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Northern Line Battersea Extension - Opened September 20 2021

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Nym

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Once CrossRail 2 is factored in, would there be any good candidates for an extension from the Battersea extension?

Given there is significant political (rather than passenger benifit IMO) motivation behind the extension, similar to that of any more bits of DLR into deprived areas, I don't think anywhere but Clapham Junction will have been considered.

If it where to extend to Clapham Junction, with the inclusion of Crossrail 2, it would potentially also need to include an extension of the Victoria Line with a new branch in order to cope with demand. Even then, I can foresee every train being full by Kennington and Victoria, with Waterloo and Victoria having some manner of relief as a result, but this would need rather significant modeling (with some sense applied) as to if it would work.

In addition to this, I think consideration needs to be given to if the surface platforms at Clapham Junction could cope with all of the additional interchanging passengers that are waiting in the peaks, at the moment, most peak interchange passengers will be heading towards London where you'd board the first train in that direction, when you could be waiting up to 30mins for your train at Clapham, rather than waiting on the concourse at Victoria or Waterloo, could Clapham Junction cope with it? I honestly do not think so.
 
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edwin_m

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A lot of people change at Clapham Jn today, particularly if they commute in on SWT but their work is near Victoria. Part of the reason for CR2 is so those people can either board a direct CR2 service from their suburban station or have an easier change at Wimbledon into a CR2 train that serves Victoria and also Tottenham Court Road and KXSP.

If CR2 is built the Northern extended from Battersea to Clapham Jn would be less likely to be overcrowded with SWT commuters heading for the West End, as most of them will have a better option via CR2 or staying on SWT to Waterloo. Whether the remaining passenger numbers are enough still to justify extending from Battersea is another question.
 

Ianno87

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A lot of people change at Clapham Jn today, particularly if they commute in on SWT but their work is near Victoria. Part of the reason for CR2 is so those people can either board a direct CR2 service from their suburban station or have an easier change at Wimbledon into a CR2 train that serves Victoria and also Tottenham Court Road and KXSP.

If CR2 is built the Northern extended from Battersea to Clapham Jn would be less likely to be overcrowded with SWT commuters heading for the West End, as most of them will have a better option via CR2 or staying on SWT to Waterloo. Whether the remaining passenger numbers are enough still to justify extending from Battersea is another question.

With CR2 built, extending the Northern from Battersea to Clapham would make no sense, as no useful significant new connectivity would be generated.

CR2 would be considerably faster to Tottenham Court Rd from Clapham (only 3 stops vs 8 stops), SWT is faster to Waterloo (with no having to go downstairs), and Battersea already has a link to Clapham Jn from Queenstown Rd and Battersea Park.
 

hozza94

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With CR2 built, extending the Northern from Battersea to Clapham would make no sense, as no useful significant new connectivity would be generated.

Had a convo with a transport planner a while ago, and extending the Northern Line to Clapham Junction was considered for future proofing and that's one of the reasons that the future line does kind of point at that direction.

However as you have said, CR2 would be a much better option. Also another problem arises where the NLE would have been filled at Clapham Junction as it would be an empty train, and leaving passengers behind at Battersea where it should be serving.
 

SpacePhoenix

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TBM "Amy" has finish tunnelling from Battersea Power Station to Kennington. Don't know about the other TBM's status. Video below is from TfL's Facebook page.

 

Bald Rick

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TBM "Amy" has finish tunnelling from Battersea Power Station to Kennington. Don't know about the other TBM's status. Video below is from TfL's Facebook page.


Is this the new secret anti-Brexit tunnel from Madrid to Rome via Battersea?
 

AY1975

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I understand that the first train travelled over the Battersea extension on New Year's Day on test, with driving car 51649 leading.
 

Ambient Sheep

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I can't see any photographs in that article, apart from the single one underneath the title which definitely doesn't show a clean tunnel! Have they been removed since the article was first posted?

Interesting article though, nonetheless.
 

Bald Rick

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They are real photos. The tunnel linings are brand new and constructed as part of the line extension so of course they are clean!

Although the cast iron linings of the original tunnels from 100+ years ago (and I understand also for the Victoria and first Jubilee extension), were coated in pitch or tar as waterproofing / corrosion protection. So brand new tunnels back then looked pretty s except for a bee parts of the Vic which were constructed with stainless steel, which must have been rather shiny!
 

Dstock7080

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Any updates? I go past Nine Elms tube station on SWR often, it's taking shape!
The first Transplant engineering train ran (in battery mode) over the weekend between Kennington and Battersea station site using the recently completed trackwork.
 

Sad Sprinter

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I don’t see why they have to permanently sever the Charing Cross branch from Morden. For us living south of Kennington, it makes no sense, particularly at quieter times such as the weekend, to have to change to get to Leicester Square or the South Bank. I understand that there’s more demand in the peak to go from Morden to the City, but surely on the weekends at least we can get a more regular service to the West End?
 

LeeLivery

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Bad news from December last year. The opening won't come until 2021.

Yes, I've heard about that. It's a shame, hopefully, no more time extensions.

I don’t see why they have to permanently sever the Charing Cross branch from Morden. For us living south of Kennington, it makes no sense, particularly at quieter times such as the weekend, to have to change to get to Leicester Square or the South Bank. I understand that there’s more demand in the peak to go from Morden to the City, but surely on the weekends at least we can get a more regular service to the West End?

Probably part of the ultimate aim to split the Northern Line into operationally different lines. Simpler timetabling allowing a higher frequency for all.
 

bluegoblin7

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I don’t see why they have to permanently sever the Charing Cross branch from Morden. For us living south of Kennington, it makes no sense, particularly at quieter times such as the weekend, to have to change to get to Leicester Square or the South Bank. I understand that there’s more demand in the peak to go from Morden to the City, but surely on the weekends at least we can get a more regular service to the West End?

Permanently sever? Since when? Through connections will remain to and from the Charing Cross branch onto the Morden line. It is likely that some trains will still run through in the peak, and of course during Night Tube (a service via Bank not envisaged for some time). It will also remain possible to send trains via the Kennington loop if required.
 

Flinn Reed

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Is there a reason why the Northern Line extension has been routed to avoid an interchange at Vauxhall?
 

Ianno87

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Is there a reason why the Northern Line extension has been routed to avoid an interchange at Vauxhall?

Because the Victoria Line can't cope with any more passengers interchanging onto it.

That; and if you were bound for the Charing Cross branch from SWR stations, it'd be faster just to stay onto Waterloo anyway.
 

BazzaCFC

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I understand that the entrance for the new Nine Elms station will be on the corner of Pascal street/Wandsworth Road, but, will there be an underpass for those people that live on Nine Elms lane as the railway lines prevent access to it????
 
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