Experts working on the Elizabeth line are changing as the new station gets ready for passengers

Transport for London says it has made progress with changing plans for a new Elizabeth line station. Old Oak Common in west London will act as a temporary terminus for HS2 services before the project’s Euston station is finished.

There is no telling when that will be, but bosses believe Old Oak Common may act as the end of the line for up to a decade. The interchange will also provide Elizabeth Line, GWR and Heathrow Express services.

It is due to be completed sometime between 2029 and 2033. Now officials have said initial design work is underway as TfL aims to ensure there is level boarding at Old Oak Common.

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Papers for the Programs and Investments Committee today state: “Some progress has been made on the provision of level boarding for rolling stock on the Elizabeth line at Old Oak Common, with the DfT providing support for HS2 to undertake design work on feasibility to investigate the drop We continue to engage actively with HS2 Ltd and Network Rail on this proposal.”

Peter Gow, HS2’s project client director, told MyLondon in January that there were no plans at the time to install the boarding level at Old Oak Common. But, there are “separate conversations” between the DfT and Network Rail about “what it might look like to enable this”.

“Serious technical challenges”

Mr Gow added that officials would have to go through “serious technical challenges” over how they allow all rolling stock to pass through the station. Mr Gow also said engineers were “trying to find a technical solution” and, if possible and supported by industry involvement, bosses “would look to implement that where they can”.

Former London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon asked London Mayor Sadiq Khan last year about the absence of equal boarding in the plans at the time. Mr Khan said: “We are looking into this and I am more than happy for the commissioner (of TfL) and the chair of the relevant committee to write to the MP to give her an update on the progress we hope to make. that.

“As she knows, we’re really proud – and she’s been a critical friend of TfL on this – all 41 stations are stepless at the moment. It would be heartbreaking if when High Speed ​​​​2 (HS2) comes down there was no step there”.

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