The first tranche of government funding to upgrade both Colindale and Leyton tube stations has been handed over to Transport for London (TfL).
Earlier this year, the government agreed to provisionally provide £43 million towards the cost of rebuilding the two tube stations to cope with demand and include step-free access. The funding is provisional, subject to a full business case being accepted by the government, so an initial package of £2.6 million has been provided to TfL to pay for the reports to be carried out.
Normally, applicants for funding would need to send over an Outline Business Case, followed by a Full Business Case – but to speed things up, the Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to accept both stages at the same time.
The £2.6 million will also cover the cost of the detailed design work for Leyton station, which still needs to be carried out.
If the business case is approved, then the remaining £40 million would be passed from the DfT to the GLA, and they will in turn pass it onto TfL so that rebuilding works can start shortly afterwards.
Colindale Station
In north London, Colindale tube station on the Northern line is the closest to completion of planning work, having been underway since 2018. The plans will see the current rather modest station entrance replaced with a large sweeping timber building that’ll become a local landmark. Some of the cost of the station rebuild comes from a property development that Transport for London (TfL) is planning on some land they own next to the station.
The new ticket hall will come with nine ticket barriers (compared to 5 at the moment), and the introduction of step-free access to the platform level with the provision of a new lift, which will sit between the two existing staircases down to the platform level.
Barnet Council is providing £13.5 million of Section 106 funding and direct funding to provide step-free access at Colindale. Collating other, smaller, section 106 funds, and the receipt of the Levelling Up Fund contribution in full, will complete the necessary funding to build, and bring into use, step-free access and enhancements at Colindale station.
Work is currently expected to start in early 2024.
Colindale station concept – source planning documents
Leyton Station
In east London, Leyton tube station on the Central line is also set for a large upgrade to help cope with overcrowding and provide step-free access to the station.
The proposals to upgrade the station will see a new ticket hall built next to the existing ticket hall which would be over three times the size of the old one, with 8 passenger gates, compared to the existing 5 gates. The replacement staircases will land near the centre of the platforms rather than at the western end meaning that crowding is likely to be reduced and boarding/alighting less skewed. The station would also gain step-free access with new lifts being added.
Funding for this station has been in limbo since the pandemic, as although Waltham Forest Council had agreed to cover £9 million of the roughly £20 million cost, TfL wasn’t in a position to fund its portion. The receipt of the Levelling Up Fund grants, in full, will complete the funding necessary to build, and bring into use, step-free access and capacity enhancements at Leyton station.
The concept design was accepted on time and to budget, and subsequently, Stage Gate 3 was approved. The contract award for detailed design with early contractor involvement to deliver a construction-ready scheme will be let in Quarter 2 2023/24 with planned completion by Quarter 4 2023/24.
Leyton station concept – source Waltham Forest council consultation
Not quite sure how the colindale lift will work. Hendon had to lose one staircase to accommodate the lift
It says in the Article that the new lift will sit between the 2 existing staircases, so doesn’t seem they will demolish any staircases.
No idea how long will the station close and for the replacement buses
TFL and Council representitives came to RAF museum (in 2021) to showcase the plans and for local residents to find out more. Back then there estimate was 9-12 months.
Leyton Station upgrade how about getting staff at Leyton station 90% of the time the gates are left opened as the staff are out smoking allowing people to just walk in and out as there like
I hope that both of these designs will include loos. Inconsistency of provision and lack of inclusion in refurbishment and new build highlighted recently
Toilets looked from more than 6 months in Leyton, outrageous.
The Colindale station proposal looks amazing. I have just started a New Contract teaching at the local school, St James’Catholic and have calculated my ‘travel times’. I would be very interested to know what the length of station closure will be, as that will greatly impact the times I set out daily to travel across London, especially the ise of replacement bus services.
Thank you.
The Colindale station proposal looks amazing. I have just started a New Contract teaching at the local school, St James’Catholic and have calculated my ‘travel times’. I would be very interested to know what the length of station closure will be, as that will greatly impact the times I set out daily to travel across London, especially the use of replacement bus services.
Thank you.
Government need to get the basics right before chucking money at these kind of projects. People don’t care about 5 gates or 8 gates at Leyton when they’re just trying to survive.
The station is dangerously overcrowded at peak hours – adding more gates is helping people to survive.