Stratford Regional Station upgrade on track

The improvements to this key transport hub are a significant step forward for the London 2012 Games and will help the station cater for increased passenger demand in the future.

The station is one of the busiest interchanges outside central London. Around 37,000 passengers travel through the station during the three-hour morning peak period and this number is expected to rise to about 83,000 by 2016. The upgrade will substantially increase capacity to accommodate this growing demand, as well as the additional 63,000 spectators expected to use the station during the Games.

Work is expected to be completed in 2010, so passengers will begin to benefit long before the Games begin.

ODA Director of Transport Hugh Sumner said: ‘An enhanced Stratford Regional Station will help transform east London and the Lower Lea Valley into one of the best connected areas in the capital. The completion of this work shows that four years out from the Games we are making significant progress with our transport plans.’

The works over the Christmas holiday period followed the first phase of the upgrade in August 2007 when a 100m stretch of a mainline platform was widened.

As part of this latest work, four disused buildings in and around the station were demolished to create more space for passengers and make way for future development. In addition, the western subway was extended by 30m and a huge structure that will support a new Central Line platform was lifted into place.

Works on this second phase of the project were carefully planned around existing engineering works to minimise disruption to passengers and were carried out by key partners Network Rail, London Underground and the DLR. Further phases of work will also take advantage of other planned engineering works.

Read more about the Stratford Regional Station upgrade.