Alstom’s Morden Traincare Centre celebrates 100 years at the heart of the Northern line in London, UK

• The Northern line extension opened on 13 September 1926 alongside the depot at Morden
• Alstom has been maintaining the Northern line fleet since 1995

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has welcomed colleagues’ families, partners and local stakeholders to its Morden Traincare Centre in South London to mark 100 years since the opening of the Northern line’s almost eight-mile (12.3 km) extension from Clapham Common to Morden.

The family and friends event on Sunday 13 September celebrated a century of transport history, as well as the Alstom team who continue to keep one of London’s busiest Underground lines moving safely and reliably every day. Guests were invited to tour the depot, meet the people behind Alstom’s operations and view a specially-commissioned exhibition, ‘Morden 100: Portraits from the Northern line’, created by photographer Nick Robinson.

On 13 September 1926, the Northern line was extended from Clapham Common to Morden, with seven new stations opening at Clapham South, Balham, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon and Morden, alongside Morden Traincare Centre.

A century later, Morden remains a vital part of London’s transport network and, together with Golders Green Traincare Centre, forms the engineering core of the line. A large timeline charting key moments in the Northern line’s history was also unveiled at the depot during the Morden 100 event.

Alstom maintains the Northern line’s fleet of 106 1995 Stock trains from its Morden and Golders Green Traincare Centres. The Alstom-built fleet entered passenger service in 1998 and continues to serve millions of Londoners and visitors using the Underground each year.

“Today is a celebration of a place, a milestone and, above all, our people. For 100 years, Morden Traincare Centre has played a vital role in keeping the Northern line moving. The London Underground has changed enormously since 1926, but the dedication, skill and professionalism of the people who care for this fleet remain at the heart of everything we do,” said Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK at Alstom.

He added: “We are proud to celebrate this centenary with our colleagues, partners and stakeholders, and to recognise the contribution that Morden and Golders Green continue to make to London’s transport network.”

The Alstom team working on the Northern line comprises almost 250 employees across two depots, representing 20 nationalities. With an average tenure of 14 years, the workforce includes colleagues who have been with the Northern line for nearly five decades – the longest-serving having joined in 1977.

The centenary event also highlighted the skills, commitment and pride of Alstom colleagues working behind the scenes across the Northern line. Through Nick Robinson’s enlarged prints, ‘Morden 100: Portraits from the Northern line’ offers a rare glimpse inside the depots, and recognises the maintainers, technicians, engineers and support teams whose work keeps trains safe, reliable and ready for service.

Those featured include brothers Abayomi Shittu, Train Maintainer and Murphy Shittu, Golders Green Depot Manager. Originally from Nigeria, they moved to the UK in 2004 and 1999 respectively and both continue to work together on the Northern line. Meanwhile, another photograph features four Alstom colleagues who have dedicated almost 170 years of service to the Northern line between them.

Elsewhere, love is certainly in the air on the Northern line, as Georgi Georgiev, Production Manager, and Desislava Manushkova, Purchasing Controller, have been married since 2008, while two father and son duos feature in the exhibition.

“The Northern line extension to Morden transformed travel in south London and introduced a collection of stations that remain some of the most recognisable and admired on the Underground network. As we celebrate their centenary, we’re delighted that Alstom have joined us in celebrating the history, architecture and stories behind these remarkable buildings,” said Ann Gavaghan, Customer Experience Manager at Transport for London.

The Morden 100 celebration forms part of Alstom’s wider recognition of the Northern line’s history, from the opening of the world’s first electric deep-level tube railway in 1890 to the modern operation of one of London Underground’s most important routes. Around one million passengers travel on the Northern line every weekday, with the line today serving 52 stations across 38 miles (61 km) of track.

Alstom took over the contract to maintain the Northern line rolling stock in 1995, and has since delivered major reliability, refurbishment and improvement programmes for its fleet – which travels around 9.3 million miles (15 million km) a year.

As part of the Morden 100 celebrations, visitors witnessed a full vehicle (six-car train) being raised by lifting jacks and saw how the depot’s Lean-Lift system operates within the Stores department. In addition, Alstom STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassadors led family-friendly, hands-on activities designed to inspire the next generation of rail professionals.

A miniature, ride-on railway visited the depot for the day from There and Back Light Railway as well as displays from London Transport Museum and Tooting History Group, along with local food and drink vendors. Morden 100 marked the first time in almost four decades that the site has held an open day.

Activities and donations arranged by the Branch Line Society and Tooting History Group helped raise over £1,600 for Morden Traincare Centre’s chosen charity, Caring Kits for Kids.

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