London Victoria station

Victoria
London Victoria
Victoria Station in Westminster, London
Victoria Location of Victoria in Central London
Location	Victoria
Local authority	City of Westminster
Managed by	Network Rail
Owner	Network Rail
Station code(s)	VIC
DfT category	A
Number of platforms	19
Accessible	Yes[1]
Fare zone	1
OSI	Victoria
Cycle parking	Yes – platforms 7–8 & 17–18
Toilet facilities	Yes
National Rail annual entry and exit
2019–20	73.559 million[2]
– interchange	5.756 million[2]
2020–21	13.791 million[2]
– interchange	1.385 million[2]
2021–22	36.776 million[2]
– interchange	3.296 million[2]
2022–23	45.564 million[2]
– interchange	3.268 million[2]
2023–24	50.830 million[2]
– interchange	3.290 million[2]
Key dates
1 October 1860	Opened by Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway
1860	Leased to London Brighton and South Coast Railway
25 August 1862	Separate station opened for London, Chatham and Dover and Great Western Railways
Other information
External links	Departures Facilities
Coordinates	51°29′43″N 0°08′39″W / 51.4952°N 0.1441°W / 51.4952; -0.1441
London transport portal

Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail.^[3] Named after the nearby Victoria Street,^[4] the main line station is a terminus of the Brighton Main Line to Gatwick Airport and Brighton and the Chatham Main Line to Ramsgate and Dover via Chatham. From the main lines, trains can connect to the Catford Loop Line, the Dartford Loop Line, and the Oxted line to East Grinstead and Uckfield. Southern operates most commuter and regional services to south London, Sussex and parts of east Surrey, while Southeastern operates trains to south-east London and Kent, alongside limited services operated by Thameslink. Gatwick Express trains run direct to Gatwick. The Underground station is on the Circle and District lines between Sloane Square and St James's Park stations, and on the Victoria line between Pimlico and Green Park stations. The area around the station is an important interchange for other forms of transport: a local bus station is in the forecourt and Victoria Coach Station is nearby.

Victoria was built to serve both the Brighton and Chatham Main Lines, and has always had a "split" feel of being two separate stations. The Brighton station opened in 1860 with the Chatham station following two years later. It replaced a temporary terminus at Pimlico, and construction involved building the Grosvenor Bridge over the River Thames. It became immediately popular as a London terminus, causing delays and requiring upgrades and rebuilding. It was well known for luxury Pullman train services and continental boat-train trips, and became a focal point for soldiers during World War I.

Like other London termini, steam trains were phased out of Victoria by the 1960s, to be replaced by suburban electric and diesel multiple-unit services; all services from the station are currently operated using electric multiple units. Despite the end of international services following the opening of the Channel Tunnel, Victoria still remains an important London terminal station. The connected Underground station, in particular, suffered from overcrowding, until a major upgrade was completed in the late 2010s.^[5] The Gatwick Express service provides easy access between Central London and Gatwick Airport for international travellers.