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Temporary station opens at Abbey Wood ahead of Crossrail work

A temporary station has opened at Abbey Wood to allow work for the new Crossrail station to get underway.

The temporary station includes a staffed gate line, ticket machines and windows, a cash point and, for the first time, lifts to all platforms.

Work to remove the existing station building will shortly get underway and, by 2017, the new two-level station will be open.

The station will be built above two new dedicated Crossrail tracks and those used by North Kent services. Work at Abbey Wood is being carried out by Network Rail, which is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing rail network.

Matthew White, Crossrail surface director, said: “This is another milestone in the delivery of the new, landmark station at Abbey Wood. Crossrail will help to transform the local area, providing a step change in public transport and supporting wider regeneration in southeast London.” 

Last October Bexley and Greenwich Councils gave the green light for the Abbey Wood station, which will open in three years’ time.

Once online, the new station will include a bright, spacious concourse that leads directly onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway dual carriageway which runs above the current station.

There will also be two new ‘island’ platforms for Crossrail and North Kent services, and  six lifts to help passengers get around the station and to provide step-free access to every platform.

From 2018, a train every five minutes during peak time will allow Abbey Wood residents to travel right through the capital without having to change trains, making it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations in London and the South East.

The journey from Abbey Wood to Canary Wharf and Bond Street will be around 20 minutes quicker and passengers travelling to Heathrow will be able to reduce their journey time by around 40 minutes, according to Crossrail.

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