The Northern Line Extension has passed a major milestone after an engineering train successfully travelled the entire length of the new tunnels from Kennington to Battersea, for the first time. To mark the occasion, TfL has today released footage of this first trip.
The train entered the new 3.2km tunnels at Kennington station, travelling through the newly-constructed step-plate junction that connects the existing Northern line tunnels to the extension.
It then continued to the new Nine Elms Tube station before terminating at the extension’s second new station at Battersea. The train carried 750 metres of power cable into the extension which was installed by 15 engineers.
The first train to be driven along the full length of the Northern Line Extension marks the completion of the tunnels and track.
Work to extend the line now focuses on the fit-out of the new stations, installing the power supply, and extending the signalling used on the Northern line to the extension.
The extension – which is expected to be completed in autumn 2021, with a target of September – is the first major Tube line extension since the Jubilee line in the late 1990s.
Seems to be on schedule – pity we can’t say the same about Crossrail!