Brent Cross West National Rail
The western entrance to the station, seen a day after opening
Brent Cross West is located in Greater London
Brent Cross West
Brent Cross West
Location of Brent Cross West in Greater London
LocationBrent Cross, London, England
Managed byGovia Thameslink Railway
OwnerNetwork Rail
Station codeBCZ[1]
Number of platforms4[2]
AccessibleYes
Fare zone3
Key dates
Opened10 December 2023
Other information
External links
  • [1] Departures
  • [1]/stationOverview.xhtml Layout
  • [1]/details.html Facilities
  • [1].pdf Buses
Coordinates51°34′07″N 0°13′37″W / 51.5687°N 0.2269°W / 51.5687; -0.2269
 London transport portal

Brent Cross West is a railway station on the Thameslink route and on the Midland Main Line. The station serves Brent Cross and the northern parts of Cricklewood and Dollis Hill areas of north London. The station is part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood development, which also sees an investment to Cricklewood station further down the line.[3] The station was opened on 10 December 2023.[4][5]

History

Brent Cross Cricklewood development

Construction is underway for Brent Cross Cricklewood, a 14,000,000 square feet (1.3 km2) development of a new town centre in Brent Cross. The plan includes the new station, expanding jobs by around 27,000, building 7,500 homes, expanding Brent Cross Shopping Centre, a new hotel, cinema, a new bus station, and new roads.[6]

Cricklewood station

The developers of the Brent Cross Cricklewood development have included in their project a plan to upgrade facilities at Cricklewood railway station which lies 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) south of the Brent Cross station site.[3] The platforms at Cricklewood cannot accommodate longer 12-car trains, but the new Brent Cross platforms can accommodate the longer trains.[7] Rumours that Cricklewood station would close when the new station opened were refuted by the development company.[8]

Construction

Brent Cross West station under construction in June 2022

On 23 December 2019, VolkerFitzpatrick signed a contract with Barnet Council to design and build the station.[9] Planning permission was granted by Barnet London Borough Council in May 2020. Work to clear the site began in June 2020 and construction of the foundations began in November 2020.[10]

On 22 June 2023, it was announced that the station had passed essential platform tests and that an opening date was being planned for the following Autumn.[11]

On 10 November 2023, it was announced that the station would be opening to passenger service on 10 December 2023.[12]

Location

The station is on the former site of the Cricklewood TMD (traction maintenance depot) which is used by East Midlands Railway and Thameslink, between existing Cricklewood and Hendon stations. The depot was moved slightly south onto a bigger site.[13]

Following the expansion of the Thameslink network under the Thameslink Programme, longer 12-carriage trains from south of the River Thames are now able to operate on the northern section and Brent Cross station was constructed with longer platforms that can accommodate the longer train formations.[14]

Further plans

In 2017 a proposal to extend the London Overground network to Hendon via Brent Cross West was announced by the London Assembly and Transport for London.[15] The scheme, known as the West London Orbital envisages re-opening the Dudding Hill Line to passenger services and running trains from West Hampstead Thameslink and Hendon to Hounslow via the planned Old Oak Common Lane station. The plans are currently at public consultation stage with TfL,[16] although enabling works to make the station compatible with a future upgrade have been delayed.[17]

An earlier proposal to construct a light rail system serving Brent Cross, Harlesden and Brent Cross tube station was put forward in 2010, but the scheme, known as the North and West London Light Railway, did not go ahead.[6]

Services

All services at Brent Cross West are operated by Thameslink using Class 700 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[18]

During the peak hours, the station is served by additional services between Luton and Orpington via Catford, as well as some late evening services to and from Bedford.

The station is also served by a night service between Bedford and Three Bridges on Sunday to Friday nights.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Thameslink

Connections

London Buses routes 189 and 316 serve the station.[19]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Brent Cross West Station | National Rail". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. ^ "The New Station". Transforming Brent Cross Cricklewood. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b Brent Cross Cricklewood: The benefits Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 20 December 2010
  4. ^ Ahdash, Hajer (10 November 2023). "Brent Cross West opening date announced". Transforming Brent Cross Cricklewood. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Brent Cross West". Barnet Council. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Brent Cross: Better Transport" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Thameslink Programme - FAQ". Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  8. ^ Brent Cross Cricklewood: Myths about the project Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 20 December 2010
  9. ^ "Housing and Growth Committee Brent Cross Cricklewood Update Report" (PDF). 27 January 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Foundations milestone at new Brent Cross railway station". 10 November 2020.
  11. ^ Ahdash, Hajer (22 June 2023). "Next Stop: Brent Cross West". Transforming Brent Cross Cricklewood. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  12. ^ Ahdash, Hajer (10 November 2023). "Brent Cross West opening date announced". Transforming Brent Cross Cricklewood. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  13. ^ Brent Cross Crickelwood: Transport Archived 29 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 20 December 2010
  14. ^ "Thameslink Programme: FAQs - Why aren't Kentish Town and Cricklewood platforms being extended?". Archived from the original on 6 February 2009.
  15. ^ "Mayor's Transport Strategy 2018". London City Hall. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  16. ^ "West London Orbital". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Setback for West London Orbital railway plans". ianVisits. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  18. ^ Table 52 National Rail timetable, December 2023
  19. ^ "Brent Cross West Station". TfL. Retrieved 11 December 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brent Cross West railway station.
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