Oxford Circus tube station
Oxford Circus is an underground station of the London Underground in the City of Westminster. It is located in the Travelcard Zone 1, at the intersection of Oxford Street and Regent Street. In the station, three lines intersect at different levels: the Central Line, the Bakerloo Line and the Victoria Line. In 2011, 77.09 million passengers used the station.
History
The station was opened by the Central London Railway (CLR ), the predecessor of the Central Line, on 30 July 1900. On 10 March 1906, the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway followed ( BS & WR), today's Bakerloo Line. Both companies built a separate station building and elevator shafts. The still existing buildings are located on either side of Argyll Street, this road is located immediately southeast of the intersection and ends in Oxford Street.
Almost from the beginning, capacity constraints proved to be a permanent problem as the Oxford Street was a very popular shopping street at that time. After lengthy negotiations between the two companies began in 1912 the reconstruction. In the basement of the Bakerloo building a new ticket hall was built for both lines, escalators replaced the lifts to the platforms. Access to the Central Line was about existing pedestrian tunnel. On 9 May 1914, the new facilities were put into operation. However, due to ever-increasing ridership did not meet even this conversion. 1923 was also the Central Building escalators and was converted to a pure output. On October 2, 1928 third escalator to the Bakerloo Line started operation. 1942 they built a new elevator shaft to the station building on the Central Line.
The Victoria Line started its operations on March 7, 1969. To accommodate the additional passenger flows, they had built just below the junction of a new ticket hall. To facilitate the construction work was passed from August 1963 to April 1968 road as a " umbrella " called, bridge-like structure. The construction of the platforms of the Victoria Line, the new lift shafts and the connecting tunnel to the platforms of the Central Line was carried out by an access tunnel, which began at the nearby Cavendish Square. The tunnel of the Victoria Line came next to that of the Bakerloo Line to lie, so that it can be upgraded to the same platform today. With the commissioning of new escalators past the elevators could be removed.
On November 23, 1984 broke into the station from a fire. Causes it was probably caused by a discarded cigarette that had fallen through a ventilation shaft in a material space and then lit rags and paint thinner. The passengers were evacuated in time. There were no deaths to mourn, but 14 people suffered smoke inhalation. As a result of the accident has applied since February 1985 on the entire Underground network a total ban on smoking.
Plant
The competing companies CLR and BS & WR were considered in the early years to be building no direct connection to the platforms of the other company. This attitude is also reflected in the establishment of two different station buildings on either side of Argyll Street.
The building of the CLR was, like the other along this route, designed by architect Harry Bell Measures. It was first storey and was built in 1908 increased under the direction of Joseph Delissa to four storeys. Joseph drew his inspiration from the Flemish Renaissance. The building that housed the management of the CLR in the early years, is composed of yellowish brown and reddish bricks and a roof made of slate. Remarkable are the mannerist decorations. Since 2011, the building is a listed building (Grade II).
For the station building of the BS & WR, the architect Leslie Green was responsible. He used the standardized " house style " of the holding company Underground Electric Railways Company of London ( UERL ): A structural steel frame, blood red glazed terracotta bricks and large semicircular windows upstairs. A cartridge above the Eckfries contains the logo of the UERL; these are the only surviving copy. Also this building is listed Grade II since 2011.