Trial operations are underway on London’s extension of the Northern Line, with the tube expansion due to open this autumn.
The start of the trial will see trains running on a 3km twin-tunnel railway between Kennington and Battersea Power Station, via Nine Elms.
Transport for London (TfL) said it is now running Northern line trains through the new tunnels every weekend to allow the railway and supporting systems to be run as close to an operational service as possible.
Initially, four trains per hour will run through the extension at weekends as part of trial operations. Once the extension opens, there will be a 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.
Throughout this trial period, operations and maintenance staff are testing all the systems required to keep the extension running, and existing Northern line train drivers will complete familiarisation training on the route.
Later this summer, around 100 members of station staff will also undertake training to become familiar with the two new step-free stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.
A number of practice exercises will also be completed with TfL staff before opening, including trial emergency evacuations, to test safety procedures.
Lifts, escalators and ticket machines are all in place at both new stations and final testing and commissioning of these assets underway and due to be completed in the coming weeks.
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.”
