Ealing Council approves Southall Station development as part of Crossrail

Crossrail trains will be accommodated thanks to longer platforms.

Plans for redevelopment as part of Crossrail at Southall Station have today been approved by Ealing Council.

It is yet another milestone on the Crossrail project which is developing at pace following last week’s completion of the 26 miles of tunnelling.

Described as ‘innovative and practical’, the design at Southall Station will include platform extensions that will be able to accommodate Crossrail trains, which will be 200 metres in length.

Crossrail Suface Director, Matthew White, explained how this ‘focal point’ will benefit commuters.

He said: “The Crossrail improvements will transform the station and deliver a larger building that will serve local people for many decades to come.

“The designs show a bright, spacious structure that will be easier for passengers to get around and will provide a focal point for the local area.”

When it is completed in 2019, Crossrail will increase London’s rail network by a tenth and will serve 40 stations.

Southall Station is one of these, and anybody commuting from here will enjoy faster commuting times, with estimates suggesting the journey to Canary Wharf will take just over 30 minutes and Bond Street will be the destination in 17 minutes.

This is because the station will be served by up to ten trains in each direction per hour and following the Crossrail project, passengers will have the new-found luxury of being able to travel through Central London without the use of a connecting train.

Councillor Julian Bell, who is leader of Ealing Council, outlined the added “significant improvement” to the surrounding town along with the stated benefit to passengers.

He said: “We have worked closely with Crossrail to ensure that the design of the station in Southall is innovative as well as being practical. The new design makes it as easy as possible for passengers to use, while making a significant improvement to the town centre in line with the regeneration work that is already well underway in the area.

“It is clear that the new station and the arrival of Crossrail will bring long lasting benefits not only for commuters but for the area as a whole.”

Other improvements to the station include a new footbridge complete with three lifts to provide easy access to platforms, while commuters will be able to use new customer information screens and help points.

A glass and steel structure will result in natural light and a welcoming environment, and a new forecourt is being constructed.

The improvements to the station are obvious but the wider benefits of this development cannot be overstated.

The fact that Crossrail is benefiting the area has led to investment and local jobs being created by way of other projects coming into the area as a direct result of the developments.

In the planning applications for projects within one kilometre of the five stations in Ealing, almost half have said the new railway project has provided justification for the work to take place.

Due to commence in the summer, work at Southall Station will be completed in the summer of 2017, after which Transport for London will run the station.

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