Media centre

Tuesday 29 Jun 2010

WORK STEPS UP ON NEW WEST HAMPSTEAD THAMESLINK STATION

Region & Route:

| Southern

West Hampstead’s new station building has moved a step closer with the demolition of two shop units on the junction of Iverson Road and West End Lane. This will allow the pavements to be widened – eliminating a notorious bottleneck and improving the safety of the junction for all pedestrians.

A new station building on Iverson Road will increase passenger capacity, ease congestion and improve the interchange with West Hampstead Overground and Underground stations. This new station will also link into and complete the new footbridge, allowing step-free access to all platforms.

Jim Crawford, Network Rail’s Thameslink major programme director, said: “Our plans for West Hampstead Thameslink station and the surrounding area will benefit passengers, residents and the environment. Once complete, both the station and station approach will be brighter, safer and able to handle the extra passengers that the new, longer trains will bring.”

As part of Network Rail’s ongoing review of all major investment projects cost savings have been made in the construction and delivery of the new station building. One of the changes most likely to benefit local residents is the delivery of construction materials by rail rather than road, limiting the number of road closures and lorry traffic during construction.

The final result will be a new station building with better access for interchanging passengers and a step-free access footbridge to all platforms – but final delivery of the new station building and footbridge link will now be completed by summer 2011, later than initially planned.

Mr Crawford continued: “As with major project of its kind, we are constantly reviewing the Thameslink programme to ensure it delivers value for money. By re-phasing our construction schedule at West Hampstead we have been able to reduce the final cost of the project whilst minimising disruption to residents even further with new ways of working.”