Super-hub gets the go-ahead
WORK TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH ON £1.3 BILLION OLD OAK COMMON STATION PROJECT
AMBITIOUS plans to build a huge “super-hub” railway station at Old Oak Common have been approved.
The Old Oak Common and Park Royal Development Corporation, set up by the Mayor of London for the regeneration project, gave the green light to the plans to build the UK’s largest railway station.
The HS2 development site between East Acton and Willesden Junction is expected to be used by 250,000 passengers each day when up and running.
It will also be a connecting hub for the Elizabeth Line, Heathrow
Express and trains to Wales and the west of England, with 14 platforms.
The station will connect HS2, the Elizabeth Line, Heathrow Express services and National Rail networks
New public spaces will be created including a square outside the station.
It is hoped the project will also transform the wider area of a former railway and industrial site to create a neighbourhood with tens of thousands of jobs and homes.
Chair of the OPDC Liz Peace said: “The approval of HS2’s Old Oak Common Station design marks a significant milestone in the delivery of this nationally important project.
“The new station will unlock a huge regeneration opportunity, bringing billions of pounds of investment into the local community and the wider UK economy.
“Now, more so than ever, the delivery of new and affordable homes and jobs at Old Oak and Park Royal is needed to capitalise on the unrivalled connectivity that HS2 will bring.”
The OPDC will be working with the host London boroughs of the project, Ealing, Brent and Hammersmith & Fulham, as well as HS2, Network Rail and other partners.
Matthew Botelle, HS2 Ltd’s Stations Director added: “The planning approval for the Old Oak Common super-hub station is an important milestone in the delivery of Britain’s new world-class low carbon railway.
Building a new railway station for the UK on this scale and size will be an incredible achievement for British engineering.
“HS2 is set to be a catalyst to transform this area of West London, making it one of the best connected development sites in the UK.”
Work is expected to start on the site next month.