Today’s launch of the Northern line extension (NLE), the first major extension to the London Underground Network this century, marks one of the single most significant milestones to date in the regeneration of Battersea Power Station (BPS) and the transformation of this part of London.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport and Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, were among a small group of stakeholders including local Councillors and MPs to travel on one of the first passenger trains from Nine Elms to Battersea Power Station’s new Zone 1 London Underground station this morning.
Following a tour of the new station, guests enjoyed a performance from Battersea Power Station’s Community Choir and met with Alexandre da Cunha, the artist behind the station’s bespoke piece of 150-metre long artwork, ‘Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset’. The rotating billboard takes inspiration from the former control room at BPS and its system of vertical bars that regulated the production and output of electricity into the city.
BPS has contributed over £300m to the NLE which runs from Kennington to Battersea Power Station via Nine Elms and has enabled the regeneration of both these areas. With its very own Zone 1 London Underground station now open, this exciting new riverside neighbourhood is expected to draw Londoners, international visitors and workers from across the capital with journey times to the West End and the City taking approximately 15 minutes, boosting the local economy and creating over 17,000 jobs.
This momentous milestone is one of many this year for the project and follows the recent news that the former coal-fired Power Station itself, which lay dormant for decades after it was decommissioned in the 1980s, welcomed its first-ever residents in the Spring following the completion of Switch House West, the first major element of the building to complete. The rest of the building will be completing in stages throughout the year, with residents moving into the Boiler House and Switch House East in the coming months. On a broader front, Circus West Village — the first phase of the iconic £9 billion, 42-acre Battersea Power Station project welcomed its first residents in 2017.
BPS will also shortly announce further British and international brands set to join a strong line-up of retailers already set to open their doors at the London landmark next year, including Hugo Boss, MAC Cosmetics, Space NK, Watches of Switzerland, Jo Malone, British heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua’s gym, BXR and The Cinema at The Power Station, a new cinema and private members club.
BPS is being redeveloped by a Malaysian consortium consisting of Malaysia’s most well respected and successful property development and investment businesses, S P Setia Berhad, Sime Darby Property and the Employees Provident Fund. Both S P Setia and Sime Darby Property are strategic investee companies of PNB, a major institutional fund in Malaysia.
Dato’ Ahmad Pardas Senin, Chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company, said:
“The launch of the Northern line extension is an historic moment in British transport history and we are delighted to have been able to support and contribute to this pivotal infrastructure project, which is set to significantly enhance the connectivity of this part of London. This is a proud day for Malaysia and all those involved in transforming the historic iconic Power Station and its surrounding area, being the largest Malaysian investment in the United Kingdom into a new destination where people can live, work and enjoy.”
Datuk Wong Tuck Wai, Chairman of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said:
“This new mode of transport is a gamechanger for Battersea and Nine Elms and undoubtedly makes Battersea Power Station one of the most well-connected destinations in the capital. Congratulations to the team who have worked relentlessly to bring this important milestone to fruition. As a Malaysian tasked to represent the Malaysian conglomerate on this massive project, I am truly proud of the milestone achieved thus far. Well done.”
Simon Murphy, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company, said:
“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 countdown 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.”
To celebrate the opening of its very own tube station, BPS is hosting a street party on 25th and 26th September with family-friendly activities, live music, street art from notable London based artists and internationally renowned street artist, Mr Brainwash, food and drink from the great mix of bars and restaurants that already call Battersea Power Station home, as well as some of the capital’s best street food trucks.
Once open to the public next year, Battersea Power Station will house over 100 shops, bars and restaurants, as well as unique events and leisure spaces, including the Chimney Lift Experience, which will be operated by global events and entertainment leader, IMG. The glass elevator will transport visitors 109m up inside one of the Power Station’s iconic chimneys before they emerge at the top to enjoy unrivalled 360o views of the capital’s skyline.
Strong progress is also being made on Electric Boulevard, a new high street which runs from the south of the Power Station, between the stunning Frank Gehry designed Prospect Place and Foster + Partners’ Battersea Roof Gardens to the new Battersea Power Station Zone 1 Underground station. Opening next year alongside the Power Station, Electric Boulevard will offer a mix of office space, shops, bars and restaurants, a park, community centre and an exciting new 164 room hotel from art’otel®, the brands first hotel to open in London.
