One of the best, and most lavish, books produced by the London Transport Board was this; the beautifully illustrated book for the opening of the Victoria line of London Underground that was issued in March 1969 to commemorate the formal Royal opening that took place on 7 March 1969 when the line had been completed to its then terminus at Victoria. The line had opened in stages from Walthamstow to Highbury & Islington on 1 September 1968 and thence to Warren Street on 1 December 1968. The line had its origins in post-war planning for London's railways and, after many delays, construction began in earnest in September 1962. The extension to Brixton came into use in 1971.
The line required significant engineering both in terms of new work and alterations and adaptations of existing works such as at Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington. A new fleet of trains, the 1967-tube stock, was constructed in Birmingham by Metro-Cammell and a new depot built on the surface at Northumberland Park, Tottenham. In terms of operation a world-class 'automatic' signalling and operating system was developed by London Transport and this idea for automation extended to ticketing and gateline. In terms of architecture there was little to see above ground and the station platforms were deliberately designed to be a relatively neutral background with passengers and advertising providing the 'colour'; this muted look was enlivened by inset tiled panels in seat recesses, each commissioned from a noted artist and based on a play on the station name.
All these facts, and more, appear in the book that was designed by William Fenton ARCA and printed by W. S. Cowell in Ipswich. You do not often see this book - at 30/- (Thirty Shillings or One Pound and 10 shillings) I suspect not many were sold.
As well as the shift in traffic objectives - towards the West End with its shops and entertainment attractions - London Transport tried a network of dedicated high capacity singel deck bus routes in central London; the Red Arrow buses. As noted, the attempt to help provide better links especially onwards from mainline railway termini often failed due to road traffic congestion.