Work has begun on the £3 million Hackney Central London Overground station revamp.
The upgrade works include a new second entrance on Graham Road to ease congestion and provide quicker and more direct access to the town centre, new cycle parking spaces and more trees and greenery, and an additional staircase within the station to make the interchange between Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations easier.
The changes, scheduled for completion in early 2022, are made possible by Hackney Council providing land on Graham Road for the new entrance. The cost of the station improvement scheme is being met by Network Rail via their Accelerated Enhancement Fund, although the works will be carried out by TfL.
The new entrance is expected to open early next year, later than the original opening date of late this year.
The new entrance is technically a temporary structure, as there are longer-term plans to redevelop the north side of Hackney Central station, and a much larger ticket office and entrance would be created. At that point, this second entrance may be retained, upgraded, or could be redeveloped for housing by the council.
I can’t wait for this station to open. I used to come home regularly with heavy parcels from Stratford and as I live off the North-South Mildmay Park Southgate Road axis. the fastest way was to reverse direction at Canonbury to Dalston Junction and get a bus.
When this entrance opens, I will use it and hopefully be able to get a 38 bus all the way.
Bizarrely, if I want to go to Richmond or Clapham Junction, it will be quicker to take a 38 bus the other way to the new entrance.
Mildmay Park station should never have been closed in 1934.