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service platforms , with an 850m long station box , big enough to fit 6,300 Routemaster buses inside .
Set to be the best connected and largest new railway station ever built in the UK , Old Oak Common will become one of the country ’ s most vital transport super hubs . The station is expected to be one of the busiest railway stations in the country with high-speed rail services to the Midlands , Scotland and the North and access to central London and Heathrow via the Elizabeth line . Passengers will also be able to travel to Wales and the South West . Its construction and operation will also drive the regeneration of the area around it in West London .
Old Oak Common Station will incorporate passenger and retail facilities , providing a high quality and exemplary customer experience for all passengers and visitors to the station . It will provide direct interchange between high-speed rail and conventional rail services . This will be through eight conventional train platforms , to be served by the Elizabeth line , taking passengers to Heathrow and Central London , and trains to Wales and the South West .
The station will have 14 platforms in total . Designs for the station show that the 6 high-speed platforms will be situated underground . They will sit within a 850m long station box , with a volume sufficient to fit 6,300 Routemaster buses in it . There will be an integrated connection to the adjoining conventional station at ground level via a stylish shared overbridge . A light and airy concourse will link both halves of the station , unified by a vast roof inspired by the site ’ s industrial heritage .
The longest escalators on the HS2 network will be at Old Oak Common . They will take passengers 13.5m up from the underground platforms to concourse level . In total , the new station will boast more than 50 lifts and escalators .
Work at Old Oak Common to prepare for construction of the station has been ongoing since 2017 HS2 ’ s Enabling Works Contractor , Costain Skanska JV ( CSJV ) cleared 32,000 cubic meters of former rail depot sheds and outbuildings , working through 105,000 cubic meters of earth to clear the site and remove any contamination built up over a century of continuous railway use .
Six 450 metre HS2 platforms will be built in the 850 metre long underground box , with twin tunnels taking high speed trains east to the Southern terminus at Euston and west to the outskirts of London . Material excavated during work on the tunnels will be removed by rail from the nearby former Willesden Euroterminal depot .
Key works around Old Oak Station Station Square : A new public square will be created immediately outside the station entrance . It will provide an arrival space when approaching from Old Oak Common Lane , and will adjoin the new passenger drop-off , taxi and bus interchange . It will include seating and cycle parking . It could also be the setting for public artwork .
East-West Route : A new road and cycleway is proposed , aligned along the northern edge of the station . When the station opens this will provide access for buses , taxis , drop-off and emergency vehicles .
New Oak Common : To the west of the station , beyond the station square , an extensive area of public space will be accessible to the public . This part of the design will be developed and submitted to OPDC for agreement under Schedule 17 at a future date . This space could comprise of wildflower meadows , wetland habitat and an oak copse . It could be used for temporary activities such as festivals , markets , play spaces and art works .
Future development site : An area immediately to the southwest of the proposed station has been identified for commercial development . During construction , this area will be used by the contractor for storage and providing temporary site accommodation . It is anticipated the commercial development of this site will start once the station has been completed .
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