London’s newest railway station will open on Sunday 10th December, with the first train scheduled to arrive at Brent Cross West just before 7am.
(c) GTR
According to a number of online journey planners, the first two trains to arrive will be from central London arriving at 6:47am, and from the north arriving at 6:58am.
Although those are the times for the first trains for the die-hard fans, there will be opening day celebrations at a more sensible hour for everyone else.
From around 10am, activities include multiple free workshops for drawing, storytelling, biscuit decorating, postcard and bookmarks making, and more. Exhibition boards will be displayed in the station, showing the history of the area and the making of the new station.
You will also have the chance to see the community artwork created by local artist Elisa Cantarelli, and over at the eastern entrance, you will be able to see the architectural panel designed by Giles Round.
There will be snacks and bites provided by local retailers for you to grab throughout the day, and coffee from Cricklewood Coffee Roasters.
Brent Cross West, with four platforms, sits between Cricklewood and Hendon stations, and the expected service will include all Luton and St Albans stopping services. This gives a frequency of 6 trains per hour in each direction off-peak, increasing to 8 in the peak.
The expected off-peak service upon opening is:
- 2 tph to Luton
- 2 tph to Rainham
- 4 tph to St Albans City
- 2 tph to Sutton via Wimbledon
- 2 tph to Sutton via Mitcham Junction
In the peak hours, additional trains will run between Luton and Orpington.
Overnight testing (c) GTR
The station is part of a wider regeneration of the area, which will see the shopping centre being doubled in size, plus around 7,400 additional homes being built on the land around the area, which is currently a mix of light industrial and residential.
The station will also connect the areas of Brent and Barnet via a new overbridge, which will be free to access 24/7. A 150-year landmark, the overbridge will provide the first pedestrian access across this stretch of the Midland Main Line since it was first built in the 19th century.
If it goes ahead, the station can also accommodate the planned West London Orbital (WLO) railway.
I live in Dalston and have seen over the last dozen years, how the Overground has improved North-East London and beyond.
I very much believe that the West London Orbital can do the same for North West London.
Whilst I won’t be there on the opening day, really looking forward to the coverage.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the last London mainline station to open was Meridian Water in 2019
I mean there is also all the Crossrail stations, the most recent of which to open was Bond Street was October 24th 2022
And Barking Riverside too I forgot about that one!
Be aware that Thameslink is affected by various engineering work closures on Sunday 10th December, including no service through the Central London core – between London Bridge/Blackfriars and St Pancras International.
There is also no service between Herne Hill and Wimbledon/Sutton and buses replace trains between Luton and Bedford.
Wonderful news