Shepherds Bush stations are open
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
06/10/2008
At Shepherds Bush the Central line station and the brand-new overground station are now open.
Above: The new Shepherds Bush Central line station
Shepherds Bush – Central Line
The station has re-opened with upgraded security and information systems, as well as new ceiling, wall and floor surfaces. There is also a new double-height ticket hall, additional gates and better ticketing facilities.
Council bosses have welcomed the unveiling of the station but are continuing to push for lifts to be installed.
“TfL pledged to put step-free access into this station and, while we welcome the fact the station has re-opened, this will only be seen as a partial opening by those of us who still want to see step-free access at this station. We intend to hold them to their promise,” says Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, H&F Council Leader.
Shepherds Bush – Overground
A brand-new overground station on the West London Line now links the north and south of the borough for the first time.
The station is fully accessible, with a low height ticket office and two lifts either side of the footbridge to provide step-free access to the platform. From the New Year, TfL will run new three-car trains before extending them to four-car trains from 2010. The station was built by Westfield under a planning agreement negotiated by H&F Council. It was nearly ready to open last year but, at the eleventh hour, safety experts ruled that one of the platforms was 18 inches too narrow. The platform has now been widened.
Wood Lane – Hammersmith & City Line
The brand new Wood Lane station on the Hammersmith & City line is now open. The station is based at the junction of Wood Lane and Ariel Way and is the first to be built on an existing Underground line for more than 70 years. The new stop, between Shepherd’s Bush and Latimer Road, serves the north-east entrance of the shopping complex.
To the south of the shopping centre – near Shepherds Bush Green – the Southern Interchange will form the main entrance to Westfield London. The modern transport hub will offer tube, bus, train, and taxi links.
New bus station
A new bus depot will run a bus a minute in either direction through the Southern Interchange. The depot is scheduled to open in November will the following local routes expected to be extended: 31, 49, 148, 207, 237, 260, 607 and C1.
As part of the transport improvements in the area, Shepherd’s Bush station on the Hammersmith & City line has been renamed Shepherd’s Bush Market. This is to avoid confusion between it and the Central line station.
Cllr Greenhalgh added: “Many residents have had to endure months of delays while the Central line station was closed and the frustration of seeing the Overground railway station at Shepherds delayed due to a blunder over platform size.
“But now we have light at the end of the tunnel. We will now see Shepherds Bush realise its full potential with one of the best shopping centres in Britain opening as well as some very welcome transport improvements.”
A new fleet of trains on the Hammersmith & City lines are also due to be operational from 2011. The new trains will feature walkways between carriages, air-conditioning, wider doorways and better information systems.
