17.11.17
Bond Street £300m revamp unveiled ahead of Elizabeth Line link next year
Major refurbishment and connection works at London’s Bond Street station have been completed.
TfL announced the completion of the revamp today, including a 30% increase in capacity necessary for the future connection with the Elizabeth Line.
The work involved the construction of a new step-free entrance on the north side of Oxford Street at Marylebone Lane, meaning the station will now be more accessible ahead of the future increase in passenger traffic.
Initial work on the project began as far back as 2010 and, although primary interchange work for the Elizabeth Line has been completed, it is not expected to see services until December next year.
“The new, modernised Bond Street station will make journeys quicker and easier for the hundreds of thousands of people who travel through it every day,” commented Mark Wild, London Underground's managing director.
“It’s fantastic to open the station in time for the Christmas shopping period, making Oxford Street more accessible to all of our customers as well as boosting businesses in the area.
“The expansion of the station is another step in the investment we are making in Oxford Street and the surrounding area, with the Elizabeth Line opening next year and plans progressing on making Oxford Street one of the world’s finest public spaces.”
Passenger numbers on the line are expected to rise to about 225,000 each day when the new service begins, which would represent an increase of 40,000 people using the station.
Deputy mayor for transport, Val Shawcross, said: “It is vital that all Londoners can get around our capital safely and easily and that's why we’re so pleased that Bond Street has today become the 72nd step-free Tube station.
“The upgrade of the station is going to make a real difference for passengers and marks another key stage in the development of the area, with the Elizabeth Line due to open next year and our plans for the transformation of Oxford Street progressing well."
In addition to improving capacity, there are two new interchange tunnels aimed at reducing congestion as well as a new ticket hall, five new gates and two more escalators.
Speaking to RTM in March this year, Chris Pateman, Crossrail’s Bond Street project manager, and Simon Bennett, head of Learning Legacy at Crossrail, explained the issues that had affected the project and the methods used to integrate the scheme into the community.
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