Sunday 10 December 2023 has been announced by Barnet Council as the date for the opening of Brent Cross West, London's newest mainline station.
Situated between Cricklewood and Hendon stations on the Midland Main Line, the 7000 square metre station in northwest London has four platforms and will provide services between central London and Brent Cross in as little as 12 minutes.
Thameslink will run up to 8 trains per hour at peak times. The opening has been delayed by over a year, with successful safety testing carried out in June 2023, once up and running, it will also connect Elizabeth Line services via Farringdon, on the edge of the City of London and provide direct connections to London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire.
The new station forms part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration Programme and includes a new overbridge, which will be free to access 24/7 and will give residents of the Barnet and Brent areas pedestrian access for the first time in its 150 year history.
The station itself will play an essential part of the regeneration programme, which is being delivered by Barnet Council and partner Related Agent, it incorporates a new neighbourhood called Brent Cross Town. The 180-acre, net zero development in TFL (Transport for London) Zone 3, boasts a new high street, 6700 new homes and 3 million square feet of offices, potentially creating space for 25000 employees.
Barnet Council have recently released a ‘first look video' showing what the impressive new station will look like: transformingbx.co.uk/brent-cross-west
Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, and Cricklewood Ward Member, said: “The new Brent Cross West station is fundamental to our plans to transform the local area. We look forward to this impressive new station opening soon, providing new ways for people to visit our brilliant borough and additional, sustainable ways for local people to travel.”
I think that Brent Cross West station on the Midland Main Line will replace Cricklewood as Cricklewood station isn’t long enough to accommodate the Thameslink Class 700/1 12-Car trains and is at risk of being closed permanently and replaced by the new station.
Just like what happened with Angel Road on the West Anglia Main Line as Meridian Water station opened in June 2019 which replaced Angel Road station. And Meridian Water is fully accessible with lifts.