Public can use refurbished station after long delay
New entrance at Acton Main Line station. Picture: Network Rail
Nearly two years after the original planned date for opening the new Acton Mainline station has been unveiled.
Station improvements completed by Network Rail include new ticket office, gatelines and customer information screens plus the station now has step free access. There is a covered footbridge linking platforms which can also be accessed via lifts.
In preparation for the Elizabeth line, Network Rail has built a spacious new ticket hall from steel and glass including gatelines. There are also new platform waiting shelters, lighting, signage and customer information.
Acton Main Line originally opened in 1868 and with the installation of a footbridge and two new lifts now has step-free access for the first time. Work around the station was carried out by the London Borough of Ealing and was completed last year.
Works at West Ealing and Ealing Broadway stations will also be completing shortly according to TfL with new ticket halls and lifts to provide step-free access to platforms served by TfL Rail and Great Western Railway services as well as the District and Central lines at Ealing Broadway. Works at all three of these stations complement earlier infrastructure upgrades including the construction of longer platforms to accommodate the 200-metre long Elizabeth line trains.
Road reconfigurations and widened pavements are planned around Ealing Broadway and West Ealing.
Tim Ball, Elizabeth line director at Network Rail said: “Acton Main Line is one of nine stations that we are completely transforming as part of our preparation for the Elizabeth line. The new facilities are a massive improvement for passengers using the station – the new ticket office is light and airy and for the first time in its 152 year history, the station is now fully accessible, with lifts providing step-free access from street level to platforms.”
The interior of the station. Picture: Tom Doran
Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council said: “We will continue to work alongside our partners TfL and Network Rail to improve and enhance local transport facilities across the borough as we move towards the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the coming months.”
The Elizabeth line is due to open in the first half of 2022. When the railway opens, customers travelling from services from the west of England, Reading or Heathrow will still initially have to change trains at Paddington National Rail station onto Elizabeth line services from the new station into central London.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least two articles a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
March 18, 2021
