Northern Line Extension at Battersea delivers two million passengers in first six months – 12 years after the idea was dreamed up

Passengers have completed more than two millions journeys along the new Northern Line Extension in first six months.

Thousands of residents, workers and visitors are now using the new line) at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms each week, new figures show.

The two new step-free Zone 1 stations opened on 20 September 2021 following completion of a 3km twin tunnel rail extension from Kennington. Passengers can now use the Tube to travel to and from Battersea and the West End in less than 15 minutes.

About 60,000 passengers a week are entering or exiting the new Battersea Power Station Underground station, while 30,000 entering or exiting Nine Elms per week.

Numbers are expected to grow as more homes and businesses open as lockdown ends.

Cllr Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council said: “Just six months after the Tube opening we are already seeing benefit for our residents and businesses who can travel around more quickly and enjoy better access to jobs and leisure activities by public transport.

“Working with our local partners to successfully deliver the NLE was key to transforming a place once plagued by a lack of transport connections into an emerging commercial and office district, bringing thousands of jobs and business opportunities to Wandsworth and the wider area.”

Rob Niven, TfL’s Head of Investment Delivery Planning, said: “It’s wonderful to see how popular the two new stations at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms have been in their first six months of operation. As London continues to recover from the pandemic and development in the Battersea and Nine Elms areas continues, we expect this number to keep growing.

It’s extensions and improvements like this that make a huge difference, and with sustained long-term funding we hope to be able to bring the Tube network to new parts of the capital.”

The Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station opens to the public from September with more than 100 shops, restaurants and cafes and an events venue.

The chimney lift experience offers 360-degree panoramic views of London’s skyline.

There is also new office space and 254 new flats.

The US Embassy, Penguin Random House and Apple are also making the area their home.

The 227-hectare regeneration zone is set to deliver25,000 new jobs and up to 20,000 homes by 2030.

Wandsworth council, TfL, the government, GLA, Lambeth and developers delivered the new Tube line within 12 years from inception to completion, with construction beginning in 2015 – the first major expansion of the London Underground since the

Jubilee line was extended in the 1990s.

Later this year, Transport for London plans to increase train frequency to 12 trains an hour during the peak and 10 trains per hour off-peak.

 

Main Picture: Passengers and train Battersea Power Station Tube