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A full service resumed on the Bakerloo Line today, 14 July 1997, after a seven month closure between Piccadilly Circus and Elephant & Castle. The re-opening, which marks the end of Operation Hard Hat, follows work necessary to strengthen the ninety-year-old running tunnels beneath the River Thames between Embankment and Waterloo
The £30 million project was completed on time and within budget. During the closure an estimated 82,000 customers a day had to find alternative means of travelling in central London. In spite of the provision of a fast and frequent alternative bus service between Oxford Circus and Waterloo, the bulk of displaced customers used the heavily congested Northern Line.
Travelling in the cab of the first train in public service to pass through the strengthened tunnels (0528 from Elephant & Castle) were MPs Kate Hoey (Lab Vauxhall) and Simon Hughes (Lib Dem Southwark and Bermondsey).
Peter McMahon, the Bakerloo Line's General Manager, commented: "It is so encouraging to receive such generous support from two of London's most popular Members of Parliament whose constituencies are served by the Bakerloo Line. Although the Underground's funding problems are well known, there is good news about and this certainly fits the bill. The Bakerloo Line is now fit for another hundred years and will continue to provide a reliable and comfortable link for commuters and shoppers alike travelling between the North and South Bank."
The seven month closure was seized upon as an opportunity to carry out other infrastructure improvements to minimise further disruption to passengers. The most noticeable result is the smoother ride achieved by installing a higher grade of track.
