Stratford train station could soon be getting much bigger, with new plans having been revealed for a mega refurb. The east London station was last renovated for the Olympics in 2012, but now is struggling with overcrowding.
Stratford is the fifth busiest train station in the UK, with more than 128 million passengers passing through it in 2019. In comparison, Birmingham New Street, which has similar passenger numbers, is five times the size, Network Rail said. Plus, Stratford’s passenger numbers are expected to climb even more, with predictions they will rise 60 per cent by 2041.
Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said: ‘We need a modern, thriving transport hub so that Stratford continues to support the growth of east London and deliver more homes and jobs. We urgently need to plan now to improve the station.’
The plans, proposed by 5th Studio architecture firm, would also involve improving the connection between Stratford town centre and the Olympic Park’s East Bank. The Olympic Park is due to have several new arts, culture and education centres over the next few years, including a BBC music centre, a new home for Sadler’s Wells, an east London outpost of the V&A and a new UCL campus.
Tom Holbrook, director of 5th Studio said: ‘During lockdown, Stratford was the busiest station in the UK and now it’s about the fourth or fifth busiest but it was never designed to be that important.
‘It doesn’t have a concourse, it’s very confusing, [but] it’s successful in that it’s got lots of different services including the Jubilee Line, Elizabeth Line, and so on. But it needs help in terms of capacity – it’s going to become even busier because it is the gateway to Essex, the east of England and the Thames Estuary.’
You can find out more about 5th Studio’s plans for Stratford station on the official website here.
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https://www.timeout.com/london/news/stratford-station-could-be-getting-a-massive-refurb-082923
