Test trains get green signal on Northern Line Tube extension

Mayor visits Nine Elms station
PA

A “major milestone” in the opening of the first Tube extension this century was hit on Thursday when it was revealed that trial operations had started on the Northern Line extension to Battersea.

Transport for London said the £1.2bn link, with new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station, was on course to open in the Autumn.

When the Standard visited Nine Elms with Mayor Sadiq Khan in May, Tube bosses said the aim was to open the line in September.

TfL said on Thursday that trial operations are being carried out each weekend, with four test trains an hour running on the 3km (1.9 mile) branch line from Kennington.

When the extension opens, there will be an initial peak time service of six trains per hour, increasing to 12 trains per hour by mid-2022.

There will be five trains per hour during off-peak times, doubling to 10 next year.

However, TfL on Thursday also announced cuts to off-peak services at the northern end of the Jubilee line.

From October 3, there will be a “small” reduction in off-peak services between West Hampstead and Stanmore on weekday daytimes and on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Mayor visits Nine Elms station
PA

TfL said the changes would “provide a more cost-efficient service by better matching capacity to demand at quieter times and locations, while still providing a high-frequency service with enough capacity for current and projected future demand”.

The changes to the Jubilee line off-peak frequencies will be:

- West Hampstead to Willesden Green - 24 trains per hour reduced to 20

- Willesden Green to Wembley Park - 20 trains per hour (24 on Saturday and Sunday mornings) reduced to 16.

- Wembley Park to Stanmore - 16 trains per hour (18 Saturday and Sunday mornings) reduced to 12.

The Northern Line twin-tunnel extension will bring Battersea within 15 minutes of the West End and transform links to the power station, currently undergoing redevelopment, and the surrounding area.  

A new Northern line timetable will be introduced in autumn when the extension opens.

This will include direct services to and from Mill Hill East for most of the day, and an increase in service levels on the Morden branch for the busiest hour in the morning peak.

The trial operations procedure involves testing all the systems in the stations and new track and familiarising Northern line drivers with the new route.

A number of practice exercises will also be completed with TfL staff before opening, including trial emergency evacuations, to test safety procedures.

Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport, said: “The beginning of trial operations on the Northern Line Extension marks a major milestone in the project and it’s really exciting to see final training and testing taking place.

“When the extension opens this autumn, it will make a real difference to transport links south of the river, supporting thousands of new jobs and homes and boosting London’s recovery.”

Stuart Harvey, TfL’s Director of Major Projects, said: “The start of trial operations on the Northern Line Extension means we are now counting down to opening the first major Tube extension this century.

“We have been running isolated test trains through the extension since late 2020 but the successful integration of its software and signalling with the rest of the Northern line means the trials to test safety and reliability can start.”

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