ALL CHANGE AT LONDON BRIDGE

ALL CHANGE AT LONDON BRIDGE

Friday 30 Mar 2012 15:37

Network Rail?s proposal for a major redevelopment of London Bridge station has been awarded formal planning consent.

The decision means that from 2018 over 90m passengers a year - a 35m increase - will be able to travel through a brand new, state-of-the-art railway station.

The plans are part of the second stage of the Thameslink programme to unlock much needed capacity on London?s rail network, and allow more services to travel to and through the capital.

By changing the way the station works for passengers and the community, the redevelopment will remove a critical railway bottleneck as well as creating better pedestrian connectivity between Tooley Street and St Thomas Street.

Network Rail?s chief executive David Higgins said: ?Our work will see the transformation of one of London?s oldest and highly congested railway terminus. The London Bridge project is a critical part of the ?6bn Thameslink Programme. It is only by remodeling London Bridge station that we can allow the new fleet of 12-car trains to operate at a metro-frequency on the Thameslink route. The project will also cover over 46 miles of new track laid in the 4.3 mile approach to the station.

?As well as bringing a better rail service to Southwark, we hope that the construction programme itself will help support the local community. How we build is as important as what we build and we are committed to a number of schemes such as local employment, supply chains and community engagement as well as setting up a workplace diversity and inclusion plan.?

New street-level entrances on Tooley Street and St Thomas Street, as well as a permanent 24-hour pedestrian walkway through Stainer Street, will create better connectivity with strong links across the station linking north and south. This further supports the role that the station plays in bringing regeneration to Southwark.

Notes to Editors:

? London Borough of Southwark gave a recommendation to approve the scheme at its planning committee in December 2011

? Early work, including diverting utilities and other facilities, will be undertaken this year, ahead of major construction activity. The station will be built in approximately nine phases of work, beginning in summer 2013 and complete in 2018. The station will remain operational throughout

? London Bridge station redevelopment is a key part of the ?6bn Thameslink programme to allow longer, more frequent train services to run to and through London

? The final station layout will have two dedicated platforms for Thameslink services enabling 18 trains per hour through London Bridge and six further trains through Elephant and Castle to form 24 trains per hour to travel through central London. Further work will also be undertaken further along the line to alter track layouts and relieve a bottleneck on this busy stretch of track

? The first phase of the Thameslink programme, which allows longer 12-car trains to use the Thameslink route, and sees major station redevelopments at Farringdon and Blackfriars, will be completed in summer 2012, in time for the Olympics

? More information is available at www.networkrail.co.uk/thameslink

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