Passengers used the recently opened Northern Line Extension from Kennington to Battersea, via Nine Elms, over five million times in its first year of operating.
Open since September 20, 2021, and costing £1 billion to build, the line saw the construction of two brand new tube stations – Battersea and Nine Elms.
The line was built to boost business and residency around Battersea and Transport for London (TfL) says the line could see 10 million trips each year by 2024/25.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted that one year on from opening, the Northern Line Extension has seen more than five million journeys made.
“As London continues to recover from the pandemic, it’s vital that we encourage people back on to our public transport in order to make a cleaner, greener and better London for everyone.
“The two new stations on the Northern Line are at the heart of these efforts – the Northern Line Extension has improved the links between these south London neighbourhoods and the rest of the capital, cut journey times, and played an important role in drawing people back onto the network.”
The extension cost £1.1 billion, under budget by £160 million and funded by a £1 billion loan to the Greater London Authority by central government.
The costs will be repaid through developer contributions in the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea area, and through business rates.
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Of the two newly built stations, Battersea is busier, seeing 80,000 journeys every week compared to Nine Elms’ 40,000 trips a week.
Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We opened our new Northern line stations with great pride and excitement a year ago and it has been fantastic to see how quickly they have become part of the fabric of the city as people have returned in increasing numbers to the Tube network following the pandemic.”
It is hoped that the Northern Line extension will help deliver 20,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs to what is being called the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea opportunity area.
Could the new TFL mean the Bakerloo Line extension goes ahead? Read the Southwark News piece here.