Northern Line extension: Passengers queue from 5am to experience ‘history’ as new Tube stations open

The first passengers on the first train from two new London Underground stations said they were excited to experience “history as it happens”.

The £1 billion Northern line extension to Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, in Wandsworth, has been more than 10 years in the making.

It runs from Kennington station on the Charing Cross branch.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to the first commuters at on the first service at 5.28am about the new extension.

Transport Youtuber, Tom Wright said: “I thought it would be fun to come down, you know, experience a bit of the old history as it happens.

“I think it’s a really interesting project especially in the wake of the pandemic with so many projects being put back.”

However, the 38-year-old said: “I don’t think it’s as useful as a Bakerloo Line extension would be.

“I think it’s good that Battersea is going to have direct access to the West End and to the city.”

Train fanatics and friends Lia Calzolari, 25, and Sebastian Dalipi, 18, travelled from Hertfordshire at 1.00am to make it to the first tube ride.

Lia said: “We’re so happy, we’re excited. We wanted to do something new so we thought ‘why not?’

“There are so many more opportunities, thanks to this, I actually use the Northern line a lot.”

Train enthusiast James Boohan, said: “This is something that hasn’t been done for about 20/30 years so it’s something exciting.”

The 19-year-old from Pimlico added: “When I saw that this was opening, I thought, okay, I’m going to go and have a ride on the first train.”

The first train from Kennington to Battersea Power Station was tested in December 2020, with 2021 being a period of signal system testing.

While tunnelling into Kennington station, builders had to hand mine with primitive tools including their hands around the existing tunnel because you can’t bring heavy machinery into the station.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Wandsworth Council leader, Ravi Govindia said: “There is a community already here, and there’s a new community coming here – 20,000 new homes will be built in this area and of course it is absolutely vital, vital to both bring people in and take people out.”

He added: “This area was originally zone two and now it is zone one. It means that if you if you start your journey in Battersea you could either go from zone two to six in the same categorization of that from one to one.

“I think it’s great that this is actually genuinely Central London.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “After years of hard work, I’m delighted that we’re able to open the Northern Line Extension today and it was great to have the chance to travel on one of the first trains between Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.

“This extension will hugely improve the links between these vibrant, growing south London neighbourhoods and the rest of the capital, and will also help to support thousands of new jobs and homes as we move forward with London’s recovery from the pandemic.

“The new stations are beautiful and I encourage Londoners and visitors to start using the Northern Line Extension to get around and help them enjoy everything the capital has to offer.”

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, added: “London’s world-famous Tube network has two new stations from today, the first stops to be added so far this century, with names that will soon become familiar to Londoners as they return to public transport after the pandemic.

“Ahead of the opening of the Elizabeth line next year, these upgrades extend vital connectivity across the greatest city in the world and show the power of transport connections.”

Both new stations, which have been constructed primarily from stone, concrete, stainless steel and glass, use double-height ceilings to create large airy spaces.

The new Tube station at Nine Elms has a very visible presence on Wandsworth Road, serving developments including the US Embassy and the re-developed New Covent Garden Market.

The new station at Battersea, which sits in the shadow of Gilbert Scott’s Power Station, includes a gold-painted geometric roof with a giant skylight.

Art on the Underground’s major new permanent artwork by London-based Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha - titled ‘Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset’ - stretches to a total of over 150m in length inside the ticket hall of the new station.

Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station are the first two Northern line stations in 80 years – the first major tube extension this century.

The previous London Underground extension was done to the Jubilee Line in 1999, which took it through Docklands and out to Stratford.

Other new Tube stations, which are currently being considered, include pushing the Bakerloo Line out to Lewisham, via Old Kent Road, in Peckham, and New Cross Gate.