High speed rail company, HS2, has announced proposals to redevelop Euston station.
Eleven new platforms are to be built at the station in two stages as part of a phased approach which will lessen disruption for passengers.
The new plans also offer flexibility for the site to be used for wider development and regeneration of the area.
The works involve:
• The construction of six new high speed platforms and concourse to the west of the station which will support the opening of HS2 Phase One (between London and the Midlands) high speed services in 2026.
• The construction a further five high speed platforms and concourse to support the opening of Phase Two (between London and Leeds/Manchester) high speed services in 2033.
As well as the 11 new high speed platforms provided by the new plan, 11 platforms will remain in the current station to serve the existing network.
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New space will also be developed for shops, restaurants and cafes.
The London Underground facilities at Euston will also be significantly enhanced, with passengers benefitting from greater space and connections to services including a new ticket hall and direct subway to Euston Square station.
Access to taxis, buses and cycles will also be improved.
Rupert Walker, Euston Development Director for HS2 Ltd and Network Rail, said: "Euston needs to become a station that both the nation and local community can be proud of – and share. It will be the best connected station in London; a crossroads between the north and the south, quickly and easily accessible from all parts of the capital and, with HS2, the country."
The plans are proposed for inclusion in the High Speed Rail (London-West Midlands) Bill by means of an Additional Provision (AP).
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "HS2 offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to revolutionise not just Euston station but a whole area at the heart of London. The new station will be the catalyst for wider redevelopment and so it is right that we are ambitious in our plans to dramatically improve the design, capacity and technology used.
"The plans outlined today are essential for the local community, but they also set out a vital piece of infrastructure that will benefit the whole nation – both by improving journeys, and also by supporting jobs, enabling business growth and bringing our country closer together."
Euston opened in 1837 and was London's first inter-city train station.
It now caters for around 42 million passengers a year – more than double the design capacity of the current station which was built in 1968.
(LM)
