Victoria Line Extension

[lensmeister]

Many moons ago (I think it was the 1980s) I saw an article about a haunting in the Streatham area that involved poltergeist and that sort of thing.

The investigations revealed that the house being haunted was built over a section of an unfinished section of a Victoria Line extension that was to go through Streatham to Crystal Palace. The location of the house was over a point where the tunnel collapsed and workers lost their lives.

1. Anyone know if this is true about the collapse?
   
2. Were workers killed there?
3. Was the line supposed to be extended to Crystal Palace?
4. If it was how can I get info on the extension plans?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[quex]

While extension of the Victoria line south of Brixton has been talked about and seriously proposed many times, in reality the tunnels only go as far south as Somerleyton Road, Brixton. So I'm not sure the story holds much water I'm afraid.

There seems to be a recurring "meme" of a tunnel collapse ghost story in the Crystal Palace area. Sometimes it refers to the Paxton Tunnel on the Crystal Palace High Level branch, where there was supposedly some commuter train accident so awful that apparently the trains, bodies and all, were sealed up inside. There's so record of any serious accident anything like this on the Crystal Palace High Level branch, however.

There's a very persistent tale about the old Rammell pneumatic railway, where in the 70s (?) a local lady claimed to have fallen through a hole in the ground and stumbled across the old carriage sealed inside a tunnel, with skeletons in Victorian dress still inside. Given that the lady in question reported falling in near the site of the Palace itself - some distance from where the experimental railway is recorded to have been - it's difficult to say there's any truth in the tale. That's notwithstanding that very little of the railway was actually "underground".

That's not to say that these aren't all great stories. There's nothing wrong with having a bit of fun with a spooky tale as long as it doesn't supplant the truth.

[revupminster]

It's an urban myth but you can make a film out of it. Death Line springs to mind ("mind the doors" anyone). Hobbs End featured in Quatermass and the Pit.

[selbiehouse]

I would suggest that the story is a work of fiction.   As I understand it there is provision to stable two eight car trains on each track beyond the south end of the platforms at Brixton.   I worked in the Financial Research Office dealing with the capital budgets at this time and I can say with certainty that there was never any construction work performed beyond Brixton.

[lensmeister]

Thanks chaps.

It intrigued me as to how it happened but there was no mention in news of the collapse.

[nickf]

Dec 19, 2020 11:17:52 GMT revupminster said:

It's an urban myth but you can make a film out of it. Death Line springs to mind ("mind the doors" anyone). Hobbs End featured in Quatermass and the Pit.

There was a Goon Show devoted to this subject as well! I have it somewhere on an LP.

[seaeagle]

Dec 19, 2020 12:41:56 GMT selbiehouse said:

As I understand it there is provision to stable two eight car trains on each track beyond the south end of the platforms at Brixton.

Both sidings at Brixton can stable two trains, however it is only signalled to take one train in each siding. To get a second train in either siding is an emergency move only