The new Battersea extension to the Northern Line is officially open, with commuters in the area offered two new Zone 1 stops with a direct line into central London.
The extension is the first major extension this century, with the previous being the Jubilee Line extension to Stratford in 1999.
Keen-eyed Tube users will have noticed some of the changes, with much more curved sections on the new design just before Kennington, as well as the two new station additions: Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.
Place names like Sutton, and Streatham have also made their debuts on the map, due to TfL temporarily adding Thameslink services to the map in order to help with coronavirus pressures.
The new stations will take the current number of Tube stations up from 270 to 272, and is £160m under budget.
Carl Painter, area manager responsible for the two new stations, said there was an air of excitement behind the doors, as around 100 staff were ready to welcome customers from Monday morning.
He said: “London Underground stations have a long history of helping to define a neighbourhood’s identity, helping to glue communities together and providing a highly visible landmark that helps visitors to navigate
“We look forward to welcoming customers to the newest additions to the Tube network next week.”
Priscilla Smartt, customer services supervisor at Battersea Power Station station said: “Working at a new Tube station from the day it opens is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
“I can’t wait to welcome customers through the doors and see the excitement on their faces as they discover our new stations for the first time.”
PUPPY POWER: Smartt was also among team members at the Battersea who had a canine visit from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
The globally recognised Tube map design dates back to 1931 when Harry Beck, an electrical draughtsman working for London Transport (LT) – the predecessor to TfL – redesigned the map in his spare time.
He redrew the map from a geographical one to resemble a circuit diagram, a design that LT bosses initially dismissed but came round to after the map became popular with the public.
The new map can be viewed here.
