Media centre

Tuesday 25 Jan 2011

NEW PLANS FOR ‘SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER’ HORNSEY RAIL DEPOT ON DISPLAY

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Revised plans for a new rail depot in Hornsey are on show this week, giving residents an opportunity to have their say on the smaller, lower-profile design. The re-designed depot is 45% smaller and 2m lower than previously shared plans and will accommodate three trains instead of the original six.

The depot, which is needed to house new, longer trains for the upgraded Thameslink route through London, would be built entirely on operational railway land at Coronation Sidings, north of the existing Hornsey depot.

Network Rail originally consulted with local people on plans for a train maintenance depot at this location in 2009 and an application was submitted to Haringey Council in August of that year.

Following a reassessment of the depot requirements across the Thameslink route – and after taking into account comments received in the 2009 public consultation – a revised scheme is being proposed at Hornsey which includes:

• a significantly smaller maintenance depot building
• reduced impact on the existing railway embankment to preserve vegetation
• changes to the location of other associated buildings
• 120 jobs, providing employment opportunities and boosting the local economy

Jim Crawford, Network Rail major programme director for Thameslink, said: “The benefits of the Thameslink upgrade will be felt across London and the south east, with significant opportunities for improvements to services on the line through Hornsey.

“The revised plans for Hornsey depot strike a balance between providing for a bigger, better railway and taking into account existing and future neighbours.”

Features of Hornsey depot
The new depot, to be built entirely on operational railway land, will be located at the northern end of the existing Coronation Sidings but will be significantly smaller than the previously proposed scheme.

A train washer will be located beside the new depot, with sidings, an underframe cleaning facility and a train washer at the southern end of the site near the existing train depot (which will remain). The new scheme will require widening of the bridges over Turnpike Lane and New River, but works to the embankment will be significantly reduced, preserving existing vegetation.

Sympathetic design
The design and layout of the amended maintenance facilities have been carefully considered. The new scheme seeks to reduce potential environmental impacts wherever possible, for example by minimising the impact on the railway embankment and reducing visual impact by making the depot building smaller. Where issues have been identified, measures have been developed to avoid or reduce the effects where possible, for example:

• New planting to reduce visual impact
• Acoustic noise barriers as required
• A travel plan to guide travel options for staff
• Sensitive design of buildings, including their lighting

The site has been designed to maximise the available space while taking into account existing and future neighbours. Key considerations in the new design:

• Reducing the size of the depot as much as possible
• Protecting the railway embankment as much as possible
• Proximity to, and impact on, neighbours to the railway
• Operational requirements
• Use of sustainable materials

A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being undertaken and will consider factors including air quality, ecology, noise, water, visual impact and cultural heritage.

Drop-in sessions
Network Rail is holding two drop-in sessions where people can find out more about the plans and speak to members of the project team. These are being held at the West Indian Cultural Centre on Clarendon Road on Friday 28th (4-8pm) and Saturday 29th January (10am-2.30pm).

Jim Crawford added: “I’m sure local people will want to find out more about our plans and I would urge them to take the chance to come and talk to us at one of our drop-in sessions.”

Network Rail intends to submit the planning application for the revised depot scheme to Haringey Council in March 2011. Construction is planned to start by the end of 2011 and would take approximately two years to complete. The facility is needed by 2014, ready for the first new trains to enter service in 2015.