Plans to improve Stratford station in East London have taken a step forward after funding for initial studies was secured. Network Rail says that it has secured £2 million in funding from the Department of Transport (DfT) to develop plans to help relieve congestion at Stratford station.
The funding will allow Network Rail to develop an Outline Business Case which will need to be submitted to the DfT in 2022 to seek approval for further funding to progress with the work.
The station needs something done to improve it, as the station has seen passenger numbers soaring since the 2012 Olympics. Between 2019 and 2020, almost 42 million passengers used Stratford station, making it the busiest non-terminal station in London, and the eighth busiest station in the UK. As a comparison, Stratford station has the same number of passengers as Birmingham New Street station but has just a fifth of the space.
Stratford station (c) Network Rail
Subject to approval and further funding, improvements could help create more room on specific platforms and around entrances to improve circulation space. In collaboration with TfL, other changes could see improved information screens and wayfinding.
The work could take place in phases and passengers may begin to see the first phase of work taking place between late 2022 and 2024 with the potential for more work over the next 5 years.
This may be just a stop-gap though, as there is also a project looking at the potential for a huge redevelopment of the entire station to sort out the muddle of platforms and connections, which has been described as being “similar to what has been seen at Kings Cross and London Bridge”.
What is the latest with the Clapham Junction redevelopment?
Hopefully they will remove the staff office on the Eastbound Central Line platform. It’s in a dangerous position at the top of the stairs, contributing to over-crowding at a pinch point.
Stratford is a very confusing station especially with the platform numbers *NOT* being in numerical sequence and platform no 7 having never been used
Originally platform 7 was going to be used for a shuttle service to Fenchurch street (late 1940s) that never materialised and has never been used
Platform 4 is also currently unused, having been a previous terminus for DLR.
Confusingly, platforms 4a and 4b (not in the same place) are currently used by the DLR.
Must be easy enough to renumber them all?
The bad platform is 8, giving cross platform interchange from Central line to Shenfield trains. I avoid that platform if at all possible.
Given the platform zero that was created at kings cross as renumbering would confuse people, it may be a hard sell to change a more complex station.
That said I only really consciously use the JL platform numbers, thinking of others by their direction/service, so perhaps it would cause less disruption as those used to the old ones adjust as they are thinking of location not number.
Platform Zero was created at Kings Cross as shunting all the platform numbers along means a massive resignalling effort for miles along the track approaching the railway.
Stratford should have euro star stoppage as well
That’s a different station: Stratford International
I would certainly hope that any station redesign, includes greatly expanded toilet provision.
Yes, definitely toilets. They should be one of the first priorities in any terminus or interchange station improvement and Travelwatch should make sure they come up very high on the agenda.
But above all, make sure they don’t copy the dryers at Liverpool Street, which are completely and totally unfit for their purpose with many people needing to restart the drier 8 times and still walking out with wet hands.