20 September 2021 marked a big day for transport fans (and Battersea fans) — the opening of two brand new tube stations on the Northern line.
Press, politicians, and plenty of tube-curious people (plus the occasional commuter) gathered at Battersea Power Station this morning, for a first glimpse of the Ferrovial Agroman Laing O'Rourke/Grimshaw designed station.
It's certainly the more striking of the two, with its dynamic roof, not to mention the backdrop of the chimneys of the power station itself and Frank Gehry's contemporary skew-whiff shapes.
Extra garnishes around Battersea Power Station station include pretty flower planters, plus coffee sold from a black cab — a smart touch that we hope sticks around.
You descend into a capacious grey ticket hall, punctuated by kinetic artwork Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset, by Alexandre da Cunha — which uses old school billboard-style tech, to flip of change colour throughout the day. Then you descend again to platform level.
From the outside, Nine Elms looks more perfunctory — not helped by a rather uninspiring backdrop of new builds.
But inside, it reveals itself to be — like Battersea — a cavernous, high-ceilinged space, with ample platform space and a decent amount of seating. (Both stations were rather short on commuters at 8am on opening day though.)
Currently, six trains per hour run along the extension from Kennington station on the Charing Cross branch — so you've got a bit of a wait between each one — although frequency is expected to double by mid-2022.
All in all, two shiny new stations which were worth getting excited for (even if the trains that pull up feel conspicuously old and grubby). Take yourself on a ride of this new stretch of the Northern line as soon as you can — it's something to tell the grandkids.
