The first train has travelled through the new Northern line extension, from Kennington to Battersea Power Station.
The engineering train's journey marks the completion of the new stretch of tube line south of the river — although passengers won't get to enjoy the ride until autumn 2021.
Entering the new 3.2km tunnels at Kennington station, the train continued to Nine Elms Station before terminating at the extension's second station, Battersea Power Station (station). The trip wasn't just to check the line is running OK; the train carried 750 metres of power cable into the extension, which was installed by 15 engineers.
Stuart Harvey, TfL's Director of Major Projects, said:
Running a train through the new section of railway tunnel is an exciting moment and demonstrates the hard work of hundreds of men and women who are working around the clock to build the first new tube extension in two decades.
The work now turns its focus to fitting out the new stations, installing the power supply, and extending the signalling used on the Northern line to the extension.
When (hopefully) opened in around a year and a half's time, the extension will see the first new stations on the Northern line since 1926. That is, unless you count the 'Highbury branch', which was considered part of the Northern line until the mid 1970s.
