Old Oak Common station, 2 others sites to start main prep work

Prep work for the Old Oak Common station railway in London to start on 27th to 29th Dec. Work at the largest new railway station to be built in the UK has been ongoing since 2021. Completion dates for the station have been set to 2029 and 2033.

The over 300 engineers setting the site(s) on track will do the following:

• Works on drainage
• Tracks and signaling work at the station
• Installation of overhead power power line equipment for use by the trains
• Revamp on overhead lines on the Great Western Main Line
• Improvements on the tracks and signals on the Great Western Main Line between Reading and London Paddington

Resignalling work is also expected in Crewe area from the 25th to Jan 2nd; while Agar Grove bridge is up for replacement from the 21st to the 29th of Dec.

Service and efficiency at the Old Oak

The new UK station is will serve around a quarter million passengers a day on its 14 platforms. As part of the service-package, the Old Oak station will be connected to the Great Western Main Line, Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line, and the HS2 line.

As per projected estimates, the Old Oak station will still serve the original purpose of the HS2. This bar was set as, providing capacity and reliability on the rail transit network. Reliability in reference to time will be well served by the new station. According to studies, the up to 255 miles/hour trains for the station will cover the distance between London and West Midlands in “record times”.

The project client for the Old Oak at HS2, Peter Gow, termed the new station as the “forty-second stop on the Elizabeth Line”. He also commented on the Old Oak station as, “a super-hub of connectivity”.

Train services will be suspended during this time. Euston, Reading and Earling Broadway, and Transport for London service will handle more of the transit diversions before normalcy resumes.

Also read: West London Orbital: What next for the £900m capped project after feasibility study

Progress on the Old Oak Common station

Construction work for the HS2 project in West London which is taking shape. The station’s design development was handled by  WSP, and WilkinsonEyre. The station saw the installation of a 850m station box reaching 20m below ground back in May last year. This is where the six platforms for HS2 trains will be be setup.

The local community were initially consulted on the designs for the station close to 5 years ago. There are also plans to re-transformation the surrounding area. This is being headed by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). Projections have the area in the vicinity become a potential hub for residential outcrops and job hotspots.

Balfour Beatty VINCI SYTRA JV that will undertake the final design work and construction of the Old Oak station notes that the project will support livelihood in the area. Up to 65,000 jobs and 25,000 homes are expected to come up in the surrounding locale, with around 2,500 construction jobs being available once major works kick-off. A good number of this had already been matched up to the locals as by the first quarter of 2024.

A look at the Old Oak Common station

The new station will have passenger facilities. It is expected to provide top-notch experience to all who walk in to the North West London station. Old Oak station will provide direct interchange throughout 8 conventional train platforms. Also in service, for the interchange, will be the Elizabeth Line.

Designs for the station have the 6 high-speed platforms situated underground. This also features an integrated connection to the adjoining a ground-level station through a shared over-bridge.

The Old Oak Common station will also incorporate some memorable design features. One of this is the sequence of interlocking curved roof forms which has been designed to enhance the open environment of the station. This will additionally provide natural lighting and proper low-energy-cost ventilation. The arch is expected to cut-down the need for extra-support to the roof.

The Old Oak station design has a well-sized concourse and platform space. This is key because of the projected passenger number growth by 2040. The station will also have bus and taxi transit nearby at specified areas, pedestrian and cycle links, and revamped traffic signalling.

The station’s vicinity will also get a public park. This has however not been officially confirmed.

Also read about Liverpool’s new plan proposal after £15b plan by Sellar got ditched