Stratford Station Upgrade?

[Ronnie268]

Does anyone know if there are any plans to upgrade Stratford Station in the not-too-distant future? It's a complete nightmare in the peaks, especially with the one-way system implemented on Platform 8 in the evening peak.

With the advent of the Elizabeth Line and all of the development in the area, surely something needs to be done to the concourse at some point?

 

[Ronnie268]

https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngovl...ation.pdf?T=10

"TfL with LLDC are working together to consider improvements to Stratford Station in the light of the very high usage levels it is already experiencing. The station is already a particular challenge, especially so on football match days and demands on the station will increase significantly as the quantum of work space, homes, schools, colleges and leisure attractions grow. Good progress has been made on agreeing a funding package specifically for a new entrance at Carpenters Estate."

 

[telstarbox]

It's too early to know for sure, but once Crossrail opens there may be fewer people interchanging at Stratford as they can stay on one train to the West End and beyond.

 

[Ronnie268]

Surely anyone changing to go to the West End crosses from Platform 5 to 3 (cross-platform) to hop on the Central line? Yes, these might reduce, but they never went through the subways in the first place.

 

[mrmartin]

Yes, exactly. I think the fact the elizabeth line is not going to suddenly fix the station. It's a complete nightmare going between overground, jubilee, central, dlr and the exits.

I think that the elizabeth line may indeed cause station usage/interchange to grow as it will be very quick to get to places. EG: If you're coming hackney/dalston to go to heathrow you'd probably take the victoria and pic lines, instead you'll get people going east to go back via stratford as you can get the elizabeth line straight there.

This doesn't even account for the 10,000s of new houses being built and the masses of office space going up.

The report posted also shows:

"The Board discussed the update at paragraph 6.10 of the report, which related to the joint work being undertaken by TfL and LLDC in relation to improvements at Stratford station, in light of the very high usage of the station; the Board noted that the numbers using the station had doubled since 2012/13. It was agreed that a report regarding options under consideration would be submitted to the Board at its November meeting. This would include both short-term measures – including using the mobility access entrance on the Carpenters Estate, adding a temporary entrance on Montfitchet Road, and use of the mezzanine and eastern tunnel to ease movement through the station – as well as long-term measures and specific event day improvements. The Chief Executive noted that the short-term measures could have a significant impact and, in response to a query raised, that the majority of the obstacles to those, which had been previously discussed with the Planning Committee, had been worked through. The Chair requested that TfL representatives be invited to the November Board meeting to facilitate discussion of the options. "

Stratford will be one of the very rare stations which is both a very significant interchange and increasingly a 'destination' in its own right - which is challenging to work with. I think it will need a New Street/Reading-esque complete rebuild in the near future. Passenger numbers have doubled in 4 years, surely completely unheard of at a major station?

 

[Taunton]

Those from the GE line into Central London change both onto the Central and the Jubilee. Likewise those for Canary Wharf change onto both the Jubilee and the DLR. I think they may either stay on Crossrail into London, or if for Canary Wharf change at Whitechapel. This will reduce the numbers in the passages.

The only key issue I see is that, as Stratford can only have half the total Crossrail service (the other half going down to Abbey Wood) their trains may be oversubscribed right from Day 1. If the westbound platform gets too crowded with people waiting for the alternate Crossrail trains, and letting the Liverpool Street ones go, you will have the same situation you currently have on the Northern Line which there are plans to eliminate.

 

[matthewmacleod]

I agree that something really has to happen at Stratford. Peak times are really unpleasant, and much worse on match days. The one-way system dumps eastbound TfL Rail passengers right at the end of the platform, which is making the crush loads in the front couple of carriages even worse. There's a whole bunch of new housing finished soon too, which isn't going to make it any better.

It's hard to see what can realistically happen, though. I think it probably will need that Reading-style full redevelopment. It would be great if the underground concourse could be opened out, but obviously the DLR limits that option.

 

[Ronnie268]

Those from the GE line into Central London change both onto the Central and the Jubilee. Likewise those for Canary Wharf change onto both the Jubilee and the DLR. I think they may either stay on Crossrail into London, or if for Canary Wharf change at Whitechapel. This will reduce the numbers in the passages.

Those from existing TfL Rail stations currently cross the platform to get onto the Central line. They will mostly stay on their train. No effect on the subway.
Those from existing TfL Rail stations currently going to the Jubilee to Canary Wharf will mostly change at Whitechapel. That will reduce subway usage a bit.
Those from existing GE outer services currently changing to go to the West End will now change onto the Elizabeth line, not the Central, but these depart from the same island platform. No effect on the subway.
Those from existing GE outer services currently changing onto the Jubilee line will carry on doing so. No effect on the subway.

Getting the crayons out for a moment, I think the ideal solution would be a London Bridge style solution. Each of the GEML through platforms should be on a proper viaduct, thereby allowing a proper concourse below ground. (While they are at it, the 3 GEML fast platforms can become a pair of island platforms.) The DLR station for services to Stratford International needs to be moved south (only a little), so that the tracks can dive down and don't have to cut the concourse in half. That will end the farse of going up and down to access the Jubilee. The Jubilee needs a fourth platform so Stratford can have the full 36tph when it comes. (There are other gold-plated interventions which one would do in an ideal world, such as providing overruns on the NLL platforms so each platform could handle 6tph for a future 6tph Clapham Junction + 6tph Richmond NLL service)

The only problem is how to achieve it. There is some space between the Central Line Westbound platform and the DLR platforms (towards Pudding Mill Lane), but other than that, there's not that much space to build new infrastructure. So it's hard to see how anything substantial could be achieved without enormous disruption.

 

[colchesterken]

I would have thought interchange will have more pressure. people coming into plt 9 then changing to Elizabeth line it will be better than traveling to liv st. Now there are no semi fasts I bet people will drive to Shenfield get the fast to Stratford for the West End..Pity they could not fit in some Ilford Romford Gidea Park stoppers like in the old days
Also lots of additional commuters from new developments in our area, New towns at Chelmsford, Marks Tey, and the infill between Colchester and Elmstead

 

[Mikey C]

There are an awful lot of lines terminating there from different directions (Jubilee, Overground, Anglia trains via Tottenham Hale, DLR and to an extent the Stratford International DLR trains) which must be pretty unique, and cause a lot of conflicting passenger interchanges...