Hayes & Harlington station in west London has opened a new larger ticket office and added step-free access to the platforms as part of the Elizabeth line preparations.
In addition to the replacement entrance, a new footbridge leads from the ticket hall to platforms with three new lifts that provide step-free access to all five platforms at the station. A new waiting room and toilets have been completed, and new canopies will provide additional shelter for those waiting to board trains.
New station entrance (c) TfL
Hayes & Harlington station originally opened in the 1860s, and used to have a large goods depot to the north side as well between the station and the Grand Union Canal. The main entrance was built above the rail tracks on a road bridge.
The goods yard was removed in the 1970s and a bus roundabout was built on the spot, along with a pedestrian underpass under the main road, and a new side entrance for platform 5 and trains into London.
The station is currently served by GWR and TfL Rail and also acts as an interchange station for those travelling to and from Heathrow Airport. As a historical note, it also used to be served by the District line, when the London Underground reached Windsor.
As part of the rebuilding of the station, a new ticket hall has been built between the two older entrances, creating a new single entrance building. Next to the new entrance a new footbridge has been built with lifts to each of the platforms. The platforms themselves also needed to be lengthened to accept Elizabeth line trains, and had longer canopies added.
New station schematic (c) Network Rail
The new ticket hall sits where a 1970s commercial building with shops and offices had been, and needed to be demolished to make space for the railway upgrade – and are likely to be replaced with a small set of buildings to create more pedestrian space. In addition, the old side entrance building next to platform 5 was demolished to make more space inside the station, as it was now redundant as an entrance.
The old station entrance above the railway tracks is now closed, and likely to be repurposed for a cafe or shops.
Step-free access (c) TfL
Hayes & Harlington station is the sixth TfL Rail station to be upgraded to provide step-free access in the past seven months as part of the Crossrail project.
Construction work continues across the TfL network at Osterley, Sudbury Hill, and Harrow-on-the-Hill to deliver step-free access by the end of the year and the new Northern line stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station will also have step-free access from street to train when the extension opens on 20th September.
