News from the network

Blackfriars

Network Rail’s contractors are making good progress rebuilding Blackfriars station across the Thames to take 50% longer, 12-carriage trains and provide a better interchange with the Tube.

·    On Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 August, Blackfriars station will be closed for major work. When it reopens on Monday morning, 10 August, the direct link from platform 5 to the main north-west station entrance will be closed and trains will start stopping two carriages further south. There will still be a subway link between platform 5 and platform 4 and the ticket office.

·    This autumn it is planned to open a new footbridge between platforms 4 and 5, allowing the subway to close. There will also be a new temporary entrance with steps to the north.

·    The old six-storey office block outside Blackfriars station (179 Queen Victoria St) has now been razed to the ground in preparation for the construction of the new combined national rail/Tube ticket hall and station.

·    The roof is being removed from platforms 1-3 and a tower crane has been put up.

Tower crane at Blackfriars station

Farringdon station

·    The passenger footbridge – which has been in use since 23 March – now has glass panels instead of wood and is mostly complete.

·    Office buildings in Cowcross Street/ Farringdon Rd are to be demolished soon to allow construction of the Crossrail station below.

City Thameslink station

·    Work has started to make the station suitable for 12-carriage trains. There will also be many improvements to customer information systems and the lighting making this a more pleasant, more secure station for passengers – who will not be affected by the work.

Platform extensions

·    Platforms have already been extended at Luton Airport Parkway and Mill Hill Broadway stations. Work has now started at St Albans and Harpenden.

New trains

·     Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens have put in their bids to design, build and maintain the new fleet of Thameslink trains set to enter service between 2013 and 2015. These are now being evaluated.

New depots

·     The successful bidder for the new trains will need to provide depots for their maintenance. In preparation for this, plans have been published for base schemes at two sites. One is a new depot south of London, near Three Bridges station. The other is close to the existing Hornsey depot in North London. Local councillors have been briefed and public exhibitions held for nearby residents. Click here for more information.