A new station on the Thameslink line for Brent Cross was given final approval by Barnet council last week.
Although outline approval already existed, the final decision was only taken on Wednesday at a planning meeting, for the new station which will support a new housing development at Cricklewood for 7,500 homes plus an extension of the Brent Cross shopping centre.
The new £40 million station, Brent Cross West will be just to the south of the North Circular road, and about half way between Hendon and Cricklewood stations.
Built with four platforms, of which two will be used by slow stopping services, it’s currently expected that the station will have a peak service of eight trains per hour and an off peak service of four trains per hour. That may be changed as the Thameslink operator franchise is up for renewal in 2021, and while the replacement operator will be required to serve the station, at this stage it’s too early to say how many trains will actually call there.
Initially, 8-car trains are expected to use the station, but it’s being built with the expectation that 12-car trains will be used on the Thamelink line.
The plans will also see a new public bridge over the railway tracks to the south of the station, which will be useful as the railway is currently a solid barrier all the way from Cricklewood up to Staples Corner.
A footbridge across the tracks for the station entrance will also be kept open as a public highway.
There is also the potential for the new station to link up with the West London orbital railway, if that’s ever approved, and passive provision has been included in the station design to allow for an additional two platforms to be added later if needed.
Last December, VolkerFitzpatrick signed a contract with Barnet Council to design and build the station, which is (covid-19 permitting) due to open in 2022, much earlier than an original intention of opening in 2031 following changes to the original plans for the area development.
Great News, this new Transport Secretary is Action not Words.
Passive Provision for the West London Line!
Put the West London Line out to Tender with a basic Rail and Station Design by London Overground and a basic Brief to Japanese, French, Spanish and German Bank led Consortia to construct on a Concession Basis.
It was sad to see Mark Carney leave but after today’s effort, even I’d welcome an Old Etonian back.
South Acton to Brent Cross West, it need not go to West Hampstead or Hendon
The Design Development is minor accept where, if necessary the Line crossed Thameslink, thst part should be deferred. A few Bays at Feltham Depot added by Variation Order.
This could be started with expedited Planning next Spring.
Northern Heights is another Candidate for rapid advancement on this Concession Model.
It has to be accepted a Tunnel from Brent Cross via Golders Green and Hampstead Heath to Highgate to form the Outer Orbital is probably a Bridge too Far.
Is it at all likely that Brent Cross shopping centre redevelopment will go ahead? Will it get commercial funding? All the shopping centre owners are in financial difficulty (since before c19), traditional department stores anchor tenants not much better
What actually will fund the station? Barnet? Do they really have funds even with housing gain? Will the houses sell soon?
If it can get the Tenants that Westfield get then there’s Room in North London. It may be terribly inconvenient to Mail back your Tiara if it doesn’t Fit and the 14 Day legal Cooling off period coincides with a similar Covid 19 one and no Saturday Postal Service. We need Social Interaction.
With 8 Trains an hour likely to be matched by Thameslink’s Competitors for the next Franchise it may be better for London Overground to hedge its bets and divert most of its 8 Trains an Hour ( West London Orbital) in Tunnel / Cut and Cover from Gladstone Park with Stops at Cricklewood, Childs Hill, Hampstead ( NL Edgware) Highgate Village, Highgate ( NL Barnet) Crouch End Stroud Green with a Dive Under or Flyover to join the Barking to Gospel Oak Line and terminate Trains at Walthamstow Queen’s Road and Stratford
i suspect that a Brent Cross stop will attract a lot of Harpenden/St Albans shoppers away from St Albans ((slowly decaying) St Peter’s Street shopping centre. St Albans City & District Council have been warned!
I will not believe it until i see the diggings, enough letters from network rail telling us they are upgrading the lines since 2016, as if they are building the Chinese wall. we are supposed to get a station outside my building called Church end or craven park but i don’t see any news about it anymore
Bit confused by your comment, as there are tons of local consultations and works notices in the area of the construction site. I am not sure how you managed to miss every single one of them.