victoria line travel times

Victoria Line - current status, departures & statistics

Times, Timetables, Maps, Info, Stuff.

Victoria Line Stations & Tube Map

Victoria line map.

This is a single line tube map for the Victoria Line on the London Underground. All stations are listed, all zones are displayed. Interchange lines and journey times between each stop are also shown.

A List of Victoria Line Stations

This is a list of all Victoria Line stations from Walthamstow Central to Brixton.

Walthamstow Central Blackhorse Road Tottenham Hale Seven Sisters Finsbury Park Highbury & Islington King’s Cross St. Pancras Euston Warren Street Oxford Circus Green Park Victoria Pimlico Vauxhall Stockwell Brixton

The Victoria Line: The Backbone of London’s Underground

The Victoria Line, a vital artery in the heart of London’s extensive Underground network, has been facilitating swift and efficient travel across the city since its inauguration in 1968. This line not only connects the North-Eastern suburbs to the South-Western localities but also serves as a critical link between major transport hubs and attractions throughout London.

A Journey Through Time

The inception of the Victoria Line marked a pioneering moment in the history of London’s Underground. Conceived amidst the burgeoning need for faster transport solutions post-World War II, its construction faced numerous challenges, from navigating London’s dense urban fabric to pioneering automatic train operation. The line’s strategic stations, including King’s Cross St Pancras, Euston, and Victoria, are not just transit points but landmarks steeped in architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Technological Trailblazer

At the forefront of innovation, the Victoria Line introduced automated signalling systems, setting a precedent for modern urban railway operations. The line’s rolling stock has evolved over the years, from the initial 1967 Stock to the contemporary 2009 Stock trains, offering enhanced speed, reliability, and comfort. These advancements have solidified the Victoria Line’s reputation for operational excellence, boasting one of the highest frequencies and shortest intervals between trains on the Underground network.

The Commuter’s Companion

The Victoria Line significantly reduces travel time across London, embodying efficiency and convenience. It’s not just a mode of transport but a lifeline for the city’s commuters, enabling swift transitions between key destinations and other Underground lines. Anecdotes from daily travellers highlight the line’s role in their lives, from serendipitous meetings to the daily hustle, painting a vivid picture of urban movement and interaction.

Looking Ahead

The future of the Victoria Line looks promising, with plans for further technological enhancements and capacity expansions to accommodate London’s growing transport demands. Challenges such as maintaining service efficiency amidst increasing passenger numbers and infrastructure ageing are at the forefront of Transport for London’s agenda. These initiatives aim to sustain the line’s legacy as a critical component of London’s transport ecosystem, ensuring it continues to serve as a model of urban transit efficiency.

In conclusion, the Victoria Line is more than just a subway line; it’s a symbol of London’s dynamic evolution and its commitment to providing an efficient, reliable public transport system. As it moves towards future advancements, the Victoria Line remains a testament to the city’s unwavering spirit of innovation and resilience.

Keep Informed...

Receive irregular news, post notifications and information!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Cookie Settings

Privacy overview.

Route Planner

Alternative Route

Station information, victoria line, route and journey times.

Cookie Consent

A1 Publishing Ltd and our advertising partners would like the opportunity of serving you with personalised ads. In order to do so we need your consent. By giving consent we may set various cookies in order to identify you and or your traits thus allowing us to provide more relevant advertising. Otherwise you will be presented with contextual or random ads only and no personal data will be saved.

Map of the Victoria Line

The Victoria Line connects the north of the city with the south. It was named in honour of Queen Victoria.

Jubilee, Elizabeth and Victoria lines honour both the history and the monarchy of London.

Victoria Line maps

See the stations on the map below (April 2024).

→ Click map to zoom ←

Overview of this tube line:

• Opened in 1968.
• Colour: Light blue.
• Underground.
• 16 stations.
• 21 km (13 miles) long.

Should you wish to explore the entirety of the London Underground network, you are invited to view the comprehensive London Tube map . This resource includes a page where all lines are neatly presented together (yet distinctly separate) , or you may opt to examine individual lines simultaneously.

List of Victoria Line Stations

Route brixton - walthamstow central.

This is a list of all Victoria Line stations from Brixton to Walthamstow Central.

Reverse route view

London tube map | Timetable | Fares | All subway lines

Winterville

What Is the Victoria Line on the Tube | Stations, Routes, Fares, Tickets, and More

December 21, 2022

Winterville Staff

Travelling to London anytime soon? You should know that you will probably be using a variety of public transport in London .

From hopping on the iconic red London Bus to sky-high Cable Cars , there are many ways to get to your destination.

If you prefer a faster mode of transportation, riding the London Underground  or the Tube is the best option.

It is easy to reach your destination with its 11 lines and 272 stations operating across London. Among London Underground’s lines is the Victoria line .

The Victoria line is connected to several Tube lines and railways, so it’s easy to transfer when needed.

Interested to learn more about the Victoria line? This article covers key information on the Victoria line, from the stations it serves to routes and fares.

As a bonus, the article also shares some sightseeing opportunities along the Victoria line.

Some other Tube lines

• Bakerloo line
• Central Line
• Circle line
• District Line
• Hammersmith & City line
• Jubilee line
• Metropolitan line
• Northern line
• Piccadilly line
• Waterloo & City line

In summary, the topics the article covers are the following:

Quick Facts About the Victoria Line

List of victoria line stations, list of victoria line routes and stops, victoria line map colour, list of victoria line fare zones, payments and fares on the victoria line, where to go sightseeing along victoria line stations, frequently asked questions.

• 1 Quick Facts About the Victoria Line
• 2.0.1 Table of Victoria Line Stations and Interchange (A – Z)
• 3.0.1 Table of Victoria Line Routes and Stops (Day Service)
• 3.0.2 Table of Victoria Line Routes and Stops (Night Service)
• 4 Victoria Line Map Colour
• 5 List of Victoria Line Fare Zones
• 6.0.1 Victoria Line Pay as you go Caps and Travelcard Adult Rates Table
• 7 Where to Go Sightseeing Along Victoria Line Stations
• 8 Frequently Asked Questions
• 9 How’s the Journey on the Victoria Line?

The Victoria line opened to the public in September 1968 and made its last line extension in 1971.

The reason for its construction was to mainly connect four terminals: Euston, St. Pancras, King’s Cross, and Victoria.

It serves 16 stations and is a rapid transit train part of the London Underground .

Moreover, it ranks as the fourth busiest among the 11 lines of the London Tube , with an average trip per annum of 263,400,000.

In total, it has a line length of 21 km or 13 mi and an average train speed of 40.66 km per hour .

One interesting fact about the line is that it was the world’s first automatic passenger railway with its Automatic Train Operation system (ATO).

The 16 stations Victoria line serves are all outlined in the table below in alphabetical order.

The table also indicates connections available per station.

In fact, all stations are connected to other lines and railways except Pimlico Underground Station.

You can transfer to other London Underground lines , London Overground , and National Rail.

Table of Victoria Line Stations and Interchange (A – Z)

The Victoria line only runs on one route, from Brixton to Walthamstow Central, and vice versa.

The table below shows the stations in order, from the first station to the last.

Moreover, the route is available for both day and night services.

Night services run only on the Night Tube , which is available every Friday and Saturday evenings on the Victoria , Central , Jubilee , Northern , and Piccadilly lines.

Table of Victoria Line Routes and Stops (Day Service)

Use the Victoria line last service timetable  to check night service times.

If you are to refer to the timetable for Friday’s last services for the route Brixton Underground Station to Walthamstow Central Underground Station, you can see that the last services are as follows:

• Depart 02:07 / Arrive 02:38
• Depart 02:17 / Arrive 02:48
• Depart 02:27 / Arrive 02:58
• Depart 02:37 / Arrive 03:08
• Depart 02:47 / Arrive 03:18
• Depart 02:57 / Arrive 03:28

Table of Victoria Line Routes and Stops (Night Service)

Look for a light blue line  on the Tube map  by Transport for London (TfL). The map is easy to use thanks to the clear and complete legend of symbols.

The symbols you will see are for step-free access, interchange lines, fare zones , airports, cable cars , IKEA stores, and many more.

(Image via Wikimedia Commons  – Generated as part of the London Underground geographic maps  project by software written by ed g2s  • talk  and James D. Forrester  utilising GPS data.)

Besides interchanges and step-free access, the Tube map also shows the Fare Zones .

There are grey and white shaded areas with numbers on the map, which indicate the station’s fare zone number. Why are there fare zones and what is the purpose?

Fare zones are assigned to each station to help compute the total fare from zone to zone.

Also, knowing the zones is necessary when you buy capped Pay-as-you-go cards or Travelcards, where you can select a valid zone. In total, there are nine zones: Zones 1 through Zone 9.

It is used for several public transport in London , including the Tube , DLR , Elizabeth Line , London Overground , River Bus , and most National Rail services. Stations on the Victoria line are divided into the following zones :

• Vauxhall Underground Station (1/2)
• Pimlico Underground Station
• Victoria Underground Station
• Green Park Underground Station
• Oxford Circus Underground Station
• Warren Street Underground Station
• Euston Underground Station
• King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground Station
• Highbury & Islington Underground Station
• Finsbury Park Underground Station
• Stockwell Underground Station
• Brixton Underground Station
• Seven Sisters Underground Station
• Tottenham Hale Underground Station
• Blackhorse Road Underground Station
• Walthamstow Central Underground Station

Victoria line fares can be paid with an Oyster Card , Contactless Card , Travelcard , or Visitor Oyster Card .

Cards such as Oyster, Visitor, and Contactless let you pay only for journeys you take, with a capped limit. Travelcards, however, allow you to travel as much as you want and have unlimited journeys.

It is still possible to purchase a paper ticket at Victoria line stations even if you don’t have one of the payment cards mentioned.

However, paper tickets are more expensive. In order to use capped Pay as you go cards or Travelcards, you need to specify which zones and duration you wish to use them for.

The discounted rate will not apply if you travel in a zone other than those included in your card.

Check and compare the payment cards through the guide Visitor Oyster Card Vs Oyster Card Vs Travel Card Vs Contactless Card . For more information about the Victoria line’s fare per zone, refer to the table below for adult rates.

Alternatively, you can use TfL’s Single fare finder  tool to know how much it costs per journey or the Caps and Travelcard prices  tool to find out how much it costs per zone.

Get the complete list of adult fares from Zones 1 to 9 through the guide London Fare Zones Explained .

Victoria Line Pay as you go Caps and Travelcard Adult Rates Table

Are you interested in wildlife or keen on history? Perhaps you like arts and theatres and galleries?

This sightseeing list has got you covered with the most interesting must-visit places that are just a few minutes away from the Victoria line stations.

Find tasty treats at Walthamstow Market, connect with nature at Walthamstow Wetlands, London Wildlife Trust, and explore engines at Markfield Beam Engine & Museum.

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art is a paradise for art enthusiasts, whereas The Photographers’ Gallery is a go-to place to appreciate photography.

There’s always something to discover in London and you’ll never run out of things to do and explore.

Walthamstow Market

Station: Walthamstow Central

Address: 116 High St, London E17 7JX, United Kingdom

Visit Website

Walthamstow Wetlands, London Wildlife Trust

Station: Blackhorse Road

Address: 2 Forest Rd, London N17 9NH, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 3989 7448

Tottenham Marshes

Station: Tottenham Hale

Address: Watermead Way, London N17 0XD, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 300 003 0610

Markfield Beam Engine and Museum

Station: Seven Sisters

Address: Markfield Rd, London N15 4RB, United Kingdom

Email: [email protected]

  在 Instagram 查看这篇帖子   Markfield Beam Engine & Museum (@markfieldbeamengine) 分享的帖子

Park Theatre

Station: Finsbury Park

Address: 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7870 6876

  在 Instagram 查看这篇帖子   Park Theatre (@parktheatrelondon) 分享的帖子

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art

Station: Highbury & Islington

Address: 39A Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7704 9522

The British Library

Station: Kings Cross St Pancras

Address: 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 330 333 1144

Wellcome Collection

Station: Euston

Address: 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7611 2222

Camden People’s Theatre

Station: Warren Street

Address: 58-60 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 2PY, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7419 4841

The Photographers’ Gallery

Station: Oxford Circus

Address: 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7087 9300

Spencer House

Station: Green Park

Address: 27 St James’s Pl, St. James’s, London SW1A 1NR, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7514 1958

Buckingham Palace

Station: Victoria

Address: London SW1A 1AA, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 303 123 7300

Tate Britain

Station: Pimlico

Address: Millbank, London SW1P 4RG, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7887 8888

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Tate (@tate)

Vauxhall City Farm

Station: Vauxhall

Address: 165 Tyers St, London SE11 5HS, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7582 4204

Right Track Project Karting

Station: Stockwell

Address: 40 Priory Grove, London SW8 2PD, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7622 8756

Brixton Village Market

Station: Brixton

Address: Unit 74 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8PS, United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 7274 2990

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Brixton Village (@brixton.village)

How do I plan a journey on the Victoria line?

There are several helpful apps to guide you throughout your commute on the Victoria line. One of the tools of TfL that you can use is their Plan a journey  tool.

Simply input your current location and desired destination, as well as your departure time. From there, the page shows results for the best routes to take, total fare, and transportation options available.

How long is the travel time between the two termini on the Victoria line?

The total travel time from Brixton Underground Station to Walthamstow Central Underground Station is 31 minutes.

For instance, if you depart at 09:00 AM, the estimated arrival time is 09:31 AM.

Are there delays on the Victoria line?

You can find out if there are delays on the Victoria line through TfL’s Status updates page . Click on Victoria line to see information on delays and line conditions.

The page normally shows the cause of delays, such as train cancellations and faulty trains. It also informs you of which specific part of the line has delays and which has good services.

Aside from a severe or minor delay status, you can also see other conditions such as good service, part suspended, and service closed.

Are Victoria line stations accessibility-friendly?

Step-free access is available on all London Underground lines . You can expect the Victoria line to be step-free from street to train.

Check the Tube map  and look for symbols indicating stations with step-free.

Alternatively, refer to the Step-free Tube  and Avoiding stairs Tube  maps for a detailed guide on accessibility.

What is the first service departure time on the Victoria line termini?

The first service from Brixton Underground Station for journeys on Mondays to Fridays leaves at 05:26 AM, whereas the first service for Saturdays and Sundays leaves at 03:07 AM.

If you are departing from Walthamstow Central Underground Station, the first service departs at 05:25 AM from Mondays to Fridays and 03:00 AM for Saturdays and Sundays.

Check the Victoria line timetable  to check the first and last services, as well as departure and arrival times on each hour.

How do I use Pay as you go cards and Travelcards on the Victoria line?

The London Underground lines follow the touch in and out  method.

The correct way to pay for your fare is by touching in on the yellow card reader upon entering and then touching out again when exiting at your end station.

If you touch in only and do not touch out, you may be charged the maximum fare  or a penalty .

Is it possible to use two different payment cards on a single journey on the Victoria line?  

No, you must use the same payment card for a single journey in order to correctly calculate your fare based on your start and end stations.

If you used a Travelcard upon entering, you need to use the same Travelcard when exiting at your last station.

If you use two different payment cards for a single journey, you may be charged the maximum fare  or a penalty .

How’s the Journey on the Victoria Line?

Determine which zones you plan to travel to help you know the zone validity you wish to apply for a payment card .

Plus, remember to touch in and out upon entering and exiting the stations to avoid penalty charges.

Lastly, get the help of travel tools and read helpful blogs  to plan your trip accordingly.

Have you ever ridden the Victoria line? Share your thoughts about the services, facilities, and other experiences you have by commenting below.

If you have tips and advice for fellow travellers, post them in the comments section as well.

Aside from riding the Victoria line, there is a high chance you will be commuting to other London Underground  lines as well, such as Bakerloo Line , Piccadilly Line , Circle Line , Northern Line , Jubilee line , District Line , Central line , and Metropolitan line , to name a few.

If you plan to commute around London throughout your stay, you should also be familiar with other convenient public transportation . Here is a complete list of public transportation in London:

• Elizabeth Line
• London Overground
• Cable Cars London
• London Underground
• Minicabs and black taxis
• Driving in London

Alternatively, you can also hire or rent via:

• Taxi apps in London
• Bike Rental London
• Santander Cycles

Enjoy your travels and have a safe commute in London!

You May Also Love From Winterville.co.uk

7 Top Shooting Ranges in London for Gun Enthusiasts (Updated 2023)

Uncovering The Best Places To Live In Manchester Uk | Where Are Safest And Dangerous Areas In Manchester?

Find the Best Place to Live in Birmingham UK | Dangerous Areas and Safe Areas In Birmingham, Schools, Job Opportunities, and More!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

London Victoria station - Train Times, Tube Fares & Stairs

• London Underground delays at Victoria
• Next train departures from Victoria
• Train fares from Victoria
• Peak and off-peak times
• Platform stairs, lifts and escalators
• Journey planner from Victoria
• Station address and facilities

London Victoria station has 19 platforms. It is in Oyster fare zone 1 and connects with the Circle, District and Victoria underground lines. It also serves National Rail

London Underground delays at Victoria station

Next train from victoria station.

Tube line closures on the Circle, District and Victoria line

Underground train fares from Victoria

Victoria station is in zone 1 (central London)

Peak and off-peak journey times

For Oyster and contactless off-peak is outside the hours of 6.30 AM-9.30 AM and 4 PM-7 PM (Mon-Fri). For travelcards off-peak is any time after 9.30 AM (Mon-Fri). Weekends and public holidays are always classed as off-peak. Note: Between the 8th March and 31st May 2024 TFL are running a trial called ‘Off-Peak Friday Fares’, where Fridays will be classed as off-peak all day.

The underground fare is based on what time your journey begins. It doesn’t matter what time your journey ends.

Platform stairs, lifts and escalators at Victoria

The Victoria line at Victoria tube station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. The Circle and District lines only have step-free access from the street to the platform, and there may be a step up or gap to the train

Station entrance – There’s a lift from the entrance to the booking hall. If you want to avoid the lift then you can use one flight of stairs from the Victoria Street entrance (17 steps down), or two flights from the Wilton Road entrance (19 steps down +7 steps down). After that there’s another lift down to the platforms. If you want to avoid the lift then you can use one flight of stairs to the Circle/​District westbound platform (24 steps down), or two flights to the Circle/​District eastbound platform (16 steps down +7 steps down), or one escalator and one flight of 4 steps to the Victoria line platforms

Station exit – There’s a lift from the platforms to the booking hall. If you want to avoid the lift then you can use one flight of stairs from the Circle/​District westbound platform (24 steps up), or two flights from the Circle/​District eastbound platform (7 steps up +16 steps up), or one escalator and one flight of 4 steps from the Victoria line platforms. After that there’s another lift to the exit. If you want to avoid the lift then you can use one flight of stairs to the Victoria Street exit (17 steps up), or two flights to the Wilton Road exit (7 steps up +19 steps up)

Changing train platforms – You can use a lift when changing between the Circle/​District/​Victoria/​National Rail platforms

Tube journey planner – Timetables, First & Last Train Times

Look up timetables and first and last train times from London Victoria to Bank , Charing Cross , Earl’s Court , Euston , King’s Cross , Liverpool Street , London Bridge , Marylebone , Paddington , Waterloo or another train station:

Other underground stations that are close to London Victoria include St James’s Park , Sloane Square and Pimlico station

Victoria underground station facilities

Your comments and questions.

Ash Is this Victoria Coach station?

Staff No, Victoria coach station is about a 5 to 10-minute walk from Victoria train station. When you come out of the station you need to walk straight down Buckingham Palace Road, and it will be on the righthand side

Maria Moss How do I book tickets on tube from Victoria station to Paddington station

Staff It's not possible to book single tickets online in advance. You can only get those at the station from a ticket window or a self service machine. If you want to get a ticket online in advance then you'll have to get an Oyster card or travelcard... or you can just use your contactless bank card to tap down at the gate, then you won't need a ticket at all.

474DB Can you get from Victoria to Paddington direct on the circle line or do I need to change?

Staff The Circle line goes direct to Paddington (be aware that if you board the District line instead, from the same platform, then you would have to change)

Colin What line and platform do I use from Euston to Victoria on underground

Staff From Euston you'll need the Victoria southbound platform

Eugene How do I get from Victoria station to Earl's Court tube station please?

Staff You can just catch the district line the whole way. Get a westbound train. Don't jump on a Circle line train from the same platform though, because that doesn't go to Earl's Court

MM Which platforms do I need from Victoria to Baker Street on the underground

Staff Hi MM. You need the Victoria northbound platform. Then change onto the Jubilee northbound platform at Green Park.

Mark What is the best kind of same day return ticket for a trip from Victoria. What should I ask the guy at the counter? Thanks

Staff Hi Mark. If you're talking about a journey on the London underground then they don't do return fares anymore. You just pay the same price as two singles. You could get a 1-day travelcard, but it will cheaper just to use your contactless bank card instead. The maximum you'll pay is the 'daily cap' for whichever zones you're travelling through.

Comernigel How do I pay cash at Victoria station?

Staff Hi Comernigel. You can use cash at a manned window or a self-service ticket machine. But not every ticket machine accepts cash, some of them only accept cards (it will say so at the top)

Jenny Ann What is the best way to get to London City Airport? I think there is no direct line, isn`t it?

Staff Hi Jenny, You'll have to change trains at least twice to get to London City Airport -- city-guide.london/​transport/​train-journey.php?from=victoria&to=london-city-airport

Josie To ensure the train we get on is going the right direction, ie : from Victoria towards Warren Street and not away from Warren Street, which train should we board?

Staff Hi Josie. You'll need the northbound platform, and the LCD board on the platform will say the train is heading towards Walthamstow Central (which is the last stop on the line).

Mr D Harries I will be traveling from Victoria station to Greenwich by tube on Saturday but will I be charged twice on my contactless bank card, as I have to walk from Canary Wharf to Heron Quay to catch the DLR to Greenwich?

Staff Hi Mr Harries. If you exit the station through the barriers then that will be the end of your journey, and you'll be charged for another one when you reboard at Heron Quays. You could just change onto the DLR at Canary Wharf though. Heron Quays is very close by, but you don't really need to change there

angela Are the trains from victoria to kew above ground?

Staff Hi Angela. Its mainly below ground to Earls Court, then after that its all above ground to Kew, apart from a little bit after Hammersmith

Eric How does one get from District line (coming from Hammersmith) out of Victoria station at the right place to catch the #2 bus?

Eric I should have added that the need is to use lift(s) to get from the track level to the street, avoiding all stairs since heavy luggage is involved.

Staff Hi Eric. Bus stop F is the one nearest to the front of the station. Stop H is close as well, but it depends which direction youre travelling (H goes towards Marylebone, F to Norwood)

Eric Thanks. Any particular advice on where to sit on a District train coming from Hammersmith in order to exit at Victoria near a lift, or where to find a lift upon exiting the train which will place us near the front of the station? As I wrote in my second query, we are seeking to avoid stairs getting to the surface level and out of the station.

Staff There’s definitely a lift from the underground up to the main booking hall, so you dont need to climb any stairs. we dont have a map of the underground part, but this map shows where the lift comes out into the booking hall (its the one near the bottom, by the underground sign - you can see Terminus Place where your bus stops are) - networkrail.co.uk/​wp-content/​uploads/2021/08/Victoria-Map.pdf

Eric Great information; thanks. Last question: is there any benefit to changing from Piccadilly line to District line at Baron's Court vs. Hammersmith? I know the latter is simply a cross-platform situation. Baron's Court has been suggested as less busy, but unknown if it is also simply a cross-platform transfer. Recommendation?

Staff Assuming that you want both trains going in the same direction then its cross platform. otherwise youll have to use the stairs up and stairs back down again. hammersmith, earls court and south kensington are usually the busiest stations along that stretch, but it depends when youre going, lots of people will probably get off at hammersmith so maybe it will be easier to get a seat

Justin How large are the lockers at this station (height, width, depth)?

Staff Hi Justin. We've emailed them for you, and will see what they say - left-baggage.co.uk/​en/​left-luggage

You must enable javascript to leave a comment

> Forum: London Buses, Taxis & Trains

11 London Underground facts you won't know about the Victoria line

It might be a pain at rush hour, but the Victoria Line does get us around the city quickly

• 05:00, 15 FEB 2021
• Updated 11:27, 15 FEB 2021

Get FREE email updates for everything London Underground

We have more newsletters

The Victoria line - lovingly known as the Vicky - is a firm favourite among time-pressed Londoners.

It is a Tube line that ticks a lot of the boxes for linking major locations through the city so it is very handy.

The speedy London Underground route runs frequently and gets us around the city quickly.

We might complain about it at rush hour, but given the fact it runs from Walthamstow to Brixton in just 32 minutes it's undeniably a fast way to get from North to South London.

Having opened in the 1960s, the line also has an interesting history and some unique quirks.

For more news and features about London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here

Here's 11 facts you may not know about the Victoria line .

1. It's the second shortest line

There are 13.25 miles (21km) of track on the Victoria Line, making it the second shortest Tube line on the network after the Waterloo and City line.

2. Most frequent service in the UK

The Victoria Line operates 36 trains per hour at the busiest times, with 100 seconds between trains.

Which comes in handy to serve the 250 million passengers who jump on board each year.

This makes it the most frequent train service in the UK and second most frequent in the world.

3. The Queen has actually been on it

Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to EVER take the Tube.

She rode on the Victoria Line for its opening in 1969, taking the short trip from Green Park to Victoria.

4. There's secret tunnels below it

Just below Stockwell station's platforms, there is an air raid shelter comprised of two tunnels.

5. Each station has tiled artwork

Each station has individual tiled artwork relating to each station or the surrounding area.

Brixton has a subtle brickwork design that is supposed to represent a ton of bricks... Get it?

6. It didn't always go to Brixton

The Victoria Line has been extended several times, and the southern extension to Brixton opened in 1971. Pimlico station was added in 1972.

7. It was going to have a different name

It wasn't initially planned to be called the Victoria Line.

Proposed names for the line included Viking line, for Victoria to King's Cross, and Walvic (Walthamstow to Victoria).

8. It used to run milk trains

Because of a creamery next door, Vauxhall used to run daily 'milk trains'.

They would pull into the station, and pour their contents into a pipe that led directly to the creamery.

9. Home to the busiest station

The Victoria Line is home to three of the busiest London Underground stations.

No prizes for guessing Oxford Circus is the busiest, while King's Cross is third and Victoria is fourth.

Get up to the minute updates on public transport and what the roads are like near you by entering your postcode into our handy widget below.

10. Miners excavated one million tonnes of earth

When excavating the tunnels miners dug up one million tonnes of earth to build the Victoria Line.

11. First deep level Underground in ages

Built in the 1960s, it was the first deep level Underground line to be built across Central London since 1907.

The only other line to have been built since was the Jubilee Line.

• London Underground
• Victoria Line
• Most Recent

The best ways to get from Heathrow Airport into London

Editor's Note

After a long flight, you just want to get from the airport to your hotel in the easiest (and, ideally, the most cost-effective) way possible.

With an airport as vast as London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) — the biggest and busiest flight hub in the United Kingdom — achieving that goal can seem daunting even though it's only 16 miles from central London.

There are several options for getting from Heathrow to the city center, depending on your flexibility, the amount of luggage you're carrying, your budget or your time constraints. You can choose between taxis, the Tube, Uber, dedicated train services and even the bus.

Here are the best options for traveling from Heathrow to London — along with how long they take and other pros and cons — so that you can start your trip off on the right foot.

London Underground (aka the Tube)

Heathrow is on the London Underground's Piccadilly line. To spot it, simply look out for the dark blue line on any Tube map.

The popular service — run by the Transport for London (or the TfL for short) — connects the airport to plenty of central city locations. Often, you won't even need to transfer once you've made it to the city center.

If you're looking for the cheapest option to get you from Heathrow into the city, this is likely it. However, it may not be the most comfortable if you are carrying lots of luggage or traveling during peak commuter hours — especially during summer.

Depart from : Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5; the latter two have Underground stations in Zone 6.

Possible destinations : The Piccadilly line directly serves Hammersmith, Gloucester Road, South Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Holborn and King's Cross St. Pancras, among other stops. The first and last stops on the line are Uxbridge (Zone 6) and Wood Green (Zone 3).

When does it run? Typically, you can expect Tubes to run from all terminals from around 5 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.; nighttime services from stations in Terminals 2, 3 and 5 run on Fridays and Saturdays. You can check the timetable from all stations here .

Transit time : This will obviously vary depending on your final destination. As a guide, it takes approximately 50 minutes to reach Piccadilly Circus from Heathrow's Terminal 5 or an hour to reach King's Cross St. Pancras.

Estimated cost : Single journeys from Heathrow to destinations in Zone 1 (such as Piccadilly and King's Cross) cost 5.60 British pounds ($7.09) if you pay contactless or with an Oyster card. Buying a ticket to central London at a machine will cost around 6.70 pounds (about $8.29) per person. Children under 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult.

If you're going outside of Zone 1 (such as to Hammersmith, in Zone 2), then you're looking at a smaller fare of 2.10 pounds (around $2.60) during peak times and 3.40 pounds (around $4.21) at off-peak times.

Paying for your trip : You can pay as you pass through the gates or by buying a ticket. The most convenient method is to use your contactless payment card by touching it on the yellow card readers found at Tube entrances and some platforms.

Note: The card readers aren't always connected to gates and are sometimes free-standing. Keep an eye out for them. If you don't tap in and out at the start and end of your journey, you'll get charged for traveling through Zones 1 to 9.

You can also tap in using a prepaid Oyster card, which is available to buy at all Tube and Overground stations, plus most Elizabeth Line stations, for 7 pounds (about $8.69); they're also available at some newsstands and visitor centers throughout London.

After purchasing an Oyster card, you can add money to the card using the ticket machines found inside Underground stations. You can then purchase daily or weekly travel cards covering various zones.

Alternatively, you can buy paper tickets from the ticket machines at each Tube, Overground and Docklands Light Railway station. One-way, return, daily and weekly travel cards are available.

Some stations also have staffed kiosks instead of ticket machines; you can ask for advice here on the best tickets to buy or routes to take.

Related: The best lounges at London Heathrow — and how to get inside

Elizabeth Line

A relatively recent addition to the TfL network, the Elizabeth Line opened in 2022. It is one of the fastest and cheapest options for traveling into central London from Heathrow Airport.

While not as cheap as the Tube, the Elizabeth Line trains are newer, roomier, air-conditioned and equipped with Wi-Fi. It's not quite as fast as the Heathrow Express (more details below), but it is more affordable.

Depart from : Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 railway stations.

Possible destinations : The Elizabeth Line travels direct from Heathrow to Abbey Wood, serving Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. You can see the full map on TfL's website .

There are no direct services between Canary Wharf and Terminal 5 except for some early morning and late evening services; instead, you must go via Paddington or transfer at Terminal 4. Trains arriving at Heathrow from Canary end at Terminal 4.

When does it run? Times vary by terminal and whether you're traveling during a weekday or weekend. Typically, the first trains leave between 5:15 and 6:05 a.m., and the last trains leave the airport between 11:46 p.m. and 12:13 a.m. Depending on your destination or starting point, you may find trains start slightly earlier or run marginally later. Find specific timing here .

Transit time : It depends on where you're headed. As a guide, Terminal 5 station to Paddington takes around 35 minutes, while traveling from stations in Terminal 2 and 3 to Liverpool Street takes about 45 minutes.

Estimated cost : Heathrow claims journeys to or from the airport that start or end in Zone 1 cost up to 12.80 pounds ($15.83) per person. However, if you use contactless payment or Oyster, TfL's single fare finder shows a single journey from Terminal 5 to Paddington on the Elizabeth Line costs 12.20 pounds ($15.44).

A journey from stations in Terminals 2 and 3 to Liverpool Street costs 13.30 pounds ($16.45). These prices only apply to contactless payments or Oyster payments. Buying a paper ticket via station ticket machines costs a small amount more — as discovered by TPG recently when we paid 14.30 pounds for an off-peak ticket from Liverpool Street to Heathrow via the Elizabeth Line.

Generally speaking, while savings are only minor, it's better to pay by contactless or Oyster card. Children under the age of 11 travel free with a fare-paying adult.

Heathrow Express

The direct train, Heathrow Express, is the fastest option to get from Heathrow to Paddington. The trains are relatively modern and, despite the short distance between its sole stop, they also have luggage racks and plugs for charging phones — handy if you're boarding after a long journey.

For onward journeys, Paddington is well connected to multiple Tube lines. Do note, however, that the Heathrow Express is more expensive than all other rail options.

Depart from : Terminals 2 and 3 station and Terminal 5 railway station; you'll need to take a free connecting shuttle to the station if you land in Terminal 4.

Possible destinations : Paddington station; for an extra cost, you can add connecting Tube travel.

When does it run? It typically operates from around 5 a.m. until midnight. Trains run every 15 minutes. See the full Heathrow Express timetable here .

Transit time : It takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington from Terminals 2 and 3 or 20 minutes from Terminal 5.

Estimated cost : A single Heathrow Express journey from Paddington to Heathrow usually costs 25 pounds ($31.65) per person, but you can sometimes pay less if you book in advance. If you're from Great Britain and have a National Railcard, you could pay as little as 16.50 pounds ($20.89).

Alternatively, you can sometimes find discounts online by searching for Heathrow Express vouchers or coupon codes.

The trains also have Business First Class carriages that start around 32 pounds ($40.51) for a single journey. This may not seem worth it given the short distance and travel time. However, Heathrow Express Business First Class ticket holders are also eligible to use Heathrow Airport's fast-track security service — it may be worth it if you're in a rush.

While the Heathrow Express is more expensive than other options, it can sometimes be a good deal for families; children under 15 travel free with a fare-paying adult.

If you are returning to the airport within one month of your ticket, an anytime ticket is cheaper overall than booking two single journeys, which start at 32 pounds ($40.51).

Frequent travelers can also save by buying carnets — starting at six tickets for 109.80 pounds ($138.99) for standard class or 160 pounds ($202.54) for Business First class.

If public transport isn't your thing or you need to travel between Heathrow and central London when other transport isn't running, you can easily book Uber rides. Naturally, this will cost more than a Tube or train ride.

Depart from : Short-stay parking lot in Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5; the app will tell you where to go once you've requested a ride and your driver is confirmed, depending on the terminal you're in.

You can typically find Uber pickup spots in the following locations:

• Terminal 2: Level 4, Row H (Short Stay Car Park 2)
• Terminal 3: Level 3, Row A (Short Stay Car Park 3)
• Terminal 4: Level 1, Private Hire Pickup
• Terminal 5: Level 1, Row R (Short Stay Car Park 5)

Possible destinations : You can use Uber to go wherever you like.

When does it run? In theory, you can get an Uber at any hour, but be wary of long waits during peak times.

Transit time : It varies depending on traffic, destination and other factors. (Pay attention to rush hour and commuting times.) As a rough guide, it typically takes approximately 50 minutes to reach Paddington by car or one hour to reach Piccadilly Circus from Terminal 5 (on a good day).

Note that despite its convenience, Uber isn't necessarily the quickest way to reach Heathrow from most locations.

Estimated cost : The cost of an Uber depends on traffic, your destination and other factors. As an example, it can cost 59 British pounds ($74.69) from Terminal 5 to Paddington or 63 British pounds ($79.75) to Piccadilly Circus for UberX rides, excluding tips.

Do note that groups of four or more with more than small suitcases will need to order either a larger car or multiple cars. Expect to pay more for an Uber Lux or Comfort journey.

Related: Frequent Uber or Lyft user? These are the best credit cards for you

Taxis (including black cabs, WeKnow and Addison Lee)

Beyond Uber, there are plenty of other taxi services in London. Options include hailing an iconic London black cab, prebooking an electric car from Heathrow's private hire transfer service WeKnow or arranging a pickup from a company such as Addison Lee.

The latter two options provide a meet-and-greet service to help get you and your luggage straight into the car.

If booking with Addison Lee, you'll be required to share your flight number at booking so the driver can adjust your ride in case of a delay.

Again, this mode of transport will be more expensive than using public transport.

Depart from : The relevant taxi rank outside Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 for a black cab; other services will specify the pickup location when you book, or the driver will meet you at the terminal.

Possible destinations : You can use this option to go wherever you'd like.

When does it run? In theory, you should be able to arrange a taxi or car transfer anytime.

Transit time : As with Uber, it varies depending on traffic, destination and other factors. Terminal 5 to Paddington will typically take around 50 minutes while heading to Picadilly Circus will usually take roughly one hour.

Estimated cost : Prices vary depending on the taxi service you opt for and traffic. Some estimates are below.

• Black cab : The meter starts when your ride begins. TfL — which manages London's black cabs — says trips from Heathrow to central London cost between 52 pounds ($65.83) and 97 pounds ($122.79). More information about black cabs is available here .
• WeKnow : Prices are fixed, so you'll know what you're paying when you book. Terminal 5 to Paddington or Piccadilly Circus typically costs 70 pounds ($88.61) to 94 pounds (around $118.99), depending on the car booked. A meet-and-greet service costs 9.99 pounds (about $12.65) extra. Book here .
• Addison Lee : Like WeKnow, prices for Addison Lee rides are fixed. A sample Terminal 5 to Paddington journey (leaving ASAP) was quoted online as 94.32 pounds ($119.40) or up to 122 pounds ($154.44), depending on the car size needed. The meet-and-greet is included in both prices. For an exact quote, visit Addison Lee's website and input your flight number and journey details.

Coach (including National Express and Megabus)

From Heathrow, National Express and Megabus coaches can drop you off at Victoria Coach station. They're usually inexpensive and often have Wi-Fi and power outlets. They can also carry your luggage in the hold. Here's where you can find Megabus luggage allowances and National Express luggage allowances .

While cheap, buses are not the quickest way to reach central London, as times fluctuate considerably depending on traffic, time of day and other factors.

Depart from : Heathrow's Central Bus Station between Terminals 2 and 3 is the quickest departure point for both National Express and Megabus coaches. From Terminal 4, you'll need to take the free shuttle to the bus station. You can also board a coach from Terminal 5 (look for arrivals level stops 13, 14 and 15 for the Megabus).

Possible destinations : You can use these modes of transportation to reach Victoria Coach station, which is a short five-minute walk from the Victoria Line at Victoria station. This line stops at Green Park, Oxford Circus, Warren Street and King's Cross.

When does it run? National Express coaches run throughout the day, with a service gap between 1 and 3:45 a.m. You can check times and prices here . For Megabus times, head here .

Transit time : From Terminals 2 and 3, National Express coaches take between 55 minutes and one hour and 20 minutes to reach Victoria Coach station. Megabus takes between 45 and 55 minutes for the same journey.

From Terminal 5, National Express coaches can take anywhere from one hour and 20 minutes to one hour and 35 minutes.

Estimated cost : National Express coach rides start from 6 pounds ($7.60) per person. For Megabus coaches, a single journey starts from 8 pounds ($10.13).

Other travel options

The 285 bus from Heathrow's Central Bus Station (serving Terminals 2 and 3) will take you to Feltham train station — it's 16 stops away. From there, you can take a 30- or 45-minute train to Waterloo via Clapham Junction.

London bus hopper fares cost 1.75 British pounds ($2.22), and train tickets start from 8.60 pounds ($10.89) per person. The hopper fares allow you to take unlimited journeys from one hour of tapping in.

This is probably the cheapest option from Heathrow to central London, but it is a long-winded option.

There are several local bus routes from the airport for those traveling somewhere in Greater London rather than central London. View them here .

Bottom line

The best route from Heathrow to central London depends on your budget, the amount of luggage you're traveling with and the amount of time and hassle you are willing to put up with.

The Elizabeth Line and Tube are our top picks to avoid street traffic and save money. If speed is your primary concern, then consider the Heathrow Express.

Need to get away from dragging luggage around or just want the absolutely simplest path from point A to point B? Consider an Uber or taxi.

Seattle – Victoria Ferry

FRS Clipper offers the only direct fast ferry service between Seattle and Victoria, BC—the Victoria Clipper.

The Victoria Clipper ferry operates year-round service, round-trip 1 time per day. The fast ferry features three main classes of service including Economy (lower deck), Vista (upper deck) and Comfort Class (upper deck) each with an upgrade option within each class. Comfort Class includes leather seating in a private spacious class cabin on the upper deck, panoramic views along with complimentary snacks, coffee and tea.

Victoria Clipper V Onboard Menu | Seating Classes and Chart | FAQs | ID & Travel Requirements | Clipper Fares | Current Special Offers

Ferry Schedule

Mar 28 – may 16, may 17 – sep 28, double sailings: may, double sailings: jun - sep, sep 29 – oct 13, oct 14 – nov 4, nov 5 – nov 26*, nov 27 2024 – jan 12, 2025*, double sailings: dec, double sailings: dec 2024, travel fares.

Schedule and fares subject to change. Rates are $10 USD higher per person/segment of travel for Fri/Sat departures from Seattle and Sun departures from Victoria.

Schedule and fares subject to change. Rates $10 USD higher per person/segment of travel for Fri/Sat departures from Seattle and Sun departures from Victoria.

Additional Fare Notes

ADVANCE Fare – Round-Trip only: Advanced purchase fares must be purchased a minimum of 2 days prior to travel date, non-refundable.

STANDARD Fares – Round-Trip only :  Standard fares are fully refundable for cancellations received 2 or more days prior to travel, non-refundable within 48 hours of travel date.

Hotel Package :  Non-refundable within 4 days of travel date.

Adult : Rates are $10.00 higher per segment of travel for Friday & Saturday departures from Seattle, and Sunday departures from Victoria. Additional fees apply to class upgrades. Child (1-11 yrs old) : Children pay 50% of adult fare.

All fares include applicable taxes. A security fee and fuel surcharge will be added to all Seattle/Victoria fares & packages. Non-cancelable; date, voyage restrictions may apply. Actual fares may vary based on booking and travel dates. All rates in US Dollars. Rates are based on economy class seating. Schedule is subject to change.

Group travel discounts available for 10+ people, traveling together. Please contact us to inquire.

Fare Classes

Economy Class Includes:

• Main cabin seating
• Table/group seating in select areas
• Onboard locally sourced food, spirits, and beverages available for purchase
• Onboard gift and duty-free shop

Vista Class Includes:

• Spacious leather seating with panoramic views

Comfort Class Includes:

• Comfort class priority check-in and boarding*
• Exclusive forward and top deck seating
• Panoramic views
• Luxury leather seats with individual tables
• Complimentary welcome drink
• Unlimited premium coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snacks
• Free checked luggage**

Travel Information and ID Requirements

Anytime you’re traveling between Canada and the United States, you’ll have to pass through Customs and Border Protection. That means no matter how you’re traveling from Seattle to Victoria or Victoria to Seattle, you’ll need a Passport, Passport Card, Enhanced Driver License or an Enhanced ID Card (EDL/ID). Learn more about ID and Travel Requirements.

Directions & Parking

Seattle clipper terminal.

2701 Alaskan Way, Pier 69 Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 448-5000

Nearby parking

Bell street pier garage.

Entrances on: 9 Wall St & 2323 Elliott Ave

Garage hours: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Cost: $10.00 per calendar day for Clipper passengers. Must obtain parking validation from the Victoria Clipper terminal. Garage has a height restriction of 6’6″

Victoria Terminal

Victoria ferry terminal.

Belleville Street Victoria, BC V8v 1W9 Canada (250) 382-8100

Belleville Street Terminal

Daily Parking

Hotel Grand Pacific Garage

Daily & overnight parking

463 Belleville St, Victoria, BC V8V 1X3, Canada

Customers should not use the meters located in the parking garage, but check-in at the hotel’s front desk to obtain a parking ticket either prior to parking or immediately after parking their vehicle in the garage.

2701 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA, United States

2701 Alaskan Way Pier 69, Seattle, WA 98121

254 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC, Canada

Save on Hotel Packages

We've done the hard work for you and vetted a wide array of Victoria's top hotels! You'll receive a special discount on your Victoria Clipper fast ferry when adding an overnight hotel stay and an even greater discount for a 2-night stay!

Visit The Butchart Gardens

Immerse yourself in more than 300,000 blooms at world-renowned The Butchart Gardens with a hotel package deal or day trip to Victoria from downtown Seattle on our high-speed Victoria Clipper V fast ferry!

"Being able to take the Clipper from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle is a perfect way to travel."

- Mistuhree, Duncan, CA TripAdvisor

"I loved the speed, comfort and convenience of how to get to Victoria. It drops you within walking distance of great hotels and all the Inner Harbour activities."

- Doug M., Seattle, WA TripAdvisor

"No TSA hassles. No long lines at the US-Canada border. Our trip was smooth and scenic."

- Tom_Fiala, Orlando, FL TripAdvisor

Traveler Specials

Get a great deal on Clipper travel with our best available rates, military and first responder appreciation fares, kids and senior discounts.

Victoria Overnight Packages & Day Trips

A short and scenic ride through the Salish Sea, Victoria is the perfect day trip destination from Seattle. Save on your Clipper cruise when you book an overnight hotel package!

Victoria Overnight Packages

Victoria Day Trips

Seattle Overnight Packages and Day Trips

Get the best Seattle travel deals with a package that bundles transportation, Seattle hotel accommodations and activities to best suit your travel needs!

Seattle Overnight Packages

Seattle Day Trips

Choose an Option to Begin Planning Your Trip

For guests traveling internationally, please review our ID and Requirements carefully before booking travel.

• Includes one-way or round trip travel via the Clipper ferry.
• Routes available between Seattle and Victoria
• Includes travel to any of our destinations with activities or hotel stay or both.
• Enjoy the convenience of booking the entire trip all at once.

Need help planning your trip? Call our Clipper Pacific Northwest travel experts at 800-888-2535 between 9am-6pm PDT (Mon-Fri), 9am-3pm PDT (Sat-Sun).

Plan Your Trip

Children's ages

Clipper defines a child as 11 years and younger, but hotels and tours may have different child ages. Please enter the ages for all children 18 and under. Infants under 1 (<1) are free on the Clipper, but are not provided a seat.

Agent Login

Travel Advisors with existing accounts can log in to create new bookings. If you are a Travel Advisor and would like to view/edit an existing booking, please visit the Agent Dashboard.

For your guests traveling to Canada, please read our ID and Requirements page carefully before booking travel. Thank you!

Sign Up for the Latest from FRS Clipper

• Articles   >

The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

Russia Travel Blog  | All about Russia in English

• About our blog
• RussiaTrek.org

Sidebar →

• Architecture
• Entertainment
• RussiaTrek.org News

• Send us a tip with a message
• Support RussiaTrek.org
• Travel Guide to Ukraine
• Comments RSS

← Sidebar

The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

You might also like:

The bridge over Zolotoy Rog Bay in Vladivostok

The views of St. Petersburg from the TV tower >>

Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

Leave a Reply

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

London Marathon 2024 travel guide: Start times, route and celebration spots

Spectators can watch runners race through the capital on 21 april, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email.

The London Marathon 2024 will weave through the streets of the capital from Greenwich to Westminster on Sunday 21 April, and thousands of spectators are going to be lining the route for a glimpse of their running friends.

Over 50,000 people are expected to take on the mammoth two-foot tour of London landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge.

Since the inaugural 26.2 mile event in 1981, the fundraising race has raised millions for charities each year, and, with sunshine on the forecast for now, celebrations of the charitable and physical feat will take place across the city.

Here’s everything you need to know to plan the day if you’re running  or  supporting this year’s London Marathon.

London Marathon 2024 start time and date

• The best luxury hotels in London for a stylish city break
• The best spa hotels in London for pampering and indulgence
• Best boutique hotels in London 2022

The London Marathon 2024 will take place on Sunday 21 April.

Exact timings for this year’s races are yet to be confirmed but staggered start times from around 8.30am are the norm, with the masses setting off in waves at 10am and all start lines closed from 11.30am.

The finish line on The Mall closes at 7.30pm and is then moved to St James’ Park until midnight.

London Marathon route

Largely unchanged since 1981, the start line for the race is in Blackheath at the top of Greenwich Park .

From here, a leg to Woolwich, jog past the Cutty Sark and stretch around Bermondsey takes runners to cross the river over Tower Bridge .

After a ring around the Isle of Dogs, it’s a relatively straight stretch along the Thames through the City of London to the Westminster finish line on The Mall.

Will there be train and tube strikes?

There is a planned overtime ban for Aslef members working for LNER on Friday 19 and Sunday 21 April (marathon day), as well as strikes on Saturday 20 April, so those travelling into London from the northeast will likely face cancellations.

Substantial road closures across the capital to make way for the race mean spectators should travel on foot or by tube – roads will reopen as and when all runners have cleared the area.

Marathon participants will receive free travel home up to 6.30pm on marathon day on the London Underground and Overground, buses and DLR.

TfL said that a modified DLR service will start at 5.30am from Tower Gateway to Lewisham so runners arrive on time to the start line.

Rail services out of London to the midlands and the northwest are also expected to be extremely busy from 6pm due to an FA Cup semi-final taking place at Wembley Stadium.

The best spots to watch the London Marathon in person

If the live BBC coverage won’t cut it and you’re coming to support from the sidelines, spectators can watch along most parts of the route, including The Highway in Wapping, where runners will pass twice.

To be in the heart of the action, the halfway point of Tower Bridge at mile 13, and the finish line at The Mall are bound to be exciting but busy. For a quieter spot to cheer, stay east and line up in Deptford or the Isle of Dogs.

Track friends and family taking part using their marathon number on the TCS London Marathon app to best position yourself to catch them on the go.

Marathon organisers advise that some areas, including those by the Cutty Sark and St James’ Park, are likely to be very busy on the day.

Five accessible viewing areas also dot the course for those with disabilities: in Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf, Rainbow Row, Tower Hill and Victoria Embankment.

Where to celebrate along the route

London has plenty of pubs and bars to quench the post-marathon thirst, whether you’ve been running or cheering.

In Greenwich, The Gipsy Moth has Cutty Sark views, The Angel in Bermondsey sits on the Thames and halfway pub, the Tower Bridge Arms, raises pints of IPA to passers-by.

Wet your palette in Wapping’s local Turner’s Old Star, ride the high at Pergola on the Wharf for city views, or refuel at Hung, Drawn & Quartered in Tower Hill with pies and ales.

At Victoria Embankment, board pub boat Tattershall Castle to cheer runners on for the final mile and savour a cold one at The Westminster Arms just before the finish line.

Once the race has been run, Inn the Park restaurant in St James’ Park is ideal for a light bite or head into Mercato Mayfair for a street food party in a restored church.

How to sign up for the London Marathon 2025

After a  record number of entries  signed up for the 26.2-mile race in 2024 – 578,374 applicants according to event organisers – next year’s London Marathon is bound to be another popular event.

To take on the challenge, entry is available through a ballot, international tour operators, charity spaces and athletics clubs.

The public ballot for the 2025 TCS London Marathon will open on Saturday 20 April and close the following Friday (26 April). Winners will be drawn at random and emailed in July ahead of the 27 April 2025 marathon.

Read more: Amazing sports events and experiences to combine with a once-in-a-lifetime holiday

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

• Northern Ireland
• Couchsurfing
• Miscellaneous
• Bucket List
• Who is Penelope?

The Most Beautiful Stations on the Moscow Metro

You might have heard that there are some beautiful metro stations in Moscow. Soviet decorations, chandeliers, mosaic painting and statues are common in many of the stations. The good news is that the Moscow Metro does not cost a lot of money and many of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro are on the same line, so you can almost get on and off at each station to visit these. Over the New Year holidays, I had a free afternoon and decided to visit some of these stations. Check out what I found below…..

The main stations that you will want to visit are on the Number 5 line, also known as the Circle Line. An advantage of this line is that you can get to it very easily and quickly no matter where you are in Moscow. The announcements on the metro are in Russian as well as English so you don’t need to worry if your Russian language skills are not good.

If, like me, you arrive in Moscow via train from Kyiv , then you will arrive at a metro station which many Muscovites believe to be the most beautiful of them all…..

Kievskaya metro station was opened in 1954 and features white marble walls which curve upwards and have with large mosaics surrounded by a gold trim in a very classical style. The mosaics depict life in Ukraine and was designed by a Ukrainian who wanted to display Ukraine’s influence and contribution to Soviet Russia.

Kievskaya, one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro

Soviet era artwork between the arches

Mosaic with golden trim

People carrying flags is a common theme

Going into battle

Belorusskaya

If you look at a map of the metro , you will want to go in a clockwise direction on the circle line. So you will want to get on the train going in the Barrikadnaya direction and not Park Kultury. Stay on this line until you reach the 2nd station, Belorusskaya. This station was built in 1952 and like Kievskaya also features white marble pylons and a plaster ceiling.

The ceiling features 12 mosaics in an octagonal shape depicting Belarusian life, while the tiling on the floor is said to resemble a Belarusian quilt. One of the passageway exits of the station has a statue called ‘Belarusian Partisans’ of three men wearing long coats, holding guns and carrying a flag.”

Belorusskaya metro platform

Soviet artwork on the roof

The hammer and sickle features prominently in the metro artwork

Three men carrying guns, holding the flag…

Mayakovskaya

To get to the next station, we need to change onto the green line (line 2) and go just one stop to the station of Mayakovskaya. This station has an art deco theme and, for some, resembles an elaborate ballroom. The columns are faced with stainless steel and pink rhodonite while the marble walls and ceiling have 34 mosaics with the theme “24-hour Soviet Sky. Apparently, Stalin resided here during the 2nd World War as the station was used as a command post for Moscow’s anti-aircraft regiment.

Mayakovskaya metro

24-Hour Soviet Sky mosaic

Bomber planes

It looks like planes flying over Red Square

Novoslobodskaya

It’s time to get back on the metro and return to Belorusskaya. At Belorusskaya, change to the circle line again and continue clockwise to the next station, Novoslobodskaya. With its 32 stained glass panels, this station reminds me of a church. The panels were designed by Latvian artists and are surrounded by a brass border.

Novoslobodskaya metro

The platform of Novoslobodskaya metro

Stained glass artwork

The golden trim around artwork is also very common

Prospekt Mira

Back on the metro and again just one stop until our next station, Prospekt Mira. This station was originally called Botanichesky Sad after the nearby Botanical Gardens of the Moscow State University. The pylons are covered in white marble and decorated with floral bas-relief friezes. The ceiling is decorated with casts and several cylindrical chandeliers.

Prospekt Mira metro station

Notice the floral decoration

Komsomolskaya

On the metro once more and once more we are going just one stop to the next station – Komsomolskaya. This station is famous for its its yellow ceiling. The chandeliers in this station are huge. The photos below do not do this station justice.  For me, this station resembles a presidential palace.  You hace to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it.

Because of it’s location, this is one of the busiest stations in the Moscow metro as it serves three of the main train stations in the city – Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky, and Kazansky so be prepared for a lot of people.

Komsomolskaya metro

The yellow ceiling seems to go on forever

Yellow ceiling and artwork

One of the ceiling mosaics

Elektrozavodskaya

When you are ready to leave Komsomolskaya metro station behind, then get back on the circle line and go one stop to Kurskaya and change to the blue line (line 3) and go to two stops to the Elektrozavodskaya station. This station gets it’s name from a nearby electric light bulb factory and has a somewhat industrial but also futuristic style, with 6 rows of circular lamps (there are 318 lamps in total). I think this is one of the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro for how unique it is. The station was opened in 1944 after a delay because of the 2nd World War and features 12 marble bas-reliefs of the struggle on the home front during the war.

The Komsomolskaya metro station

The struggles of war at home

Fixing machinery

Hard at work

Making weapons

Building a tank

Even the station sign is elaborate

Ploschad Revolyutsii

Back on the metro line 3 (but in the other direction), getting off at the 3rd stop – Ploschad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). This is located underneath the square in Moscow of the same name and is a short walk from Red Square in the city centre. It is the perfect place to end a visit around Moscow’s metro. The station features red and yellow marble arches with a total of 76 sculptures in between each arch. The sculptures are supposed to represent the people of the Soviet Union and include soldiers, farmers, industrial workers, children etc… I noticed a lot of people touching the golden chicken in the photo below as well as the show of the woman. I am assuming that this is for good luck.

Industrial worker

Touch the chicken for good luck

Sculpture of the people of the Soviet Union

Woman reading a book – touch the shoe for good luck

In education

Parent and child

These are some of what I think are the most beautiful stations on the Moscow metro. Which ones are your favourite? Would you add any to this list?

You Might Also Like

The Oldest Whiskey Distillery in the World

Kjeragbolten: Scary, Exhausting and Exciting!

Mamayev Kurgan Memorial in Volgograd

19 comments.

Kievskaya definitely caught me off guard. Didn’t know Moscow metro stations were THIS extravagant! Mayakovskaya is gorgeous too with the marble walls and mosaics. I might just need to book a flight over to admire all of these!

Do it! Kievskaya was my first introduction to the Moscow metro as I got an overnight train from Kyiv.

You know, in the States, all we ever hear is bad stuff about Russia. It’s nice to see other (and lovely!) dimensions of such a controversial place.

It’s the same in the UK which is why I prefer going to see somewhere and making up my own mind. It’s all ‘politics and bullshit’ as I say

I went to Moscow about 13years for Christmas and went to train stations, so I can see these amazing mosaics and chandeliers. I agree with you that are beautiful Stations for sure and I could of wandered around for days. I think Kievskaya is definitely my favourite out of them all and I even have some similar pictures as you.

I imagine Moscow would have been a little different 13 years ago but these stations have probably always looked beautiful

Food and Footprints

You chose some great stations for this write up! Beautiful details in these stations and would love to visit them sometime. Particularly like the Komsomolskaya station with that yellow ceiling!

Thank you very much. Komsomolskaya seems to be a lot of peoples favourite stations too

Sumit Surai

Wow! Without the text I would have thought them to be some museum or gallery.

I know exactly what you mean!

Rosie Fluskey

Wow, it is just stunning! How does anyone get to work with so much to look at. I’m surprised at the very bourgeois-looking Komsomolskaya station. I would have thought it was all too Tzarist looking, but then I haven’t been to Russia yet lol. This has just made me want to go more!

Wow, that’s a lot of artwork. I wonder how old some of these pieces are?

Generally most of the stations are from 1940-1960 approximately. The later stations are more functional than style.

My mother-in-law was in Moscow fifty years ago and still raves about the metro stations. So far, I could not imagine much. But now! The pictures are great and I think it’s almost a pity that this splendor is underground. But for every user of the Metro can enjoy a free trip to the world of art. Susanne

True. It is like having a free trip to an art museum/gallery. I hope that you can one day visit Moscow and see for yourself.

Oh wow, I would never have known that these were metro stations. The ceilings remind me of how you need to look up sometimes, even in the commuter rush!

It is true about life in general, we just go from A to B looking directly in front of us instead of around us

Wow, I would have never guessed that these were stations. The decor is so pretty and not one I’m used to seeing at metro stations. Love the ceiling at The Komsomolskaya metro station.

They certainly don’t look like metro stations. The ceiling there is one of my favourites too!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment.

FAA lifts temporary ground stop of Alaska Airlines flights after technical issue is resolved

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a ground stop for all Alaska Airlines flights Wednesday after grounding the planes earlier as a result of a computer problem at the carrier.

The Seattle-based airline said in a statement that an issue arose “while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance.”

The FAA initially approved a ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon flights starting at approximately 10:50 a.m. ET.

It was lifted just before 11:45 a.m. ET.

It wasn't immediately clear how many flights were affected. An Alaska spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rob Wile is a breaking business news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

United Arab Emirates struggles to recover after heaviest recorded rainfall ever hits desert nation

The United Arab Emirates is struggled to recover from the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation, as its main airport worked to restore normal operations even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and roads. (AP video/Malak Harb)

A man walks along a road barrier among floodwater caused by heavy rain on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

• Copy Link copied

A man carries luggage through floodwater caused by heavy rain while waiting for transportation on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

An abandoned vehicle stands in floodwater caused by heavy rain with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, seen on the background, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

People wait for transportation amidst floodwater caused by heavy rain on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A man carries a child through floodwater caused by heavy rain while waiting for transportation on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

Vehicles drive through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain on an onramp to Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

Vehicles drive through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

People wait for transportation on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

People walk through floodwater caused by heavy rain while waiting for transportation on Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

Abandoned vehicles stand in floodwater caused by heavy rain along Sheikh Zayed Road highway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

An abandoned vehicle stands in floodwater caused by heavy rain in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A flooded street by heavy rain is seen, with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, on the background, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A man walks through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, seen in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A man walks through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A group of people work to recover an abandoned vehicle taken by floodwater caused by heavy rain in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

Vehicles drive through standing floodwater caused by heavy rain in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded, a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Christopher Pike)

A man walks through floodwater in the Mudon neighborhood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded — a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Civil defense officials bring water on a raft to a family in the Mudon neighborhood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded — a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Dubai civil defense officials drive through floodwater in the Mudon neighborhood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, April 18, 2024. The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Thursday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded — a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates tried to wring itself out Thursday after the heaviest recorded rainfall ever to hit the desert nation , with its main airport allowing more flights even as floodwater still covered portions of major highways and communities.

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel , allowed global carriers on Thursday morning to again fly into Terminal 1 at the airfield. And long-haul carrier Emirates, crucial to East-West travel, began allowing local passengers to arrive at Terminal 3, their base of operations.

However, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in an interview with The Associated Press that the airfield needed at least another 24 hours to resume operations close to its usual schedule. Meanwhile, one desert community in Dubai saw floodwaters continue to rise Thursday to as much as 1 meter (3 feet) as civil defense officials struggled to pump out the water.

“We were looking at the radar thinking, ‘Goodness, if this hits, then it’s going to be cataclysmic,’” Griffiths said of the storm. “And indeed it was.”

The airport ended up needing 22 tankers with vacuum pumps to get water off its grounds. Griffiths acknowledged that taxiways flooded during the rains, though the airport’s runways remained free of water to safely operate. Online videos of a FlyDubai flight landing with its reverse thrust spraying out water caught the world’s attention.

“It looks dramatic, but it actually isn’t that dramatic,” Griffiths said.

Emirates, whose operations had been struggling since the storm Tuesday, had stopped travelers flying out of the UAE from checking into their flights as they tried to move out connecting passengers. Pilots and flight crews also had a hard time reaching the airport given the water on roadways.

But on Thursday, Emirates lifted that order to allow customers into the airport. That saw some 2,000 people come into Terminal 3, again sparking long lines, Griffiths said.

Others who arrived at the airport described hourslong waits to get their baggage, with some just giving up to head home or to whatever hotel would have them.

Two men walk through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

The UAE, a hereditarily ruled, autocratic nation on the Arabian Peninsula, typically sees little rainfall in its arid desert climate. However, a massive storm forecasters had been warning about for days blew through the country’s seven sheikhdoms.

By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport. Other areas of the country saw even more precipitation.

Meanwhile, intense floods also have struck neighboring Oman in recent days. Authorities on Thursday raised the death toll from those storms to at least 21 killed.

The UAE’s drainage systems quickly became overwhelmed Tuesday, flooding out neighborhoods, business districts and even portions of the 12-lane Sheikh Zayed Road highway running through Dubai.

The state-run WAM news agency called the rain “a historic weather event” that surpassed “anything documented since the start of data collection in 1949.”

In a message to the nation late Wednesday, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, said authorities would “quickly work on studying the condition of infrastructure throughout the UAE and to limit the damage caused.”

On Thursday, people waded through oil-slicked floodwater to reach cars earlier abandoned, checking to see if their engines still ran. Tanker trucks with vacuums began reaching some areas outside of Dubai’s downtown core for the first time as well. Schools remain closed until next week.

Vehicles sit abandoned in floodwater covering a major road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Authorities have offered no overall damage or injury information from the floods, which killed at least one person.

However, at least one community saw the effects of the rainfall only get worse Thursday. Mudon, a development by the state-owned Dubai Properties, saw flooding in one neighborhood reach as much as 1 meter. Civil defense workers tried to pump the water out, but it was a struggle as people waded through the floodwater.

Residents of Mudon, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity given the UAE’s strict laws governing speech, described putting together the equivalent of nearly $2,000 to get a tanker to the community Wednesday. They alleged the developers did nothing to help prior to that, even as they called and emailed. They also said a nearby sewage processing facility failed, bringing more water into their homes.

“A lot of people were in denial of how bad it was,” one homeowner said as civil defense officials waded through the water, bringing bottled water on a raft.

Dubai Holding, a state-owned company that has Dubai Properties as an arm, did not respond to questions. It’s part of a wider nexus that U.S. diplomats have called “Dubai Inc.” — all properties overseen by the city-state’s ruling family.

The flooding sparked speculation that the UAE’s aggressive campaign of cloud seeding — flying small planes through clouds dispersing chemicals aimed at getting rain to fall — may have contributed to the deluge. But experts said the storm systems that produced the rain were forecast well in advance and that cloud seeding alone would not have caused such flooding.

Scientists also say climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires around the world. Dubai hosted the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks just last year.

Abu Dhabi’s state-linked newspaper The National in an editorial Thursday described the heavy rains as a warning to countries in the wider Persian Gulf region to “climate-proof their futures.”

“The scale of this task is more daunting than it appears even at first glance, because such changes involve changing the urban environment of a region that for as long as it has been inhabited, has experienced little but heat and sand,” the newspaper said.