Plan Ahead – Bank London Underground Station upgrades to disrupt underground services

Transport for London (TfL) has released an update on the project to improve Bank Underground Station, containing information on the build side of the project and disruptions to services due to work scheduled for next year.

Now moving into the final phase of construction, TfL has carried out a great deal of work so far to get to this stage. The hardest part of the project has been the removal of 200,000 tonnes of material, which has been created from the building 2 kilometres of new tunnels.

Not only getting the material out was hard but ensuring the ground stayed firm as 31 listed buildings are situated above the new tunnels. All this work has been completed successfully, along with creating space for a brand new entrance.

The final phase of the project will begin on Saturday 15th of January 2022, when the Bank Station will be closed for 17 weeks until Mid-May 2022.

In this final stage, the new tunnels will be connected up to existing ones, track installed as well as the installation of signalling equipment and other railway infrastructure, fit out the new Bank Station and allow staff to prepare in operating the revamped station.

Once completed, the upgraded Bank Station will feature the following benefits for passengers:

A 40% bigger Station – meaning more space for passengers while making their journeys, especially important at the very busy Bank Station
Step-free access for passengers to the Northern Line through Bank Station

A view of the new platforms from the new southbound Northern line tunnel // Credit TfL

During the 17 week-long closure, TfL has organised a number of alternative ways to travel while the work is ongoing, with a campaign to be launched to ensure people and businesses which will be affected are notified before work begins. Current alternative travel plans include:

Underground – enhanced services on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line
Bus – new route between Oval and the City will be run
Walking and Cycling – suitable routes will be published closer to the closure
Staff – additional staff will be working at stations to provide assistance

The new Northern line entrance on Cannon Street // Credit TfL

Stuart Harvey, Director of Major Projects for TfL, said: “Bank station has a vital role to play in London’s recovery from the pandemic. The changes to the station will transform the experience of every customer that uses Bank and will help the City as it continues to recover and people return to the area. I am proud of the work our staff, contractors and everyone associated with the project has put into this vital upgrade and I look forward to that work being complete next year, but I am sorry that this vital and complex work will cause disruption.”

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