Waltham Forest Council has agreed to fund half of an £18 million upgrade for Leyton tube station on the Central line, with the other half coming from TfL.
The proposals 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.
Currently, Leyton station is frankly, a fairly basic shed above tracks type of tube station in need of refurbishment, and a large slice of the funding is to make it fully accessible with step-free access down to the platforms.
This is the second attempt to revamp the station, as it was due to have had a major upgrade ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games, but those plans were never carried out.
The new plans are needed as the area is expected to see an additional 4,500 homes built locally, and the station would struggle to cope with the additional passenger use.
The station is currently overcrowded during peak periods and often has the gates closed to hold passengers back until the platforms have cleared. Passengers are further inconvenienced when trains have to skip Leyton station in the evening peak period when the station becomes too crowded to be safe. The proximity of the station’s gate line to the narrow footpath over the bridge, results in crowds of people spilling onto the busy public highway during these periods.
The station currently has 14 million passengers per year and TfL expects this to increase to 17 million by 2041. The plans are designed to absorb that increase, plus an additional 30% for unexpected passenger growth. The proposals will see a new ticket hall built on the north side of the station which would be over three times the size of the existing ticket hall with 8 passenger gates, compared to the existing 5 gates.
Leyton station concept – source Waltham Forest council consultation
In addition, a new footbridge would be constructed over the tracks and new stairs to the platforms each double the width of the existing stairs, plus lifts to both platforms. The existing station entrance and concourse would be converted into a retail unit. The cost of its conversion would be covered separately by TfL commercial property.
Submission of bids to carry out the building work are expected later this year.
Been needed for a long time. Don’t suppose the work will start for a couple of years though.
Like with the ‘so-called’ Olympics upgrade back in 2012, ‘we’ll’ believe it when we see it!
Please consider changing name of station to Leyton Orient
I am not that influential.
A welcome change to what is a tiny station. However, the Central Line, in general, is going to struggle to cope with the additional passenger use. The bottleneck between Leytonstone and Stratford is getting absolutely ridiculous.
But Crossrail should help to relieve overcrowding somewhat.
Open the back interence like b4 the M11…bloody good English times..days gone );
Crossrail will make it significantly worse. What’s really needed is the reopening of the Langthorne Road entrance (as originally planned in 2012) to take the stress off of Leyton High Road.
Totally agree.
I think Leyton Central Line station should have a upgrade and with a new entrance, footbridge & lifts also planned.
I also think the station also gets busy during football match days when Leyton Orient FC are playing at home which is a mile away from the tube station to Brisbane Rd stadium. Despite Leyton Orient who are in the Vanarama National League (Non-League). Which they were relegated from the EFL at the end of 2016-17 League 2 season.
Plus Leyton Midland Road station which has also been upgraded because of the Gospel Oak-Barking Line electrification which is due to see new Class 710 trains in service from Spring this year.
To be fair to all tourists, the name of the name Leyton station should be renamed: “LEYTON ORIENT” Station!!
For me, it’s a shame to see that we get just three extra ticket gates in a ticket hall that’s three times the size of the old one.
It’s lovely to see my local station getting some love, but it’s still going to be a nightmare to get to or out of without more barriers.
Will never happen… didnt happen for the olympics. Instead they had budget for the bicycle shack next to it. That space could’ve accomodated a bigger tube station. I think lifts or escalators were a higher priority. I see mothers and elderly struggling with the steps on a daily basis.