New Cross

Overview

In Spring 2020 we embarked upon a £1 billion project to rewire South London via deep underground tunnels. In total, 32.5km of 3m diameter tunnels are being constructed deep below the road network between Wimbledon and Crayford, which will carry high voltage electricity cables.

Since works began at the site in June 2019, two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) have been launched via the deep vertical shaft constructed on site. One TBM travelled 12km from Wimbledon to New Cross, and another 18km from New Cross to Hurst.

In October 2023, the TBM ‘Grace’ broke through at our site in Eltham, having bored for over 11km between New Cross to Eltham in Greenwich. This achievement marked the end of tunnelling for the LPT project.

In January 2024, we started installing permanent monorail and cable brackets in the tunnel.

In March 2024, works began to construct the two headhouses on site to cover the shafts and provide ventilation and access to the tunnel.

The LPT project, designed to bolster London's electricity network in response to increasing demand and support a net-zero future, is set to be fully operational by 2026.

Key facts

Dimensions: New Cross is home to two 34m deep tunnel shafts (10.5m and 15m diameter). These were completed on land and adjacent to the substation, formerly the location of a large gas holder.
Access: Access to the site is off the Old Kent Road in the London borough of Southwark.
Traffic: There is currently no expected increase in traffic expected on site.
Working hours: Our current working hours are:
- Monday – Friday: 24-hours works inside the tunnels
- Saturday – Sunday: 24-hours maintenance works

Timeline

June 2019 – Site preparation including ground remediation works to remove unwanted materials and contaminated land began.
January 2022 – September 2023 – Tunnel construction to Kidbrooke took place.
Autumn 2023 – Tunnel boring completed along entire route of project
March 2024 – Construction on two headhouses began
2026 – Project expected to be fully operational

Address

Our New Cross site is located to the North of the Old Kent Road, London SE15 1JU.

Community involvement

National Grid is committed to working with and supporting the local communities around its project sites. To support communities around the LPT project, National Grid and our partners are delivering:

Outreach programme: An engaging and impactful outreach programme for secondary school students in the local area, promoting engineering careers for our net zero future.
Community Grant Programme: Provision of financial support for local projects via our Community Grant Programme.
Volunteer days: Hands-on support provided by the project team via volunteer days conducted in the community.

In November 2023, we published a Social Impact Report for the LPT school outreach programme, which illustrates the social benefits the programme has delivered for young people across South London. Working alongside early-talent specialists, Connectr, we have supported over 100,000 young people during the initial three and half years of the programme – achieving our ambition of engaging over 100,000 students before 2025.