As reported earlier this week by Building Design, Kensington & Chelsea Council has authorised a £55,000 feasibility study into a new Crossrail station in the borough.
This isn’t a new idea, having long been a goal for the council. As this press release from July 2010 says:
Crossrail requires a “turnback” site in west London to accommodate trains that will make shorter journeys across central London, as far west as Paddington. These trains will need a “turnback” facility in order to change tracks and make the return journey.
Of the two possible locations, the 67-acre site in Kensal, North Kensington, is the only option offering regeneration benefits to the surrounding area. It would be the greatest regeneration opportunity the area has seen for decades and its impact would also be felt in south Brent, north Westminster and would help to secure the future of Portobello Road.
The alternative site in Paddington won’t even provide a new station, just a turnback facility – the only people to get on and off the train will be the train crew.
The goal of a new station at Kensal Rise isn’t without challenges, particularly as plans for the rest of the line are further advanced. A 2008 feasibility study concluded that an additional 7,200 single trips per weekday would be needed to offset the estimated lost revenue of providing a new station. And, as Building Design noted this week, critics are unclear on would pay for this station.
Comments are closed.