DECEMBER SAW the opening of two brand-new stations on the national network. Brent Cross West and East Linton stations were brought into use within a few days of each other, while in Yorkshire a second platform has been opened at Castleford station, unlocking additional capacity and opening new services for passengers.
Brent Cross West
Brent Cross West was the first to officially open in a ceremony by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on December 10, 2023. Situated on the Midland Main Line between Hendon and Cricklewood, it is served by Thameslink services and managed by Govia Thameslink Railway and is the first new main line station to be opened in London for more than a decade.
The impressive large station features four platforms and has been built with future expansion of services in mind, although initially it is planned that only two of the platforms will normally be in use. It also features a footbridge with entrances on both sides of the railway which will be permanently open 24 hours a day, allowing pedestrians to cross the busy Midland Main Line at this location for the first time.
From Brent Cross West, journey times into London St Pancras International are about 16 minutes and the station has been built as part of a wider redevelopment and growth programme being led by Barnet Council.
A total of £419 million of funding was secured by the council from the Government’s Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to allow the station to be built. It provides a gateway to a new neighbourhood development, Brent Cross Town, which will eventually deliver 6700 new homes, large office developments, and a new high street.
Construction was by VolkerFitzpat-
rick, Network Rail was a key delivery partner, and Mace was responsible for project
management on behalf of Barnet Council.
The Mayor of London said: “Brent Cross West station, the first major new main line station in London in more than a decade, will be transformative for northwest London, better connecting Brent Cross with the rest of the capital and unlocking wider development in the area. The station will serve as a gateway t
