HS2 Ltd will start permanent works on Old Oak Common station, the high-speed railway’s hub station west of Euston.
As part of this milestone, transport minister Grant Shapps will visit the site and give the formal go-ahead for work to begin on what will be the biggest newly built station in the country.
The first structure to be built will be a 1.8km underground diaphragm wall around what will become the station’s ‘underground box’ – the location of HS2’s six platforms. 160 reinforced concrete columns will be installed by piling rigs inside this wall. The box will measure 750,000 cubic metres.
“”
In total, Old Oak Common will have 14 platforms. In addition to the six platforms for HS2, four will serve Crossrail, while the remaining four will be four conventional services for trains headed to Wales and South West.
Only the HS2 platforms will be underground. Once the box has been built, construction of the eight overground platforms will start. This component will see more than 1,600 concrete piles installed to support the station superstructure and overground platforms.
Lastly, the station’s roof will be built. It will be constructed out of lightweight materials and has been designed to allow as much natural light as possible into the building. The roof will further be covered by solar panels.
“The start of permanent works at Old Oak Common station, our first station under construction, is a significant step for Phase One of HS2, as we deliver world-leading engineering to create what will arguably be one of the best-connected railway super-hubs in the UK.”
The construction work is being led by Balfour Beatty VINCI Systra JV (BBVS). The site measures ten hectares and the station’s construction will require:
- 73,000t steel
- 13,000 square metres of glass
- 2,720 square metres of solar panels
- 53 lifts
- 44 escalators
- 550 bicycle parking spaces
It is estimated that more than 250,000 passengers will use Old Oak Common station on a daily basis.
