Bank Tube station's £700m upgrade could be London's 'last major engineering project' for a while
A £700m Tube station upgrade could be the last major engineering project on London's commuter rail network for a long time, mayor Sadiq Khan has warned. The seven-year scheme to improve Bank station ended today with the opening of a new entrance on Cannon Street. But future 'big ticket' schemes including new Bakerloo line trains and station facelifts at Holborn and Camden Town are in doubt because of Transport for London's funding problems. TfL was forced to rely on government bailouts of £6bn after the Covid pandemic caused by a collapse in passenger numbers.
Bank station is the fourth major construction in 18 months project to deliver improved capacity on London's train and Tube network.
They included the opening of the £19bn Elizabeth Line, £1.1bn Northern Line extension and the £327m Overground extension to Barking Riverside. Bank station improvements include new escalators and lifts, a wider Northern line platform and a new ticket hall. The station is now step-free. TfL said capacity at Bank had increased by 40% but passenger numbers in the City were still 70% of pre-pandemic levels.
"I worry that unless the government invests in public transport in London we could have no more great, exciting projects like this opening," mayor Sadiq Khan said.
"We have got new trains coming on the Piccadilly Line and new trains on the DLR.
"What we're trying to impress on the government is if you don't invest and stand still you go backwards.
"It is really important that we as a city continue to invest in public transport," Mr Khan added.
Bank station is the fourth major construction in 18 months project to deliver improved capacity on London's train and Tube network.
They included the opening of the £19bn Elizabeth Line, £1.1bn Northern Line extension and the £327m Overground extension to Barking Riverside. Bank station improvements include new escalators and lifts, a wider Northern line platform and a new ticket hall. The station is now step-free. TfL said capacity at Bank had increased by 40% but passenger numbers in the City were still 70% of pre-pandemic levels.
Transport for London Commissioner Andy Lord said: "I hope that this station's improvements will encourage people to come back to the City where they can see the benefits of the station and have a far better journey experience.
The Department for Transport said its latest funding deal with TfL included £3.6bn for 'critical infrastructure projects'. TfL said the money was allocated to schemes already underway.
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