New landmark Abbey Wood station gets the green light

• London Borough of Bexley and Royal Borough of Greenwich approve plans for new Crossrail station at Abbey Wood
• Crossrail represents major step-change in public transport and will play a significant role in regeneration of the area

Plans for a brand new station have been approved by the London Borough of Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

The new two-level station will open in 2017 and will be built above two new dedicated Crossrail tracks and those used by North Kent services. The station will include:

• A bright, spacious concourse that leads directly onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway dual carriageway which runs above the current station
• Two new ‘island’ platforms for Crossrail and North Kent services
• Lifts to help passengers get around the station and to provide step-free access to every platform.

Work on the temporary station, which will be situated in the current station car park and open in autumn 2014, will get underway next month. It will include a staffed gate line, ticket machines and windows, and a cash point. It will also provide an accessible route to all platforms throughout the build programme via platform lifts. Demolition of the existing station will begin once the temporary station opens.

Matt White, Crossrail’s Surface Director, said: “This new, landmark station will help to transform Abbey Wood. Crossrail represents a major step-change for the area, encouraging investment, unlocking development opportunities, as well as supporting local jobs and businesses.”

Rob McIntosh, Network Rail’s Crossrail Programme Director, said: “We’re delighted our designs have been approved and that we can now get on with the job of delivering this transformational project on behalf of Crossrail. We’ll continue working with our partners and local stakeholders to deliver a railway that is safe, efficient and fit for the 21st Century.”

From 2018, Crossrail will add up to 12 extra trains an hour, linking Abbey Wood with central London and beyond, cutting journey times and reducing congestion on existing services.

The journey from Abbey Wood to Canary Wharf and Bond Street will be around 20 minutes quicker and passengers travelling to Heathrow will be able to cut around 40 minutes off their journey.

Two new tracks for Crossrail services will be installed next to the existing North Kent lines and work will be carried out to raise and lengthen a number of bridges along the track so they can accommodate the overhead electric wires that will be used by Crossrail trains.