Paddington Square – 12th Oct 2024
Some parts of Paddington Square at Paddington station are now open and I took these pictures.
Note.
Extending The Elizabeth Line – Adding Ladbroke Grove Station To The Elizabeth Line
There is a Wikipedia entry for Ladbroke Grove railway station, which starts with this paragraph.
Ladbroke Grove is a proposed railway station in London, England on the Crossrail Route between Old Oak Common and Paddington. This is not part of the internal route and would be added at a later stage. Locals want the station to be called Portobello Central to serve the nearby Portobello Market. It was originally called Kensal.
The Wikipedia entry also gives these details of two proposals for a Ladbroke Grove station on the Elizabeth Line.
Kensington and Chelsea Council has been pushing for a station at North Kensington / Kensal, just to the east of the Old Oak Common railway station site, off Ladbroke Grove and Canal Way, as a turn-back facility will have to be built in the area anyway. Siting it at Kensal Rise, rather than next to Paddington itself, would provide a new station to regenerate the area. Amongst the general public there is a huge amount of support for the project and then-mayor of London Boris Johnson stated that a station would be added if it did not increase Crossrail’s overall cost; in response, Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost of a Crossrail station, which was received very well by the residents of the borough. Transport for London (TfL) is conducting a feasibility study on the station and the project is backed by National Grid, retailers Sainsbury’s and Cath Kidston, and Jenny Jones (Green Party member of the London Assembly).
The plans were resurrected by Boris Johnson in 2016.
In March 2017, it was announced that TfL was considering a Crossrail station in Kensal Green, on the site of a former gasworks, and it would be between Old Oak Common and Paddington.
This map from cartometro.com shows the railway lines to the West of Paddington.
Note.
- The Elizabeth Line is shown in purple.
- Ladbroke Grove rube station is not close to the Elizabeth Line.
- Kensal Green tube station is not close to the Elizabeth Line.
But we do know this about the future Old Oak Common station.
- It will be served by Elizabeth Line services between Central London and Heathrow Airport.
- It will be served by High Speed Two services between London Euston and the North of England and Scotland.
- It will be served by Great Western services between London Paddington and the West of England and Wales.
- It will be served by North London Line services betweeen Stratford and Richmond.
- It will be served by Heathrow Express services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.
From the map, it looks unlikely that the Hammersmith & City Line will be able to serve Old Oak Common station.
However, it might be possible that Euston and Old Oak Common could be served by Watford DC Line services, which called at either Old Oak Common or Kensal Greeen.
A link between Euston and Old Oak Common, would give all stations on the line access to High Speed Two and Heathrow with a change at Old Oak Common.
Some Euston suburban services could stop at Old Oak Common for access to High Speed Two and Heathrow.
The Watford DC Line which is very self-contained could become a comprehensive feeder line for High Speed Two and Heathrow.
Kensal Green Station
I took a trip to Kensal Green station and took these pictures.
Note.
The station handles two heights of trains on single-height platforms.
Some of the stairs are not the best.
There is no step-free access.
There are six lines through the station and there may be scope for more platforms.
If ever there was a station that needed a makeover it is Kensal Green.
Conclusion
I doubt that the Hammersmith & City Line could be connected to the Elizabeth Line to the West of Paddingt9n.
But I do feel that the Watford DC Line could be developed into a comprehensive link between Euston and Old Oak Common satiations.
The Anonymous Widower 