Crossrail today unveiled further design images for new Crossrail stations, this time for Bond Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road and Whitechapel stations. The stations are among the most important on the new high-frequency railway, the largest addition to the transport network in London and the South East for 50 years, which will run into and across London.

The Government’s adviser on architecture, urban design and public space, the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment (CABE) has established a special panel which will start work in early 2009 to review Crossrail station designs in central London and Docklands as well as the proposed new developments above them. A similar panel was established by the Olympic Delivery Authority in 2006 to advise on the design of new buildings and public spaces for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The panel will assess the designs for those parts of the stations and developments requiring consent from the relevant local planning authority. These include the exterior of station buildings, entrances and ticket halls, and what will be built above the stations. The panel will look at issues such as aesthetic quality, how the building relates to its surroundings and quality of materials. The panel has also been tasked with considering issues relating to accessibility and step-free access and a specific panel member will be tasked with this responsibility when the panel is established early next year.

The appointment of the special design panel is yet another major step forward for Crossrail following the recent announcement of the funding deal with BAA and the issuing of compulsory purchase order notices in the Tottenham Court Road area.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:

“The publication of these initial designs and the involvement of CABE show the continued progress that is being made in the construction of Crossrail. I have made clear that design excellence should be one of the central principles at the heart of infrastructure projects in London, and I look forward to seeing the results of the work carried out by the panel.”

David Anderson, Engineering Director of Cross London Rail Links (CLRL), said:

“Work on Crossrail is now moving full-speed ahead and we are in a position to unveil new images for stations that will be constructed on the Crossrail network. These are not the final designs but will now be reviewed by the special design panel we are establishing with the Government’s advisory body on architecture so that revisions can be made well in advance of being submitted as planning applications to local authorities.

“It is vitally important that we get the design of the new Crossrail stations right as not only do they need to be cater for the 200 million passengers who will use them each year but they will part of our environment for decades to come. Everyone recognises the importance of good design and London has a proud heritage of rail station design ranging the iconic Charles Holden Tube stations that heralded the major expansion of the Tube in the 1920s and 30s to the fantastic restoration of St Pancras International and the Jubilee Line Extension.”

The new Crossrail underground stations will be significant additions to the transport network with step free access and large tickets hall. They will have 250 metre platforms to accommodate 10 carriage trains initially with access and ticket halls at each end and will become key interchange stations with existing London Underground, DLR, London Overground and National Rail connections. Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street are likely to become the most important stations serving London’s busy West End.

Contact:

Alick Whitfield, Media relations, Crossrail: 020 3023 9552, alickwhitfield@crossrail.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Members of CABE’s Crossrail design review panel are:

Les Sparks OBE, chair - CABE Fellow
Ken Shuttleworth, vice-chair - Make Architects
Simon Allford - Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Alan Baxter - Alan Baxter Associates
Peter Braithwaite - Olympic Delivery Authority
Hanif Kara - Adams Kara Taylor
Esther Kurland - Urban Design London
Ian Sharratt - Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects
Neven Sidor - Grimshaw
Martin Stockley - Martin Stockley Associates
Tim Stonor - Space Syntax
Clare Wright - Wright & Wright Architects

Crossrail details

Since Royal Assent of the Crossrail Act in July, which gives the powers to build the railway, Crossrail has been moving rapidly ahead. Progress includes:

New Crossrail Board appointed with four Non-Executive Directors

Appointment of new non-Executive Crossrail Chair with recruitment for Chief Executive Officer is underway
Compulsory Purchase Notices issued at Tottenham Court Road

Tender issued for £500m London Underground works at Tottenham Court Road along with trial trenches and utility diversions to enable main construction to commence early 2009. The contract for the Crossrail works at Tottenham Court Road will be advertised at a later date.

Shortlisting for Crossrail Delivery and Programmes Partners, and Design Framework contracts for main works to start in 2010

Signing of £230m funding agreement with BAA, with main agreements underpinning governance expected by the end of 2008.


Crossrail details

Crossrail is promoted by Cross London Rail Links Ltd (CLRL), currently jointly owned by the Department of Transport and Transport for London but shortly to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London.

Crossrail will run 118 km from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes commuting distance of London’s key business districts. When Crossrail opens in 2017 it will increase London’s public transport network capacity by 10 per cent, supporting regeneration across the capital, helping to secure London’s position as a world leading financial centre, and cutting journey times across the city.

Crossrail's £15.9 billion funding package was announced by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 5 October 2007. Royal Assent was achieved on 22 July 2008. CLRL was appointed nominated undertaker for the construction of Crossrail on 24 July 2008.

Preparatory works for Crossrail will begin in 2009 with main construction starting in 2010. It is scheduled to open for service in 2017.

19 November 2008