Green light for Crossrail improvements at Ealing Broadway station

Proposals for an overhaul of Ealing Broadway station as part of Crossrail upgrades were last night (Wednesday 13 August) approved by Ealing Council’s Planning Committee.

The new station, designed by Bennetts Associates, will have a long, curved canopy running the length of the forecourt that will reflect the prominence and importance of the station building. The dated façade will be replaced with a new glass structure and a new entrance twice the size of the existing one, giving the building a much larger, brighter feel.

Inside the station, improvements comprise:

• A ticket hall more than twice the size of the existing one with capacity for 17 standard ticket gates and one wide gate
• Four new lifts to provide step free access from street level to all platforms
• Improved staircases for platforms 1 and 2/3
• Platform extensions to accommodate the new high capacity Crossrail trains
• New toilet facilities
• New customer information screens, station signage, help points and CCTV

During the design process, Crossrail worked closely with Ealing Council, the local MP and community groups as well as with local developers and nearby landowners. Crossrail will continue to work closely with Ealing Council and local groups during the detailed design process.

Construction work is expected to begin in summer 2015 and to last around 18 months. Network Rail, which is delivering the station improvements, will set up worksites in summer 2015 and will use part of the station forecourt and a corner of Haven Green.

Linked to this, the council will also carry out work to transform the area around the station, improving safety and transport links and upgrading the look and the feel of the area. Crossrail and Network Rail will be working with Ealing Council to ensure that the impact of the works for local people is kept to an absolute minimum.

A joint information event between Ealing Council and Crossrail is planned in September to inform local people about the plans for the station and to seek comments on proposals for the development of the area around the station. It will also allow people to find out more about the Crossrail service and the work that is planned for the area.

Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, said: “The arrival of Crossrail will bring wide-ranging benefits to our borough, including major improvements to Ealing Broadway station. The council worked closely with Crossrail to achieve a very high quality design for the station including plans for a whole new station forecourt with a stunning canopy that I believe will create a fitting gateway to Ealing town centre and set the design standards for other developments around the station.”

Matthew White, Crossrail Surface Director, said: “Crossrail will provide a step change in public transport for people in Ealing – better stations, new trains and faster journeys. Now that our plans for Ealing Broadway are moving forward, we will continue to liaise with local people as the detail of the designs for the station is developed. We will also be working hard to make sure that the station improvements are made with the absolute minimum of disruption to local people and businesses.”

Matthew Steele, Programme Director for Crossrail at Network Rail said: “Crossrail is one of the most important projects that Network Rail is working on and promises to deliver huge improvements to rail transport in Ealing, west London and out to Reading. The project team are committed to delivering these important works efficiently and in partnership with the local authority.”

Residents will be able to catch up to ten Crossrail services an hour through the centre of the capital, making it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London and the South East.

By improving transport links, Crossrail is already unlocking development opportunities in west London, encouraging investment and supporting local jobs and businesses. Almost half of planning applications (44%) within a kilometre of the five stations in the London Borough of Ealing cited the new railway as a justification for the development proceeding.