the Groombridge triangle that remains open wasn’t opened until about 1913.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Don’t forget three things.
1. How quiet the London Bridge area was off-peak. Borough Market etc were nothing like what they are now.
2. Jubilee Line is a game changer allowing direct access to the West End and points east.
3. Old London Bridge station wasn’t especially nice and pre-Thameslink the lack of fast trains to E Croydon meant going via London Bridge was an all stations experience before 16:30 and after 18:30. Fast to E Croydon from Victoria was much preferred.

 

[WesternLancer]

3. Old London Bridge station wasn’t especially nice

Do you mean pre recent rebuild or pre 1975 rebuild ?

Some good footage of 1975 rebuild and before in this BTF film 'Operation London Bridge' eg about half way through.

I did think they went heavy on the brown cladding stuff in 1975 - no doubt fairly fashionable then - but pretty dated before too long. I can't personally really recall it pre 1975.

I loved the old overall roof however.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Both to be honest, though my memory is only post 1975.

 

[Brightonboy]

Growing up in Brighton in the '60's & 70's, if we went to London as a family it was automatically to Victoria - ideally on the fast (headcode 4) service at, iirc, the hour. When we started travelling to Erith to visit family then we always had to change at E Croydon for LBG and then again there. What little I recall of LBG in that era was that the terminal platforms were very quiet and that the high level platforms were connected at the western ends by a subway with very long ramps to platform level.

 

[Taunton]

The difference at London Bridge nowadays is that both Thameslink since year 1990, and the Jubilee Line since year 2000, give much better penetration across central London than Victoria, which itself has always seemed somewhat peripheral. Even going to say Paddington it's a straight across Underground connection at Baker Street rather than the crowded passages of Oxford Circus.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Went to London Bridge from Three Brudges in the 80's, arriving during the PM peak. On the opposite platform I arrived on was a train to Dorking that was so full, commuters couldn't find a place to stand. Can't remember why I was there. Going to the Barbican perhaps?

 

[Cricketer8for9]

But that’s the point. It was a high peak station on the terminal side.

 

[Western Sunset]

Last Sunday you could've experienced London Bridge replacing Victoria, as Vic (West side) was closed and all trains used LB.

 

[Rescars]

The difference at London Bridge nowadays is that both Thameslink since year 1990, and the Jubilee Line since year 2000, give much better penetration across central London than Victoria, which itself has always seemed somewhat peripheral. Even going to say Paddington it's a straight across Underground connection at Baker Street rather than the crowded passages of Oxford Circus.

We should recognise the importance of the Victoria Line for easing access to Euston, King's Cross and St Pancras from VIC for folk living south of the Thames. The Northern Line City Branch via LBG is significantly less convenient. Prior to the Jubilee option, accessing Paddington required a visit to the delights of Oxford Circus, or the traditional tedious jog around the Circle Line.