Construction has started on the £1 billion extension of the London Underground Northern Line from Kennington to Battersea via Nine Elms in the UK.
The extension involves construction of two new 3.2 kilometre tunnels and two new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea, and will reduce journey times to the West End and the City to less than 15 minutes. It is expected to support around 25,000 new jobs and 16,000 new homes.
As Mayor Boris Johnson mentioned during the announcement last week, the extension of the Northern Line will act as a major spur to regeneration and growth in the area transforming the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea Opportunity Area (OA) into a major new commercial and residential district.
The £1 billion project is being financed by the private sector through a unique funding model. Contributions by developers building in the OA, and incremental business rates within a new enterprise zone, are expected to cover the full costs of the project.
Steer Davies Gleave has been involved in the development of the Northern Line extension since 2007. The scheme evolved through discussions between Steer Davies Gleave Director Peter Twelftree and Transport for London. Since then, we have worked with Transport for London to develop the business case and assess the transport effects of the scheme, during construction and once it has opened.
Tunnelling work is scheduled to start in early 2017 and will take six months to complete. The new extension is expected to be fully operational with trains running from Battersea direct to Waterloo, Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road and Euston by 2020.
Written by David Bowers