Photo: Transport For London - Dignitaries at Battersea Power Station for the launch of Northern Line Extension.

Transport for London opened the doors to its two new Tube stations today, making up the Northern Line Extension, at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.

Tube services started running on the extension, which is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line, at 05:28 this morning with passengers including the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan; Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP; London's Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford; Battersea Power Station Development Company's CEO, Simon Murphy; Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander; Leader of Wandsworth Council, Cllr Ravi Govindia and Leader of Lambeth Council, Cllr Claire Holland. In addition, the Battersea Power Station Community Choir sang at the new station at Battersea this morning to mark its opening day.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commented: "After years of hard work, I'm delighted that we're able to open the Northern Line Extension today and it was great to have the chance to travel on one of the first trains between Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. This extension will hugely improve the links between these vibrant, growing south London neighbourhoods and the rest of the capital, and will also help to support thousands of new jobs and homes as we move forward with London's recovery from the pandemic. The new stations are beautiful and I encourage Londoners and visitors to start using the Northern Line Extension to get around and help them enjoy everything the capital has to offer."

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, added: "London's world-famous Tube network has two new stations from today, the first stops to be added so far this century, with names that will soon become familiar to Londoners as they return to public transport after the pandemic.

"Ahead of the opening of the Elizabeth line next year, these upgrades extend vital connectivity across the greatest city in the world and show the power of transport connections."

Andy Lord, Managing Director of London Underground, commented: "It is with enormous pride and excitement that we welcome our first customers to our new Northern line stations today. This is the first major Tube extension we've opened this century and the first new stations to open on the Northern line for 80 years. It has been a monumental effort during the most challenging of times but the opening of the Northern Line Extension could not have come at a more vital moment as London's recovery from the pandemic gathers pace and people continue to return to the Tube network for work and leisure."

Simon Murphy, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company, added: "The launch of the Northern Line Extension is a major milestone in the regeneration of Battersea Power Station. Improving transport links and connectivity to this area of London has been fundamental to the development from the very beginning, and we are delighted to have played a key role alongside TfL and others in delivering the first major extension to the London Underground this century.

"Seeing trains coming into the new station this morning was a very proud moment, which wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering commitment of our shareholders. As we count down to the Power Station opening its doors to the public next year, we look forward to welcoming more visitors travelling on the new tube line from across the capital and further afield to enjoy the thriving riverside neighbourhood we are creating here at Battersea Power Station."

Councillor Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council and Co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, said: "Travelling on the Northern Line Extension as it opened its doors today and seeing excited passengers use these stations for the first time, is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that I will never forget.

"Wandsworth Council has always had huge ambitions for this area and we are delighted that our vision and planning to improve the connectivity of Battersea and Nine Elms has come to fruition. We worked closely in partnership with Battersea Power Station, the GLA, Transport for London, Lambeth Council and all the developers in the area to get this crucial transport link planned, funded and delivered.

"In less than 10 years we have achieved a fantastic new Tube connection here, transforming what was once a transport backwater south of the river. These stations help our residents to get to work and other parts of London more quickly, as well as opening up new opportunities for thousands of jobs and businesses in the capital. We're all looking forward to welcoming visitors to Battersea, some perhaps for the first time, so I do encourage everyone to jump on the Tube and discover what a fantastic part of central London this is."

John Dickie, CEO of London First, commented: "We are delighted to see the Northern Line Extension open to better connect Battersea. Bringing more public transport options will attract more jobs and more housing, boosting the economic potential of the area and supporting the capital's recovery."

Declan McGeeney, Director of UK Infrastructure at Laing O’Rourke, commented: "This has been a remarkable effort by the team, working collaboratively with our JV partner, Ferrovial Construction, London Underground and all of FLO’s supply chain partners. Together they have overcome the challenges of Covid to ensure the NLE opens as planned. Our team used their experience of delivering rail infrastructure internationally to overcome complex engineering challenges, and deliver two new stations and a railway that will be a catalyst for the regeneration of the whole Nine Elms area.”

Their opening today takes the total number of London Underground stations to 272 and means that 88 of these stations are now step-free.