The City of London Corporation has approved Network Rail’s plans for a major redevelopment of Liverpool Street station.
The station currently connects 118 million people a year within London, East Anglia and the east of England. With annual passenger numbers forecast to grow by 35% to 158 million by 2041, the approved plans will allow the station to accommodate more than 200 million people in the decades ahead.
The redevelopment will increase overall concourse capacity by 76%, with lower concourse space expanded by 23% to ease passenger flow and reduce congestion.
Step-free access will be created from street level to all platforms, including all London Underground lines for the first time.
The scheme also includes new office space, as well as shops and cafes, supported by improved pedestrian and cycling routes through the area.
Network Rail said the redevelopment has been carefully designed to safeguard Liverpool Street’s unique heritage, including the Victorian trainshed, which will remain untouched.
‘Exciting new chapter’
Commenting on the announcement, Ellie Burrows, managing director for Network Rail’s Eastern region, said: “This decision represents a key step towards the transformation of Britain’s busiest station and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Liverpool Street.
“Our plans focus on improving the everyday experience for passengers, while respecting the station’s unique heritage. With annual passenger numbers forecast to grow to 158 million, this approval ensures the station will be future-proofed for decades to come.”
Chris Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, added: “This redevelopment of Liverpool Street station is a major step forward for the Square Mile.
“It will support the City’s dynamic business ecosystem with state-of-the-art infrastructure, create new jobs and strengthen our position as a world‑leading destination, while ensuring that residents, workers and visitors all benefit from a modern, inclusive and future‑focused transport hub.
“As competition among global cities increases, we must demonstrate our openness to new investment that will enhance our urban environment, and Liverpool Street station will now continue to do just that.”
Concerns raised
The proposed station upgrade has been criticised amid fears the project will “destroy” the surrounding conservation area.
Actor Griff Rhys Jones, who is president of the Victorian Society and the Liverpool Street Station Campaign (LISSCA) said it was “a sad day for the City of London”.
“A disfiguring billion-pound office block on top of a major heritage asset is not essential to the City’s development plans, it is doubtful whether it will easily provide the profit to ‘improve’ the concourse, and can only realise a small amount of extra space for the passenger,” Rhys Jones added.
“Its focus is retail opportunities which the commuter doesn’t need. It will destroy an existing conservation area. It demolishes listed buildings. It is harmful to the surrounding historic fabric. It has been proposed on a false PR-led assertion that Network Rail is ‘under instruction’ to build on top of its London stations. It is not.”
