Celebrating the opening of Brent Cross West Station
On 10th December, we celebrated the official launch of the new Brent Cross West station with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan being one of the first to arrive on the train at the new station. The expansive new 7,000 square metres rail station was built by our team for London’s Barnet Council and is the first major new mainline station to open in London in over a decade. The Barnet Council lead station is an essential part of Brent Cross Cricklewood £8 billion Regeneration Programme and will provide the gateway to the new 180-acre, net zero neighbourhood Brent Cross Town which is under construction.
The Project
Following full planning permission being granted in May 2020, work commenced with the demolition of a large disused train storage shed, before main construction of the station began in the early to mid-summer 2021. The expansive station measures 16 metres high at its tallest point. On the western entrance, around 48,000 bespoke handmade bricks have been laid by hand to ensure they meet the strict standards and quality of design.
We constructed four platforms, two for ‘slow’ trains and two for ‘fast’ trains, with both lift and escalator access. Each platform measures 255m long, which enables eight car trains to stop at the platforms. Two thirds of each platform is covered by unique, steel canopies that have been specially designed for Brent Cross West.
The Brent Cross West rail project is not just limited to a new station. As well as connecting central London to Brent Cross in as little as 12 minutes we constructed a new overbridge which gives pedestrians and cyclists the ability to cross this part of the Midland Main Line for the first time since it was built more than 150 years ago, linking communities on both sides of the station.
The station also provides residents and visitors with a more environmentally friendly travel option, and there are provisions for bike storage, with good cycle links to the surrounding area. The station’s eastern entrance is visually stunning and incorporates sustainability at the heart of its design. It features a roof canopy of glazed panels resting on timber columns, vines connected to ground floor planters by a wire trellis system, and ornamental trees in the entranceway. Brent Cross West also has step-free access from street level to the platforms from both the eastern and western entrances.
Over £15 million in social value was created during the project. Our Brent Cross West team and subcontractors were involved in lots of local activities to support the community. As well as providing employment opportunities, they raised money, collected food donations, renovated community centres, landscaped charity farmland, and supported students from local colleges as well as held mock interview sessions with local women to support Women in Construction week.
Matthew Wilson, Contracts Manager commented: "We are delighted to have delivered this exciting project, which not only improves accessibility in to London, but with the construction of a new bridge connecting the community on both sides of the tracks, will help to support Brent Cross’s future sustainable growth. The team has done a fantastic job delivering the new station by working efficiently, safely and collaboratively to an exceptionally high standard on a live rail site. I am so proud to be part of this project which will improve lives by providing better connectivity for many years to come.”
Leader of Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings, said: “The opening of Brent Cross West marks the end of a significant journey for Barnet Council and our partners and is a huge achievement. For existing communities, it provides new ways to get around the area and more sustainable travel options, while also unlocking the opportunity to bring much needed homes and jobs to the area.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Brent Cross West station, the first major new mainline station in London in over a decade, will be transformative for northwest London, better connecting Brent Cross with the rest of the capital and unlocking wider development in the area. The station will serve as a gateway to a Brent Cross Town, a brand-new neighbourhood delivering new homes, creating jobs, and aiming to be net zero by 2030.“Investment in London and in London’s transport network is critical in driving economic recovery in both the capital and the rest of the country. That’s why I’m delighted about the opening of this new station and development, which supports my aim to continue building a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Barnet Council secured the £419 million of government funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to allow the project to be delivered. They were supported by Mace, who has project managed the programme and we have worked with Network Rail, a key delivery partner. The Brent Cross Town regeneration will also deliver 6,700 new homes, 3 million sq ft of offices creating space for 25,000 employees, along with a new high street.
