Blackfriars station - some facts

A brand new station will be built for 2012, able to handle 12-carriage trains from December 2011 and, ultimately, many more trains per hour. It will be the first station in London to span the River Thames, with a new entrance on the South Bank providing access to destinations such as Tate Modern and the National Theatre. A new common entrance hall will give superior connections to the Tube (Blackfriars Tube station reopens in February 2012).

• Since work began on 22 March 2009, Network Rail has closed platforms 1, 2 and 3 and been rebuilding the eastern half of the bridge.
• Engineers have now opened brand new platforms (1 and 2) and begun rebuilding the western half of the bridge which will support two new terminating 'bay' platforms.
• The station remains fully operational.
• Behind the hoardings, Network Rail has 50,000 man hours being worked in shifts every week.
• The rail bridge was built in 1886 (in part by H M Brunel, the son of Isambard Kingdom Brunel) and its structure needs to be refurbished and strengthened.
• Rib arches are being repaired. Some 37,000 Victorian rivets are being removed by hand and replaced with bolts.
• New rib arches are also being installed to widen the bridge by one span to the east side and three on the west. These rib arches are being brought in by river barge
• In total, over 14,000 tonnes of materials is being brought in by barge to build the station's new bridge deck, longer platforms and roof spanning the river. Another 8,000 tonnes of deck and pier demolition materials will also be removed. Network Rail estimates it is taking more than 2,000 lorries off the streets as a result.
• New steel decking is going down to strengthen the bridge before the new station is built above.
• An iron cage was fitted over the District and Circle lines so that Underground services could continue uninterrupted by the construction of the new station overhead. This was removed in May 2011.
• A new South Bank entrance has also opened.