Latest news with #OldOakCommon
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK's £2billion ‘super station' reveals huge step forward with new train platforms & plans for 250k passengers a day
A HUGE step forward for a £2 billion 'super station' has been announced. Work has begun at the site as part of the Government's plans to build a station which will serve 250,000 passengers a day. 5 5 5 Engineers have started installing the concrete slabs that passengers will use when boarding at the HS2 station Old Oak Common. Six platforms at the London station are being constructed to serve the high-speed trains which measure a staggering 400m long. As work continues, the delivery director for stations at HS2 said the station will benefit 'generations to come'. Huw Edwards said: 'The installation of the first passenger platforms represents a real step forward in taking HS2 from purely a construction project to the future of Britain's railways. 'Whilst there is still much more to work to do, standing where passengers will alight HS2 services is a reminder of what this railway will achieve – creating connections between people and places, that will benefit generations to come.' Old Oak Common will be the launching point for HS2 services, while development continues at Euston station. The Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last year that her government would be funding a pair of 4.5 mile tunnels between the two stations to make travelling even easier for commuters. It is not yet known when the widely-criticised Euston station will reopen in its new form, after development was halted under Rishi Sunak's government. The then-Prime Minister had hoped to pay for the station's refurbishment using private funding. Old Oak Common will also have platforms for eight other train lines, including the Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line. Labour Govt will invest in job training under Rachel Reeves The Elizabeth Line will be the first train route to use the station when it opens. A massive public parkland will be opened outside, along with pop up events such as markets, to make commuting easy. Peter Gow, the HS2 project director for Old Oak Common, said: "We will open between 2029 to 2033 [and] will aim for the front end of that but there are lots of things still to do. 'It's going to make a massive difference to Londoners and nationally." 5 5
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
First platform for HS2 revealed at Old Oak Common
HS2 has revealed the first platform section on the high-speed railway. Engineers have started installing the concrete slabs passengers will use when boarding or alighting high-speed trains at Old Oak Common station, west London. Six platforms are being built at the site to serve HS2's fleet of 400-metre trains. Huw Edwards, delivery director for stations and placemaking at HS2 Ltd, said: 'The installation of the first passenger platforms represents a real step forward in taking HS2 from purely a construction project to the future of Britain's railways. 'Whilst there is still much more to work to do, standing where passengers will alight HS2 services is a reminder of what this railway will achieve – creating connections between people and places, that will benefit generations to come.' Steve O'Sullivan, project director for the Balfour Beatty Vinci Systra joint venture, which is constructing the station, described the installation of platforms as 'a defining moment in the delivery of HS2'. He went on: 'It's a powerful symbol of progress, not just in terms of engineering, but also highlights the change in project focus from the current civil phase of the works to the building, fit out and the mechanical, electrical and public health phase of the works.' Old Oak Common will be the London terminus for HS2 services when they launch because of delays in developing Euston station in central London. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in October last year that the Government will fund the building of a pair of tunnels stretching 4.5 miles between Old Oak Common and Euston. But uncertainty remains over the development of Euston. In October 2023, then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the project would be reliant on private investment. This was aimed at saving £6.5 billion of taxpayers' money. Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing Euston station has been halted since March 2023 because of funding doubts. The entire high-speed railway project is undergoing a reset led by Mark Wild, who became HS2 Ltd chief executive in December amid rising costs and delays.
