The under-construction Brent Cross West station in north London has passed a range of safety and technical tests, with Thameslink trains arriving and departing on overnight trial runs over the past two weeks.
(c) GTR
The testing ranged from safe boarding, alighting and dispatch from the platforms to on-board passenger information displays, with the station name added to arrival announcements and route diagrams.
When it opens later this year, Brent Cross West will provide a new stop between Cricklewood and Hendon on the Midland Main Line with up to eight Thameslink trains per hour calling there in peak hours.
The tests were conducted jointly by GTR’s station project team and the ASLEF union’s Health and Safety representatives.
During the tests, they ensured that trains would stop at the correct platform position, and could leave safely with clear sight of the platform and signals for the driver.
They also verified that the station design meets the platform-train interface (PTI) requirements (including stepping distances) and that all train systems are working correctly, including selective door opening and passenger information system.
Tom Causebrook, GTR’s Infrastructure Project manager, said: “Our testing focussed on ensuring that the station’s platforms are safe for passengers and staff. Included in the checklist were making sure trains stopped at the right points, the mechanisms for selective door opening worked correctly, our drivers have good visibility along the platforms, and passenger announcements on the trains’ information screens are at the right times. We’re delighted that the results are really positive.”
The Brent Cross West station programme is being led by Barnet Council, built by VolkerFitzpatrick, and project managed by Mace with Network Rail a key programme partner.
The station is currently expected to open in the autumn.
(c) GTR
Looks like a pretty sizeable step up from the platform to the train. That’s slightly disappointing for a brand new station.
There has to be reasonable clearance as some trains will pass the platforms without stopping.
Now, if only they had thought to stop these very Thameslink trains at Kentish Town whilst the Northern Line is non-stopping for year…
Thameslink trains are calling at the station roughly every 10-15 minutes at the moment.
see last two paragraphs
https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/kentish-town-tube-station-closing-next-week-for-a-year-63605/
How overdue was this station for connectivity / capacity reasons and what economic benefits will it bring? I ask out of curiosity, as whilst I am a Londoner, I’m not too familiar with Brent Cross, and it feels that this development has been quite under the radar compared to the other new London stations
There is a big shopping centre at Brent Cross. That is business case enough.
People living both north and south of London will be able to get jobs in the shopping centre or shop there.
Travel benefits for locals will boost that. They will be able to travel north and south for jobs and to shop in other places.
Plus, if we can get less people to drive to Brent Cross Shopping Centre, we reduce the pollution and local health problems should decrease.
Not all benefits are economic as in “more train fares”. Some are indirect as in “less road wear”.
Thanks for this David, social and environmental benefits are of course important too.
Looking further, that shopping centre is part of a larger scale regeneration project, interesting stuff.
There are roughly 6,700 homes going to be built as part of the regeneration of the area too…
https://transformingbx.co.uk/
Doesn’t look like a normal station to me. What was the true reason for this project ? Is it some kind of cargo or freight terminal ?
It’s a normal station, for normal use.