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Station to receive congestion relief

TOTTENHAM Court Road station is set for a major upgrade. Plans have been submitted to Camden and Westminster councils for planning approval and the project is now at consultation stage.

“The station is one of the 10 busiest stations on the network with up to 100,000 people going through it per day,” says Glenn Keelan, Assistant Project Manager for Infraco JNP Ltd. “This project aims to reduce congestion in key station areas by 40 to 50 per cent.”

Inside out: a computer-generated drawing of the plans for Tottenham Court Road station show the intensity of the works

Perhaps the most significant change is planned for the ticket hall which will be tripled in size through the possession and expansion of the site, south under the forecourt of the Centre Point tower. There will also be extensive improvements on the entrances, platforms, and staff accommodation, plus new escalators, lifts, step-free access to the platforms, emergency services access and a new pedestrian plaza at street level.

A great deal of planning has gone into the project. Halcrow Group, the lead consultant, has developed the use of 3D modelling to co-ordinate the engineering and to generate the design drawings.

“There were a number of engineering considerations,” says Martin Ellis, Halcrow’s Project Manager. “The existing station will remain open throughout the project, so we had to consider the health and safety issues for passengers as well as accessibility to the works for the contractors. When it comes to extending the existing ticket hall, a cut and cover box will be built using temporary supports around the works.”

Information about the ground conditions has been gained through geotechnical site investigations as well as existing data from the CrossRail project.

“There will be ground treatment, for example adjacent to Charing Cross Road where the new escalators pass through terraced gravel,” says Martin. “However the London clay will be ideal for tunnelling works at the deeper levels.”

Consideration also had to be given to an existing sewer built within the basement adjacent to Centre Point that will remain as well as the building structure itself.

“On the west side of the station, Charing Cross Road will remain operational. The works will have to be done in phases in order to limit the impact on highways and traffic congestion,” says Martin.

The highways modifications and pedestrian plaza, according to Glenn, “reflect the aspirations of both Camden and Westminster authorities in relation to improved safety about the junction. There are ongoing discussions with developers and property owners in the area, who continue to support the scheme and actively contribute to its progress.”

The works are scheduled to begin in August 2002.

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