A £180 million rail milestone was reached at the weekend when the installation of new sidings were completed as part of a package of railway works to facilitate the new Brent Cross West station.

The construction of the sidings began in October 2018, with the sidings from the south side coming into commission in June last year. From this weekend the trains can now enter the sidings from both the north and south ends of the track, and a level crossing has also been installed, allowing staff to cross the tracks safely to get to and from the trains.

With up to 300 people working on sidings construction at any time the project has been a massive undertaking. That has included almost 800,000 hours of labour with no reported accidents on site during that time. This work was carried out by contractors Amey and project managed by Mace.

Forthcoming work to facilitate the new Brent Cross West station will include moving existing rail lines and rebuilding sections of the track in April and May. The installation of the first part of the station’s eastern over bridge will take place in May. The entire programme is on track to be completed in May 2022, with construction running to schedule despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brent Cross West and the associated rail infrastructure is being delivered by Barnet Council. The new £180million sidings have been funded as part of a £419 million government agreement with Central Government Partners from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, HM Treasury and the Greater London Authority.

The new station is at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. It will provide a gateway to Brent Cross Town, a new neighbourhood for Barnet that will bring thousands of new homes, jobs, improved schools, leisure, retail and cultural facilities to the area.

 

For more information about the Brent Cross West programme and the wider Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme visit TransformingBX.co.uk