Psst! – Wanna buy a Tube station?

The disused Shoreditch station which is for sale



Wanna buy a Tube station? Just be careful who you sit next to on the Tube because there are a lot of Tube “Anoraks” out there whose dream of earthly paradise is to own a Tube station. Sad Boys – yes it is a male thing! There are 16 disused Tube stations out there and some have found alternative uses – South Kentish Town is a massage parlour, Marlborough Road was a Chinese restaurant and Aldwych is often used for movies and has hosted a recent exhibition on the 70th Anniversary of the London Blitz during which it gave distinguished service.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/11/blitz-on-underground.html

Shoreditch was always a strange station even when open for it lost much of its meaning when the line into Liverpool Street was cut, was in an area of narrow streets and was hard to find unless you knew where it was! There was a sign at the top of Pedley Street directing you to the station and at the end of its 130 year history it was only open during peak hours and catering for 1,100 passengers a day.




Looking for the Tube station Guv? The sign underneath the original street sign is in Sylethi as this area is now known as "Banglatown" with a mainly Bangladeshi population around Brick Lane

One more point which made it hard to find it was it was in Spitalfields near Brick Lane not Shoreditch! The old station has seen more spray cans than commuters over the past five years, and don’t expect to be able to wander down to the platforms looking out for ghost trains to New Cross – much of the old line has been filled in and grassed over, and the stairs removed. But what you’ll get for your money is a cosy little building which has played a big role in London railway history, which once saw steam trains from Liverpool Street to the south coast as well as Tube trains. Presumably it is for sale now as the platforms and stairs have been removed and the new embankment for the realigned East London Line has been completed. Interested? Details are here on auctioneers Andrew and Robertson’s site;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/11/blitz-on-underground.html





Shoreditch station opened in 1876 and closed in 2006, having consisted of a single platform serving a single track next to the disused Bishopsgate goods yard as well as the station building upon Brick Lane, a road notable for its wide variety of curry restaurants. The station was situated just to the south of the railway line into Liverpool Street, and the Underground line at Shoreditch used to continue onto the mainline tracks until the tube line was electrified in 1913.





While open, the station was the northernmost terminus of the line, but due to a shortage of passengers, trains only called there during rush hours and at weekends. Shoreditch belongs to the long tradition of Underground stations with misleading names (Harrow on the Hill being below the Hill, Acton Town being a half mile from Acton Town, Watford being a mile from Watford etc) as it is not really in Shoreditch but at the top of Brick Lane and behind the old Goods yards.


Map showing the two Shoreditch stations originally served from Liverpool Street. Directly north there was Shoreditch on the mainline from Broad Street (since amalgamated with Liverpool St.) which was closed after being bombed in the Blitz of 1940 and to the right Shoreditch on the East London Line

Due to plans to extend the East London line to form part of the new London Overground network, Shoreditch station is now disused. Trains will leave the original route of the line to call at a new station at Shoreditch High Street while passing along the route of the old Broad Street viaduct, the only remaining structure from the old national railway station of the same name. The fact that the disused North London line runs along most of the desired route of the extension means that Shoreditch station really had very little chance of being included in the project. The new line and station form part of the London Overground network, a suburban rail service operated by Transport for London but separate from the Tube network.





Unlike other closed stations, Transport for London provided a temporary service to Shoreditch - until the new line fully opened in 2010, a non-stop rail replacement bus connected Shoreditch with Whitechapel using the station's previous limited opening hours.


The original East London Line with Shoreditch as its northern terminus

The cutting in and around the station area has been filled in and partly reused for the line from Whitechapel (also in a cutting) to the replacement Shoreditch High Street (on an embankment). Until the late 1960s the East London Line connected with the main line railway to Liverpool Street (and Bishopsgate until 1916) just north of Shoreditch station. The site of the link is still visible from the end of the platform and from National Express East Anglia main line trains between Stratford and Liverpool Street. The station was one of only a handful on the network with a single platform and a single track layout, though it originally had two tracks and platforms.





The preceding station was Whitechapel, which was the northern terminus of the East London Line until the line closed for extension in December 2007.The station had two platforms for the twin track railway which continued westwards, joining other mainline tracks running into nearby Liverpool Street station. Services on this stretch of the line varied over the years, but eventually passenger services terminated at Shoreditch in 1913 rather than carrying through to Liverpool Street when the line was electrified, with goods traffic only continuing to Liverpool Street. In 1966, even this service was withdrawn and the junction with the mainline tracks just beyond the station was severed.



The line itself has gone through several identity changes. At times, it was seen primarily as a goods line but in 1913, the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District railways started using the line for passenger services. When the London Underground was nationalised, it fell under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Line and in 1970 became known as the Metropolitan Line - East London Section. In the 1980s, the line was given its own identity as a separate London Underground line, though in reality to this day it still has a close relationship with the Hammersmith & City (also former Metropolitan Line), even sharing rolling stock. The East London Line was a unique creature, the only Underground Line which didn’t go through Central London, the second oldest line dating from 1869 but incorporating the oldest part of London Underground – Isambard Brunel’s Wapping Tunnel dating from 1843.


Construction work on the East London Line extension, photographed from outside the former Shoreditch tube station building (looking east).


For the fascinating history of the original East London Line see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html

For the story of one of London’s most important transport developments, London Overground, which incorporates the East London Line see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/04/east-london-line-goes-overground.html


Still got your cheque book at the ready? The sale of Shoreditch Station takes place at the Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden on 16 February. But if you want to buy the ultimate Geek’s crash pad as well as the £180k + reserve price you want to have deep pockets. The building has been boarded up for 5 years, is a monument to graffiti and has extensive asbestos throughout the structure.



Here is a video tribute to the last day of Shoreditch station. I may even have been there myself but I can’t confirm that for security reasons!



Here is TfL's promo video on the new line with excellent aerial shots which make sense of the route decisions;



For more on London Underground and its unique heritage and contribution to design see TUBEBLOGS in my Blog sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

East London Line reopens.

The long awaited reopening of the new East London Line takes place at 12.15 today, becoming part of the London Overground network. A service of eight trains an hour will run between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction, between 0700 BST and 2000 BST, Monday to Friday. Full evening and weekend services will begin on Saturday 23 May, when 12 trains will run an hour. Until then this is a “soft service” so it can be withdrawn or amended at any time as the line, signals and rolling stock are tested in “live” service.

Trains will travel through Whitechapel station and Shoreditch High Street, a flagship Zone 1 station. London Mayor Boris Johnson, who officially opened the route, said: "This new railway will bring jobs and opportunities to communities up and down the line, massively improving access for hundreds of thousands of people.

"This type of investment is essential if London, throwing off the shackles of recession, is to emerge with the ability to grow, prosper, and secure its position at the summit of world cities, to the benefit of all Londoners. This type of investment is essential if London, throwing off the shackles of recession, is to emerge with the ability to grow, prosper, and secure its position at the summit of world cities, to the benefit of all Londoners."


Platform view at Shoreditch High Street

Oyster cards work on the new trains which have no doors separating the carriages, meaning passengers are able to walk the length of the train. The opening is the first phase of the £1bn extension. Engineering works are continuing to extend the East London Line to Highbury and Islington by the spring of 2011. An extension of the line to Clapham Junction, in south-west London, is planned by 2012.

London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy said: "Not since the (Underground's) Jubilee line was extended over 10 years ago have we seen such a transformational transport project delivered in London.”The new East London route has been eagerly awaited by people who live in, work in and visit the areas it serves. It delivers four new London Overground stations and a huge increase in the number of travel possibilities to residents and travellers in a single day. It is also an important part of the 2012 (Olympic) transport network and has been delivered ahead of schedule and on budget."


Inside the carriages which are open the full length of the stock

Liberal Democrat London Assembly transport spokeswoman Caroline Pidgeon said: "Right in the middle of a General Election campaign, the mayor is desperate to claim credit for something he didn't initiate.”The East London Line opening will be welcomed by many Londoners, but must not be used as a political football. The fact that two 'official openings' have already been postponed on technical grounds clearly demonstrates that political convenience has been the key factor driving the date of the official opening. Transport for London would do everyone a favour if they stayed well clear of political stunts relating to the opening of the East London Line."

The line will form part of a planned wider London Overground orbital network, which will allow passengers to travel around London on the line without having to enter central areas of the city. With the completion of the new station and interim terminus at Dalston Junction residents of this area can look forward to the benefits of new transport links rather than the near permanent traffic jams the construction of the station has caused. Wherever possible the Line has reused existing rail routes.


A driver's cab view of Haggerston station, like much of the East London Extension the track here follows existing railway lines


For the full story of London’s newest “Old” railway see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/04/east-london-line-goes-overground.html

For a history of this Line prior to closure and rebuilding and Marc Brunel’s famous tunnel where modern tunnelling was invented see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html


The way we were - Metropolitan Line "A" Stock on the line before refurbishment near New Cross

East London Line goes Overground

Shadwell Station

In December two years ago I reported on the disquiet in London at the impending closure of the second oldest “Tube” line, The East London Line on the 22nd December 2007 until 2010. Part of this disquiet related to the Line being more widely used with its connection to the extended Jubilee Line at Canada Water as well as its long standing connection to the District Line at Whitechapel. In truth the East London Line has always been somewhat unique being the only Underground Line which doesn’t go through Central London, having two termini only 600 metres apart and having the oldest tunnel on the system, the Thames Tunnel designed by Marc Brunel, father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel dating from 1843 which along with the Tower Hill subway was the first sub-aqueous tunnel in modern times – there is reference to a tunnel in Babylon, but no archaeological evidence. More importantly it was the tunnel where modern tunnelling methods were developed and though underground is a listed building!




See the full story and history of the Line here;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html

This spring, the route formerly known as the East London line will make a bold return, now co-opted into the orange livery of London Overground, and extending past its original, curtailed route to the giddy northern heights of Dalston and the southern climes of Croydon. London Overground anticipates in 100,000 people will use the Phase One trains every day during 2011, many of them cutting the time of journeys they make at present and also travelling more cheaply as a result. About one billion pounds has been invested in the project, whose origins lie way back in the 1990s (a fact that highlights the significance of Mayor Johnson's mothballing of other infrastructure development work at TfL.)

Not often mentioned, this - it's a pre-Livingstone project, which he had the good sense not to can on inheriting it. It's also a PFI, but a working one. There are lessons to be drawn from that, particularly since Boris's party seem to have taken violently against PFI recently, despite inventing it. The extensions are planned in two phases. Phase 1 sees trains running between Highbury & Islington in the north and New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon in the south. Phase 2 includes the fourth branch via Peckham Rye to Clapham Junction in the south.


Route maps at Shadwell: the extensions to Highbury & Islington and Clapham, due to open in 2011 and 2012 respectively, are shown on these maps.

Funding arrangements were agreed for this phase 1 which is scheduled to be in place fully for June 2010, comfortably before the possible Olympics in East London. It will have a soft opening with a reduced timetable from 15th April 2010. On 5 September 2006, the Mayor moved the northern section from Dalston Junction to Highbury & Islington from Phase 2 into Phase 1. However, this extra link will not be delivered for about 18 months after the line has opened as far as Dalston Junction.


The complete proposed Overground Network providing orbital routes in London to complement the Tube network Double Click to enlarge

Without the extensions, demand would rise to 11.6m passengers per year in 2011; with the original Phase 1 to Dalston Junction and Croydon, this increases to 35.4m, and with the original Phase 2 to Clapham Junction and Caledonian Road, to 50m. The original Phase One was estimated to cost around £1bn, which is being spent by Transport for London as part of its five-year investment programme based on loans backed by the Treasury. The original Phase Two would cost around £275m, the northern section comprising £200m, and the southern section to Clapham Junction comprising £75m (excluding stations at Brixton and Loughborough Junction).


Control Room @ New Cross

The refurbished line has a rebuilt New Cross depot and the new control room, a gleaming modern building whose exterior looks for all the world like a giant Meccano set and the reopened line boasts sleek new trains. The route runs the same 378 models recently introduced to the North London line, albeit in four-car configuration rather than three-car, and there's a distinct sense of vertigo to be had looking the length of the walk-through carriages as the vehicle is in motion.


Class 378 rolling stock

In the maintenance building next door at New Cross the new trains stand in gleaming expectation. The ELL is the biggest addition to the capital's transport network since the Jubilee Line in 1999. Around 130 drivers have been recruited, two-thirds of them brand new "off the street." Representatives of the operator LOROL, the Chinese company which has the contract to operate the line, speak of their eagerness to work and learn. As part of the deal to operate the ELL this most historic of Underground Lines was taken out of London Underground’s control and it does seem strange that Chinese companies and German State Railways are operating parts of the rail system in the country which invented railways. It will be noted that there are no British companies operating trains in China or Germany.



The Overground is operated by a private company, LOROL. Following a model similar to that already used for the Docklands Light Railway, TfL invited tenders for operation of the Overground. Unlike National Rail franchisees, TfL would set fares, procure rolling stock and decide service levels. The operator would take an element of revenue risk: TfL take 90% of the revenue risk, 10% of revenue is retained by the operator, and the operator is responsible for revenue collection.


Shadwell ticket hall


Shadwell platforms retaining the murals

Aside from the new orange-trimmed roundels, regulars on the old East London line will see little difference at platform level: but at street level Shadwell is entirely transformed, with an additional exit on the north side of the ticket office meaning access to the nearby DLR station is much easier (welcome news to anybody who recalls the miserable side street that had to be navigated in the past).



New Shoreditch Station

At Shoreditch High Street, a colossal grey battleship of a station is parked on the old Bishopsgate Goods Yard. The platform is long enough to accommodate up to eight carriages (not that a train of such length is ever likely to pull in), and the spacious ticket hall reflects the expectation that - with an optimum location and excellent access to Spitalfields, Shoreditch, Old Street, and the City - this will be one of the more popular stations on the network. The final part of the new line goes along the viaduct toward Dalston Junction and back, offering new vistas of Kingsland Road and affording the more eagle-eyed trainspotter a glimpse of the original Old Street station.

TfL expect around 100,000 people to use the service daily once it is fully operational, and in offering a link between parts of the capital that have long been ill-served by transport connections, the line should be a success. It does, however, pose a significant hazard to pub quiz-masters and Underground trivia hounds: should London Overground be counted as a proper Tube line or not?


The new station at Hoxton

The section between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction is currently scheduled to open in April 15th and the full service is due to welcome passengers on May 23rd.
When the extended East London line links up with the Richmond to Stratford line at Highbury & Islington in 2011, the beginning of an orbital railway around the Capital will be created. Transport for London will complete the orbital railway by extending the East London Line from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction. This work is due to be completed in 2012. With four new, air-conditioned trains per hour, it would take less time to get to Canary Wharf and Broadgate.


As time goes by - all that remains of the Line's previous terminus Old Shoreditch Station

It is a pity to see this Line move out of the Underground Network but there is no denying that since Transport for London took over the dismal North London Line and the appalling Silverlink services there has been a huge improvement with Underground standards of station improvements including lighting, CCTV, Ticketing including being part of the Oyster Card network and the London Zone system. More importantly there has been a phase shift in security and staffing at the stations and increase frequency of reliable services with brand new rolling stock.


The new Overground bridge being installed at Shoreditch High Street




The ticket hall and platforms at the new Shoreditch Station

This reopened link will also be an important contribution to the Olympic transport arrangements as the North London Line - will become part of "London Overground" and will see new rolling stock as well as new terminating platforms at Stratford serving the Olympic Park and an increase in services. Orbital routes are hugely important in a large World City like London giving an important alternative to the congested radial routes through the centre and linking the neighbourhoods of London.


Thames Tunnel from Wapping in 2005

But for railway aficionados who admire the scale of the raw Victorian engineering on the Line with deep cuttings lined with engineering brick and buttressed by cast iron girders leading to the unique Wapping Tunnel it will be a joy to see it come back to life to meet the changing transport needs of this great World City and its natives and visitors. The integration of this Line into the ambitious but much needed and appreciated Overground Network means this former Cinderella Line has at long last found its rightful place at the ball!

For the history of the unique East London Line see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html

For more background on the worlds first Underground see;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-circle-line-journey.html


The Underground style interiors of the new rolling stock


Robert Hulse, director of the Brunel Museum, takes us on a tour of the Thames tunnel, described, when it first opened in 1843, as the eighth wonder of the world.



On the 14 / 15th March pedestrians were allowed to walk through the restored tunnel under the Thames for the the first time in 148 years!



Here is TfL's promo on the new line with excellent aerial shots which make sense of the route decisions;




For more on London Underground and its unique heritage and contribution to design see TUBEBLOGS in my Blog sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

East London Line News

Update on Clapham Extension – 12 February 2009




The planned extension of the East London rail line was today given the go-ahead by Boris Johnson, and Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon. The new line funded by the Government, Transport for London and City Hall will link Surrey Quays to Peckham and Clapham Junction, providing direct links to the City and Docklands.

The extension is intended to reduce congestion on radial routes, and at central London interchange stations. The Department for Transport is providing £64 million for the East London line extension and other transport improvements. The Mayor and TfL will contribute £15 million towards the cost of the scheme.

Mr Johnson said: "This is tremendous news. We can finally get cracking on a vital section of track that will orbitise our Overground rail services. "I promised Londoners that where funds were made available we would build the improvements they need. "And it will be a real achievement when our Overground services are fully oysterised. (Oyster is the name of the London wide stored value ticketing system) I am delighted a long hard slog of negotiations between us and the Department of Transport has borne fruit that will result in a superb new service for thousands of Londoners."

Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy said: "The East London line extension will deliver a key rail link south of the river and improve local transport for Londoners by providing more choice and better access to other parts of the capital."

"The extension to Clapham Junction will provide significantly improved access to the City and Docklands and will allow us to extend the high standards provided on our existing London Overground network - staff at all stations, Oyster pay as you go, and frequent services - to south Londoners."





See East London Line;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html

London Olympics 2012 – Stratford Station

Stratford Station today



On the 6th July 2005 at 12.49 pm BST, it was announced to the world that the hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games would be.... London! Beating off close competition from Paris, Madrid, New York and Moscow, London had been awarded the largest event of its kind on earth. So in the first of an occasional series up to the Olympics this piece covers the regeneration of Stratford Station which along with Stratford International 400 metres away will form the lynchpin of the Olympic transport arrangements serving the Olympic Park and contributing to the regeneration of East London. More than this the hosting of the 2012 Olympics is a proud moment for London to display the diversity and dynamism it enjoys as a truly World City.







The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place on 27 July 2012 and the Closing Ceremony on the 12 Aug 2012. 18 days later, the Paralympic Games (the second largest event of its kind in the world) will stage its Opening Ceremony.



See Paralympic Games;



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/09/paralympic-games.html





The scene in Trafalgar Square London on 6th July 2005



The challenge was set by the Beijing 2008 Olympics which were widely perceived as highly successful but closer examination reveals some transport problems and solutions which would not be portable to an open city like London and an open society in modern Britain. Firstly the Olympic Park in Beijing was a huge concreted area of 12 K m² (what / who was there before?) without merchandising and catering leading to much criticism that the Park was an atmosphere free wasteland outside of the stadia and venues.





Beijing Metro with Line 8 serving Olympic venues



In addition the Olympic Park was served by Metro Line 8, a 3 station line which had only opened 18 days before the opening ceremony and whose uneven track wear revealed unacknowledged teething problems. Because the security arrangements were changed shortly before the games (due to bombings in Western China) all passengers had to disembark at the interchange station of Beitucheng, go through security and then re-enter the system leading to long delays. This meant many people didn’t get to the venues on time. One of the 3 stations on Line 8 was outside the Security Zone and could not be used and the final huge Olympic Sports Centre Stadium was distant from the venues in the Olympic Park and was lightly used. Also much of the inward crowd control was achieved by using lines of soldiers to form human corridors and that is not an option for London 2012.





Stratford Regional Upgrade



It is expected that during the Olympic Games, more than 7.7 million tickets will be sold during the 16 days of competition. This will allow spectators to watch nearly 11,000 athletes from over 200 nations compete in 26 sports at 300 different venues across the United Kingdom. In London, these venues fall into 3 zones:



• The Olympic Park - this includes the main stadium and several smaller venues for the hockey, swimming, cycling etc



• The River Zone - this includes the ExCel Centre, O2 Arena and Greenwich Park



• The Central Zone - which includes Hyde Park, Regents Park and Horse Guards Parade



The Olympic Transport plan calls for 100% of ticketed spectators to travel to the 2012 Games by Public Transport or by walking or cycling. The vision for Olympic Transport in 2012 is for existing public transport services in London to be improved and enhanced in the years before 2012 and additional services will operate during the Games to meet the extra demand. It is estimated that these enhancements will mean a train arriving at the main Olympic Park every 15 seconds. Services due for improvement include:









2012 Stadium



• Docklands Light Railway - through the addition of an extra carriage (from 2 to 3 cars) on the entire fleet, which will also be increased, track extension to Woolwich Arsenal and service enhancements.



• North London Line - will become part of "London Overground" which will see new rolling stock as well as new terminating platforms at Stratford and an increase in services. In addition the extended East London Line will reopen in 2010.



See East London Line



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/12/east-london-line.html



• Stratford International Station - the introduction of the "Javelin" service which will run from St Pancras International, through Stratford International, to Ebbsfleet - with a train arriving every 7 mins.



See St. Pancras Reborn;



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/st-pancras-reborn.html



• LU initiatives - West Ham Station Upgrade, Stratford Regional Upgrade and 2012 Service Plan



• Olympic Route Network - As well as the transport enhancements undertaken, an Olympic Route Network (ORN) will be implemented, which will comprise a network of roads linking all competition and key non-competition venues to enable the Olympic Family members to travel quickly and securely between accommodation, competition venues, airports etc.





Stratford Station signage reflects the multi operator environment



Stratford Regional Station is a major public transport interchange that enables passengers from east of London to travel to Canary Wharf without travelling into central London. It also provides interchange opportunities for passengers using Underground services to or from central London. Stratford Regional Station has been identified as a gateway station for the Olympic Park.











Olympic Park - Model and Map of the site



Stratford Regional Station currently experiences occasional periods of passenger congestion. As well as the Games there are other sources of additional future demand at Stratford Regional Station. These include the underlying significant increase in demand to 2016 which was forecast in the Mayor's London Plan and the Stratford City Development (SCD) adjacent to the station. Stratford City is a project to create a major new mixed use urban centre in East London on the site of a former railway goods yard at Stratford. The project will cost £4 billion funded from both public and private sources. The site lies to the north of the existing Stratford town centre around Temple Mills. The development totals 13.5 million ft² (1,300,000 m²), including 5 million ft² (460,000 m²) of offices, 1.6 million ft² (150,000 m²) of retail and 4,850 new homes. The retail element will be anchored by three department stores and it is hoped that it will become the third most important retail centre in London after the West End and Knightsbridge shopping districts in the city centre. There will be a cluster of tall buildings including towers of 50 and 30 storeys designed by Richard Rogers.





Stratford City



A package of improvements to Stratford Regional Station is being implemented. These improvements will provide a long-term legacy benefit before the Games, as well as additional temporary measures to meet the specific needs of the Games. This package is part of a larger scheme which includes works related to the Stratford City Development and the proposed Docklands Light Railway extension to Stratford International Station.







The programme of works being developed includes the following elements:



• re-opening the eastern subway with new stairs to platforms 3/5 (westbound Central line and westbound mainline) and 6/8 (eastbound Central and eastbound mainline);

• an additional westbound platform for the Central Line;

• widening the eastern end of platforms 6/8,

• platform extensions and associated network works for platforms 10a, 11 and 12 (mainline);

• improved accessibility and connectivity to, and between, platforms through the provision of additional lifts and staircases;

• a new mezzanine structure to link the Jubilee Line with the proposed Town Centre Link bridge;

• upgraded station domestic power supplies, and increased station command and control facilities;

• de-cluttering of platforms 3/5 and 6/8; and

• a temporary footbridge on platform 6/8, if required.



In addition there are other planned or proposed works being developed by other parties:



Docklands Light Railway will construct two new platforms (12a and 12b) for use by the North London Line. The platforms will be connected to all subways, which will be extended. There will also be a connection between the central and eastern subways;





Stratford Regional - view from Stratford City side



Docklands Light Railway will convert the existing North London Line platforms (1 and 2) for use by the Docklands Light Railway on the Canning Town to Stratford International Station route;



Docklands Light Railway has also upgraded the existing mezzanine level platform to two terminating platforms (4a and 4b) for services to Poplar; and as part of the Stratford City Development a new Northern Ticket Hall will be constructed along with the Town Centre Link Bridge, (also known as the 'Living Bridge'), which will link Stratford town centre with the new Stratford City Development.



The planned works will increase the peak capacity of Stratford Regional Station for existing and new services. The infrastructure works will provide much needed additional capacity, but it will also be essential to develop robust operational plans for each of the modes in order to deliver these essential works.





Stratford Platforms



The transport arrangements for London 2012 will succeed or fail based on the success of the arrangements at Stratford Regional and Stratford International. By 2012 London Underground is expected to be supporting 4M daily passenger journeys (up from 3.3M at present) but during the Olympic period this will increase to 5M passenger journeys a day driven by the Olympic venues, workforce and the Olympic Events each day in Hyde and Victoria Parks which are expected to attract around 65,000 people each day. For Stratford it means handling 120,000 passengers during the 3 hour morning peak, up from 37,000 today. Of these 3 to 4% are expected to be mobility impaired and larger wider lifts will be designed to make access easier.



The London 2012 Olympic Challenge is a huge undertaking but for both the spectators and residents of London the first measure of success will be how well transport arrangements cope with the exceptional demand both of “normal life” and the Olympics, the all night running on the days of the opening and closing ceremonies and the late running to 2.30 am on other nights. How London copes with this exceptional demand whilst maintaining safety and security will be largely gauged from how well the crucial Stratford Hub works.





Aquatic Centre