Year
2020-2023Duration
3 yearsCost
UnknownLocation
United KingdomProject achievements
Connected communities
New overbridge connects communities on both sides of the station
Used engineering skill
Platform edges constructed with precision accuracy
Greater accessibility
Station has step-free access from street level to the platforms
On 10 December 2023, Brent Cross West, London’s newest mainline railway station, welcomed its first passengers.
The new Thameslink station is the first to be built in London in over a decade.
Led by Barnet Council, it’s one of the only rail infrastructure projects to be delivered entirely by a local authority.
The new overbridge gives pedestrians the ability to cross this part of the Midland Main Line for the first time in 150 years. It links communities on both sides of the station, making it much easier to get around.
Trains also connect Brent Cross to central London in as little as 12 minutes, with up to eight trains an hour at peak times.
There are new bus stops outside the station, spacious cycle storage, and improved walking and cycling routes.
The station has been designed to allow a future connection to the new platforms on the proposed West London Orbital line.
The station also has step-free access from street level to the platforms from the eastern and western entrances.
Brent Cross West station was originally expected to open in 2031, but planning consent was rephased.
Barnet Council secured government funding to bring forward the completion of the station earlier in the masterplan.
Bringing forward the station opening has created opportunities for the existing local community to benefit from the transformation of the area earlier.
It has also increased the desirability of the wider development for prospective investment partners.
Did you know …
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The project team laid over 10km of new track and had 700 tonnes of steel delivered to site.
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Over 100 Barnet residents worked on the project, with 20% of the workforce from Barnet and neighbouring boroughs like Brent and Camden.
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80% of site materials were prefabricated offsite, supporting quality control and construction on a constrained, linear, rail site.
How the station was built
The 7,000 square metre station was built over three years through close partnership between public and private sector organisations.
Working on a live railway was challenging. The teams had to carefully plan how work could continue safely at all times.
A temporary footbridge was created early on in the project to allow workers to safely access the construction site for the new platforms without having to cross the tracks.
This allowed the construction works to progress even while trains were running close by.
Some of the works couldn’t be undertaken without stopping trains from running for short periods.
So, the team also had to come up with innovative ways to maximise the amount of works that were completed during these closures.
This included the installation of two huge steel overbridges which were fabricated offsite all the way in Doncaster and delivered in sections to site.
There, they were assembled using 750-ton cranes to lift them into their final positions. Each section weighed 86 tons and was 32m long.
The project involved multiple stakeholders all with their own interests.
This meant that the team had to ensure there was effective leadership, strong political support, and good relationships with the local community and delivery partners.
They also had to overcome Covid-19 disruptions, where works had to be stopped for some time to ensure the safety of the workforce. Guidelines, such as social distancing, were followed.
Difference the project has made
Brent Cross West is the gateway to Brent Cross Town, the 180-acre, £8bn net zero park town that is being delivered in partnership between Barnet Council and Related Argent.
In future, the new neighbourhood will provide 6,700 new homes, create 25,000 jobs, and provide retail, leisure and community facilities – all within the footprint of predominantly underused industrial areas.
Sustainability is at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme, and the station has brought back to life a piece of ex-industrial land.
The station’s eastern entrance is built with glued laminated timber (known as glulam).
It has extensive planting such as vines connected to ground floor planters by a wire trellis system and ornamental trees.
For this project, ambitious social value targets were set to ensure that at least 20% of the workforce were from Barnet and neighbouring boroughs.
Local people from a range of backgrounds were also provided training and opportunities through a range of routes.
The project also employed local businesses where possible.
Partners were also involved in local activities to support the community during the build of the station. This included raising money, collecting food donations and renovating community centres.
Project timeline
- 2014: planning permission granted for the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme, which includes Brent Cross West.
- February 2019: funding for the station was secured with central UK government.
- December 2019: contract awarded to VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd to design and construct the new station.
- January 2020: station construction works begin. March 2021: first train pulls into completed railway sidings.
- June 2023: first Thameslink test trains run, and Brent Cross West passes safety tests.
- 10 December 2023: station officially opened by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. First trains stop at Brent Cross West.
Engineering skills used
- Offsite manufacture and the use of sustainable materials.
- Steelwork prefabrication for the concourse using a straight edge beam and mono-pitch roof. This simplified installation, improved access and maintenance, and saved money.
- Glulam was used as a long-lasting natural alternative to steel for the eastern entrance construction, using a tenth of the energy required for steel. The wood used was sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) approved sustainable Scandinavian forests.
- Large precast concrete beams and planks were specified at early stages to support a high quality, accurate, repeatable installation for construction of the platforms.
- The platform edges had to be constructed with precision accuracy due to the risk of a train hitting the platform if any errors were made.
- A high quality ‘fair faced’ concrete finish was achieved within the eastern entrance building on lift shafts and staircases.
People who made it happen
Barnet Council led the Brent Cross West project, alongside partners who made it happen:
- Mace (project managers)
- VolkerFitzpatrick (built the station)
- Govia Thameslink Railway (station operators)
- Network Rail (delivery partner)
- Transport for London
- Amey (remodelled the tracks and built new railway sidings)
- Related Argent (Barnet Council’s joint venture partners for Brent Cross Town)
A 100 local Barnet residents were also part of the workforce who built the station, part of our commitment to ensure that at least 20% of the workforce were employed locally.
