Transport for London has no current intentions to extend the northern line to North Cheam despite TfL’s original plans to make the area the home of the end of the Northern Line.

James McDermott-Hill, Councillor for North Cheam Ward, wrote to TfL saying that he believed the area could benefit from the additional station.

Located on the fringes of London and the Home Counties, Cheam village connects to neighbouring Worcester Park and straddles the borders of Sutton, Surrey and Merton.

The area's strategic position as a connecting link in London’s south nearly persuaded decision makers in the late 1930s to establish the end of the Underground’s Northern line here – according to the LDRS.

 These plans were eventually cancelled.

Fairlands Park was planned to be the site of the Northern Line terminus, and TFL still owns the land from when it was first considering the expansion in the 30s.

Councillor McDermott-Hill asked TfL if they had any plans to extend and added: “What I would add to what has already been said in making the case for an extension is that North Cheam crossroads is a busy intersection where Surrey meets London (it has been referred to as the gateway into London from Surrey) and where North Cheam merges into Worcester Park, the only public transport provision at this crucial intersection in the London Borough of Sutton are a number of bus routes, mainly heading towards Kingston via Worcester Park.

“Of these bus routes, only the 93 to Putney goes anywhere near going directly into London itself. Worcester Park Rail Station is a fair distance away, just over a mile and Cheam station further still at 1.4 miles.

“The route from Morden to North Cheam would presumably be to follow under the A24.

“One other potential stop between Morden and North Cheam could be the Stonecot Hill crossroads which again is poorly served by public transport options.”

A spokesperson for TfL explained that without segregating the Northern line's two central branches and increasing train numbers, peak hour crowding would worsen.

They added that with tight funding, priority lies in maintaining network safety and reliability, while also scrutinising potential future network extensions.

A spokesperson for TfL responded to James McDermott-Hill, Conservative Councillor for North Cheam Ward's question via email with: “There are no current plans to extend the Northern line from Morden to North Cheam and it isn’t something we plan to consider in the near future.

“The southern section of the Northern line is one of the most crowded parts of the entire LU network and an extension beyond Morden is likely to further exacerbate peak hour crowding unless we can fully segregate the two central branches of the Northern line and increase the number of trains operating on the line.

“With constrained funding we are focusing on keeping the existing network safe and reliable whilst undertaking some limited work on potential future network extensions.

“For example, we remain committed to extending the Bakerloo line, subject to securing additional Government funding, which would connect a historically under-served part of London to the Tube network, while unlocking thousands of new homes that London needs and supporting new jobs.

“Similarly, an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside and the West London Orbital Overground would make a huge difference to major growth areas, promoting regeneration and economic development.”