Ready, Set, Dig: the Northern Line Extension on the London Underground

This March, London will start six months of digging for a two-stop extension of the city's underground train system.

1 minute read

January 26, 2017, 10:00 AM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Tunnel Boring Machine

Mark Wild, London Underground MD, Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia, and Val Shawcross, deputy mayor for transport pose in front of a Northern Line tunnel boring machine. | Martin Hoscik / Shutterstock

The London Underground is getting two new stations. The project is expected to cost £1.2 billion Pound Sterling (1.5 billion USD) and take six months to dig. The extension will include a station at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station in South London and move a tremendous amount of earth. "The machines will tunnel at depths of 26 metres for six months, excavating more than 300,000 tonnes of earth," Jonathan Prynn writes for the Evening Standard.

"Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed the start date for the first major addition to the Tube map since the late Nineties as two gigantic tunnel boring machines - named Helen and Amy - were unveiled in Battersea." Prynn reports. The machines are named for a British astronaut and an aviation pioneer, respectively. Mayor Kahn expressed his belief that the additional transit options should give a boost to the area. 

Friday, January 20, 2017 in The Evening Standard

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

29 minutes ago - Governing

People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

2 hours ago - UNM News

Bird's eye view of half-circle suburban street with large homes.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City

If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

4 hours ago - Investopedia