Editing Northern line (section)

==Future==

===Northern line split===
Since the 2000s, TfL has aspired to split the Northern line into two separate routes.<ref name=":02">{{cite CiteSeerX |date=November 2006|title=Transport 2025: Transport vision for a growing world city |citeseerx=10.1.1.135.5972|quote=A segregation of services would deliver simpler service patterns on the line. This will allow more trains to be run through both the West End and City branches – enabling 30tph services on the central London branches. This will provide roughly 25 per cent extra capacity and crowding relief on these busy sections. With the core infrastructure being capable of supporting these service patterns, the main requirements are some additional trains (and stabling) and station capacity improvements at Camden Town.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/northern-line-service-divided-in-312m-bid-to-end-overcrowding-6468560.html |author=Lydall, Ross |title=Northern line service divided in £312m bid to end overcrowding |newspaper=Evening Standard|location=London |date=12 May 2010 |access-date=21 March 2013 |archive-date=15 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215224824/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/northern-line-service-divided-in-312m-bid-to-end-overcrowding-6468560.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Running trains between all combinations of branches and the two central sections, as at present, means only 24 trains an hour can run through each of the central sections at peak times, because merging trains have to wait for each other at the junctions at [[Camden Town tube station|Camden Town]] and [[Kennington tube station|Kennington]].<ref name="TwinPeaks">{{cite web|title=Twin Peaks: Timetable Changes on the Northern Line|url=https://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/northern-line-timetable-for-the-future/|website=London Reconnections|date=14 January 2015|access-date=5 June 2017|archive-date=15 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615132515/http://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/northern-line-timetable-for-the-future/|url-status=live}}</ref> Completely segregating the routes could allow 36 trains an hour on all parts of the line, increasing capacity by around 25%.<ref name=":02" /><ref name="TwinPeaks"/>

TfL has already separated the Charing Cross and Bank branches during off-peak periods; however, four trains per hour still run to and from Morden via Charing Cross in the peak; the northern branches to Edgware and High Barnet cannot be separated until Camden Town station is upgraded to cope with the numbers of passengers changing trains.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|date=6 May 2013|title=We Need To Talk About Camden: The Future of the Northern Line|url=https://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/we-need-to-talk-about-camden/|access-date=13 September 2021|website=London Reconnections|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923125828/https://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/we-need-to-talk-about-camden/|url-status=live}}</ref> The extension to Battersea would allow the [[Charing Cross tube station|Charing Cross]] branch to terminate at Battersea Power Station.<ref>{{cite web|date=15 May 2010|title=Permanent split for the Northern line|url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/8166289.permanent-split-for-the-northern-line/|url-status=live|access-date=13 September 2021|website=Your Local Guardian |archive-date=14 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814222805/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/8166289.permanent-split-for-the-northern-line/}}</ref><ref name=":412">{{cite web|date=4 August 2015|title=Plans to split Northern Line in two move forward another step|url=https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/plans-to-split-northern-line-in-two-move-forward-another-step|url-status=live|access-date=13 September 2021|website=Rail Technology Magazine|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913212544/https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/plans-to-split-northern-line-in-two-move-forward-another-step}}</ref>

The proposed split of the Northern line would require Camden Town station to be expanded and upgraded, as the station is already severely overcrowded at weekend peak times, and a split would increase the number of passengers wishing to change trains at the station.<ref name=":412"/><ref name="upcap12">{{cite web|date=2017|title=Improving capacity at Camden Town station|url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tube/camden-town-station-upgrade/|access-date=20 February 2018|publisher=Transport for London|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100254/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tube/camden-town-station-upgrade/|url-status=live}} Detailed report, with updated timeline etc.</ref><ref name=":4" /> In 2005, London Underground failed to secure planning permission for a comprehensive upgrade plan for Camden Town tube station that would have involved demolition of the existing station entrance and several other surface-level buildings, all within a [[Conservation area (United Kingdom)|conservation area]].<ref>{{cite web|date=25 January 2006|title=Camden Town Redevelopment|url=http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/62|access-date=30 June 2008|publisher=Alwaystouchout.com|archive-date=11 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111081104/http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/62|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="2ndTimeLucky">{{cite web|last1=Bull|first1=John|date=14 October 2015|title=Second Time Lucky: Rebuilding Camden Town Station|url=https://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/second-time-lucky-rebuilding-camden-town-station/|website=London Reconnections|access-date=5 June 2017|archive-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628175351/http://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/second-time-lucky-rebuilding-camden-town-station/|url-status=live}}</ref> New redevelopment plans were first announced in 2013 by TfL, which proposed avoiding the existing station entrance and the conservation area by building a second entrance and interchange tunnels to the north, mostly on the site of a subsequently vacated [[infant school]].<ref name="upcap12"/> In 2018, plans to upgrade and rebuild Camden Town station were placed indefinitely on hold, due to TfL's financial situation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Topham |first=Gwyn |date=11 December 2018 |title=Major tube upgrades shelved as TfL struggles to balance books |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/11/major-tube-upgrades-shelved-as-tfl-struggles-to-balance-books |access-date=26 January 2020 |archive-date=26 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226092007/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/11/major-tube-upgrades-shelved-as-tfl-struggles-to-balance-books |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, TfL said they still "aspire" to split the line. A partial separation was proposed in which all trains from Morden would operate via Bank, while those starting at Kennington (or Battersea) would serve the Charing Cross branch. The High Barnet and Edgware branches would remain served by trains from both routes.<ref name="f763">{{cite web |last=Cooke |first=Alex |date=14 April 2024 |title=TfL still 'aspires' to split Tube line to increase capacity by 20k |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/tfl-northern-line-london-underground-28980969 |access-date=16 March 2025 |website=My London}}</ref>