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How They Dug the Victoria Line

First transmitted in 1969, this is the story of the construction of the world’s most advanced underground system where automated trains are driven along hand-finished tunnels.

First transmitted in 1969, this documentary follows the construction of the world’s most advanced underground system. Macdonald Hastings narrates the story of one of the most complex tunnel engineering feats of its time. He reveals the isolation felt by the miners who spent six years burrowing deep beneath the streets of London, shows what they did beneath one of London's most famous department stores and explains why the ground at Tottenham Court Road had to be frozen during the hottest weeks of 1966. The result is a brave new world of transport with automated trains, two way mirrors, automatic fare collection and closed-circuit television, all choreographed by a computer programme played out by an updated version of a pianola located in a control room somewhere near Euston station.

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Mon 3 Mar 1969 21:55
BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire

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BBC Four London Collection

This programme is part of a collection of BBC programmes celebrating the people and places of London. Available online now. 

Go the BBC Four London Collection

About BBC Four Collection programmes

Programmes are selected, in part, for their historical context and reflect the broadcast standards and attitudes of their time, which may not accord to some current BBC editorial guidelines. We aim to select programmes which can be shown in their entirety but in some cases edits are required.

Broadcast

  • Mon 3 Mar 1969 21:55
    BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire

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