City Thameslink station to get £4.5m upgrade

City Thameslink station is about to undergo a major upgrade as part of the £5.5bn Thameslink rail upgrade. Network Rail is investing £4.5m to improve infrastructure at the station, which is a key gateway to the City of London and is used by more than seven million passengers each year.

Central to the upgrade is work to bring into use the full length of the platforms to accommodate new, longer 12-car trains which will provide a massive boost to capacity with 50 per cent more seats.

The station will also be made brighter thanks to improvements to lighting on the platforms and safer with an upgrade of station information and surveillance systems. Getting in, out of and around the station will be made easier too with the addition of a new ticket gate at the Ludgate entrance and improved signage.

Karen Boswell, Customer Services Director for First Capital Connect, said: "City Thameslink is one of our busiest stations and we are delighted that our customers will be able to benefit from much improved facilities.

"Disruption for customers will be kept to an absolute minimum with most of the work carried out late at night and at weekends. With work well underway at nearby Blackfriars, together these are two significant projects that indicate that the Thameslink Programme is really gathering momentum."

Jim Crawford, Network Rail's Major Programme Director for Thameslink, said: "The congestion-busting Thameslink upgrade will give passengers what they want - longer trains, more seats and better stations. City Thameslink will play an important role both during and after the major investment that we are making to upgrade one of the country's busiest and most vital rail routes.

"It is good news for passengers that we are able to make these improvements which will make the station brighter, safer and able to handle the extra passenger that new, longer trains will bring."

The work is scheduled to begin in August and will be completed inthe summer 2010. Much of the work will not be visible to the public, specifically taking place out of hours and behind hoarding lines to minimise any possible impact on passengers.

The station upgrade will be undertaken by Giffen Group plc, which was recently awarded the major maintenance and engineering contract by Network Rail. The work complements extensive redevelopment and improvement work that is being carried out along the entire Thameslink route.

At nearby Blackfriars station a massive redevelopment of the station is under way which will see it become the first to span the river Thames, providing a link to the cultural hub of the South Bank for the very first time. And at Farringdon, extensive remodelling of the station will see longer platforms, new station roofing, a new entrance and new concourse facilities for tube and rail services, including future Crossrail services.

What's happening at City Thameslink?