Media centre

Tuesday 15 Feb 2005

‘PASSENGERS THE WINNERS’ AS KING’S CROSS STATION EXPANSION GETS THE GREEN LIGHT

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National

‘Passengers are the winners’ today as Network Rail welcomed the news that its expansion plan for King’s Cross station is to go-ahead. The Department for Transport today gave the funding green light for the expansion plans for the station that will transform the experience for more than 40 million passengers who use this key London terminus each year. The key features of the expansion scheme are:

• A new 3,000 sq metre concourse - over three times the size of the existing one providing new integrated transport links with international and domestic services from St Pancras, as well as London Underground.

 

• Restoring the Grade 1 listed façade of the station by demolishing the ‘temporary’ current single-storey front to the station. The train shed and platforms will be refurbished and the roof replaced.

 

• The creation of a new open piazza in front of the station, larger than Leicester Square, which will contribute to the wider development of the King’s Cross area.

 

• Works underneath the station to widen service tunnels to modernise facilities and aid the smooth running of train services.

  Overall, the combined cost of the Network Rail Western Concourse and the London Underground Northern Ticket Hall is forecast to be around £400 million and facilitate growth from approximately 40 million to 50 million passengers using the overground station each year within ten years. Speaking about the news, Network Rail Deputy Chief Executive Iain Coucher said: “The passenger is the winner here as the station will be transformed by this much needed investment. The expansion plans will create a world-class transport hub. We are excited by this news and look forward to working with the DfT and London Underground to develop the plans further and then taking it through planning and listed building consent with the support of the London Borough of Camden.” Network Rail will now take the project forward by moving to submit a planning application to the London Borough of Camden. The timetable going forward will depend upon the progress of that application, as well as the funding and programmes for the London Underground works.