TfL and Crossrail unveil new images of Tottenham Court Road station as major new transport hub takes shape

New images reveal the progress of construction of the £1bn redevelopment of Tottenham Court Road station.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
“Upgrades such as this to our transport network are vital in order to ensure the Capital continues to be the economic powerhouse of the country.”

• Tube stations works now 60% complete
• One third of new Crossrail’s train tunnels under London completed

The future of London’s transport network in the West End is moving ahead at speed as the new £1bn Tottenham Court Road station takes shape.

Work on the significantly improved Tube station is now around 60% complete while Crossrail has completed an estimated 35% of works to the station’s new Dean Street ticket hall and station tunnels.

London Underground has completed civil engineering work for almost 300 metres of new passageways, a new entrance, and the vast new Tottenham Court Road ticket hall, six times the size of the existing ticket hall.

Fitting out has begun at the station and Phase 1, including two new entrances and expanded Northern line access, is due to open in 2015.

More capacity

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: ‘Our ambitious plans to rebuild Tottenham Court Road station, which is over 100 years old, will create a ticket hall six times bigger than its current size and a station with over a third more capacity.

‘Upgrades such as this to our transport network are vital in order to ensure the Capital continues to be the economic powerhouse of the country.’

David Waboso, London Underground’s Capital Programmes Director, said: ‘The east end of Oxford Street in London’s West End will undergo one of the most significant changes with the upgraded Tube station and brand new Crossrail links.

‘A vast amount of work has been done at Tottenham Court Road Underground station and there is still much to do but when complete the upgraded station will ease congestion, improve accessibility and provide a direct interchange with Crossrail services when they start operating in 2018.’

Meanwhile, Crossrail works at the new ticket hall at Dean Street are advancing, with workers building passenger tunnels that will connect the two ticket halls later this year.

Regeneration catalyst

The new ticket halls at Tottenham Court Road station will act as a catalyst to transform Soho and the east end of Oxford Street.

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive, said: ‘Crossrail is not just delivering major new stations in the West End but transforming the areas around the stations.

‘It is the site of our largest property development and urban regeneration programme, which will deliver new retail, office, residential space, new squares, paths and greenery, and attract new businesses and customers.’

Among the multimillion pound developments already approved is the joint Crossrail Derwent London development of 500,000 sq ft of premium retail, office and residential accommodation above the ticket halls at the corner of Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street, and the corner of Oxford Street and Dean Street. It includes a new West End theatre.

Transport for London and Crossrail will deliver major public realm improvements around the station including new footpaths, green spaces and lighting which will significantly improve the look and feel of the area.

Of particular note will be the glazed entrances to the new station ticket hall at Tottenham Court Road, set in the middle of a new square outside Centre Point.

Up to 150,000 passengers use Tottenham Court Road station every day. That number is expected to rise to more than 200,000 when Crossrail services commence in 2018.

Central hub

Crossrail will link the West End to Canary Wharf in 12 minutes, Stratford in 13 minutes and Heathrow in less than 30 minutes.

The arrival of Crossrail will make Tottenham Court Road station a major transport hub and bring an extra 1.5 million people to within a 45 minute commute of the popular retail and entertainment district.

Meanwhile, work on Crossrail’s 26 miles of new tunnels under London has reached the one third mark. Crossrail’s lead tunnelling machine, Phyllis, has so far constructed 3.2 miles of new tunnel which now stretch from Royal Oak to beyond Tottenham Court Road. Another five machines are building train tunnels across London.

The tunnels will connect nine new stations and another 28 existing stations across the route. So far nine miles of tunnels have been completed, with the two tunnelling machines in the West End scheduled to finish their 8.5 mile section at Farringdon in the winter.

A further six machines will construct the remainder of the new tunnels.