Northern Line extension receives green light
Transport for London (TfL) has announced that the proposed Northern Line extension to Battersea has been given the go ahead.
The extension, which will see the line extended from Kennington to Battersea via Nine Elms, received the green light by the Secretary of State for Transport on Wednesday, with work set to begin in spring 2015 and be concluded by 2020.
“I am delighted we can confirm that early next year the spades will be hitting the ground for the creation of the Northern line extension,” said Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.
“Driven by improved transport links this part of central London is set to move forward a century in a matter of a few years, supporting 24,000 new jobs and more than 18,000 new homes.
“The benefits of major infrastructure projects such as this are enormous - cutting journey times for passengers, supporting London’s future growth and creating jobs right across the UK.”
Two new stations are expected to be constructed, one at the heart of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment and another at Nine Elms to the east, while the extension will cut journey times to the West End and the City to under 15 minutes, TfL said.
The full cost of the extension is expected to be about £1bn and will be entirely funded through contributions from the developments in the area that will benefit from the extension, TfL said.
“This vital new part of the Underground network will support and enable growth in an area that is rapidly developing,” said Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground.
“By 2020 we will have created over three miles of new tunnels and two brand new stations that will transform transport links to the area.”
By 2020 London Underground is planning to increase train frequencies on the Northern line to at least 30 trains per hour with the introduction of new trains.