Northern Line extension opens
TWO NEW London Underground stations have been added to the iconic Tube map, with the opening on September 20 of an extension to the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line.
The new stations are Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, which are both within Zone One, and are step-free and fully accessible. A peak-time service of six trains per hour currently operates on the new extension. This will increase to 12 trains per hour by mid-2022.
There are five trains per hour during off-peak period, set to double to 10 each hour next year.
Andy Lord, managing director of London Underground, said: “It is with enormous pride and excitement that we welcome our first customers. “This is the first major Tube extension we've opened this century and the first new stations to open on the Northern line for 80 years.
“It has been a monumental effort during the most challenging of times, but the opening of the Northern Line extension could not have come at a more vital moment as London's recovery from the pandemic gathers pace and people continue to return to the Tube network for work and leisure.”
Major construction on the 1.9 mile twin-tunnel railway between Kennington and Battersea Power Station, via Nine Elms, began in 2015. Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the construction remained on target and TFL states the overall project has been delivered at £160 million under budget.