Pimlico tube station
Victoria line · Zone 1 · City of Westminster
About Pimlico station
Pimlico was left out of the original plans for the Victoria line’s extension to Brixton, approved in 1966, over doubts about its finances and footfall. Strong local support, the prospect of better access to the Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain) and an offer of free land from the Crown Estate changed that, and in June 1968 Minister of Transport Richard Marsh approved the station. Building it was awkward: the Kings Scholars Pond Sewer runs along the southern edge of the ticket hall, pipes and mains crowd Bessborough Street, and the ground had to be frozen so the escalator shaft could be dug through water-bearing gravel. Trains ran slowly through without stopping after 23 July 1971, and the Lord Mayor of Westminster finally opened it on 14 September 1972, at an estimated cost of £1.4 million.
The platforms lie around 22.5 m below ground, and by average platform depth below sea level Pimlico is the deepest station on the Victoria line, as well as the only one with no interchange to another line. Peter Sedgley’s op art yellow spots, derived from his 1968 piece ‘Go’, cover the platform walls. There is no step-free access, and in 2015 the station was the test site for ‘Wayfindr’, an app helping visually impaired people find their way.
First and last trains from Pimlico
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 36 Victoria trains an hour per direction from Pimlico, counting both directions separately.
Connections
Pimlico is served by the Victoria line only; there is no interchange with other rail lines here.
Station facilities
What is near Pimlico station
Pimlico is the main transport access point for Tate Britain. Its main entrance is part of an eight-storey octagonal building by William Whitfield, listed Grade II though the station itself is excluded, and beside it stands a sculptural ventilation shaft by Eduardo Paolozzi, also listed. Bessborough Gardens is about 210 m away and St George’s Square about 240 m. Pimlico Library is around 310 m off, Chelsea Space 330 m and Chelsea College of Art & Design 390 m, with statues of William Huskisson and John Everett Millais at about 380–390 m.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| St. George's Square | 240 m |
| Stuart Hall Library | 340 m |
| Chelsea College of Art & Design | 390 m |
| Bessborough Gardens | 210 m |
| Causton Street Playground | 270 m |
| Vincent Square Clinic | 270 m |
| Pimlico Library | 310 m |
| Chelsea Space | 330 m |
Frequently asked questions
The op art tiles were designed by Peter Sedgley, based on his 1968 piece ‘Go’. Sir Misha Black, whose Design Research Unit oversaw the design of the Victoria line, wanted a contemporary artist for Pimlico because of its closeness to the Tate Gallery.
The station was a late addition, approved only in June 1968, and construction was complicated by a sewer, crowded mains and water-bearing gravel. Trains passed through without stopping from July 1971 until it opened on 14 September 1972.