West Drayton Station Improvements

[whole diary]

[Surrey 455]

it's been a long time since I've used West Drayton station, it was my local station for many years. In March I went through without stopping and noticed that the toilet block on platforms 4/5 has gone and there are barriers along the centre of that platform and platforms 2/3 cordoning off construction work.

I caught a train from there yesterday and noticed that a new footbridge has gone up although it's missing stairs, lifts and doesn't yet reach platform 1. Don't know when it went up. Possibly this weekend?

[chrisr_75]

I spotted this a couple of weeks ago but hadn't got round to taking a pic for the forum, as I use the station a couple of times a month. It went up over the Easter weekend, although preparatory works - piling, foundations etc - had been done over several previous months.

Does anyone know if this new bridge will result in the demise of the underpass?

[IndustryInsider]

Yes the subway goes as does most of the London bound platform to be rebuilt slightly closer to London to allow reinstatement of the fifth platform with much eased track curvature.

[stuving]

Yes the subway goes as does most of the London bound platform to be rebuilt slightly closer to London to allow reinstatement of the fifth platform with much eased track curvature.

According to Crossrail's pretty picture, the subway remains open but the stairs to the platforms close. So presumably it will be a non-station right of way.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, I think you're right, Stuving.

[eightf48544]

Are 2 tph (peak) Crossrail trains still due to terminate at West Drayton?

Also if the stairs from the subway close will the footbridge continue over the mainline so that during emergencies and engineering work so  trains can stop at the Down Main platforms?

[paul7575]

Are 2 tph (peak) Crossrail trains still due to terminate at West Drayton?

That is still implied by Crossrail's service details here, which were amended subsequent to the Reading extension:
http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/surface/western-section/
You'll see that West Drayton is the furthest station that gets more than 4 tph. I assume the 6 tph includes 2 short workings..

Also if the stairs from the subway close will the footbridge continue over the mainline so that during emergencies and engineering work so  trains can stop at the Down Main platforms?

No, there are only two spans and three lifts shown in the approval.   (Now that I read it properly - I forgot about the extra platform face on the new up relief...)

Planning drawings can be found on Hillingdon's planning website by searching for reference number: 31592/APP/2015/186

Paul

[stuving]

Also if the stairs from the subway close will the footbridge continue over the mainline so that during emergencies and engineering work so  trains can stop at the Down Main platforms?

The Down Main Platform (1) has already been extended, though that was not shown on the 2012 pretty plan. It will have a lift from ground level and access from the station building through the subway. I think the platform is too narrow for the bridge and lift, and not worth widening just for "7-day" operations.

[eightf48544]

Thanks stuving and paul answered my questions.