Old Oak Common

Old Oak Common Station will be a new transport superhub in West London offering quick, reliable, and comfortable journeys to the Midlands, the North and Scotland, as well connections into central London, the West Country and South Wales.

Not only will the station offer journeys on HS2, it is being built with connections to GWR, Elizabeth Line, and Heathrow Express services. It will be the 42nd stop on London’s new Elizabeth line enabling passengers to get to the West End in 10 minutes, Liverpool Street Station in 20 minutes and Heathrow, via either the Elizabeth Line or the Heathrow Express, also in 10 minutes. This once industrial area is being transformed into a thriving super-connected neighbourhood and building a legacy for generations to come.

Station design

Old Oak Common Station will have some striking design features, including an impressive sequence of interlocking curved roof forms. These have been designed to enhance the open environment of the station and provide natural ventilation, which, along with occupancy and daylight sensors, will reduce energy consumption. They also reduce the need for columns to support the roof, providing clear sight lines across the station to help passengers orient themselves.

The concourse and platform areas of the station will be large enough to accommodate passenger growth to 2041 and beyond. Designs also include a dedicated bus and taxi facility, drop-off and pick-up points, pedestrian and cycle links, electric vehicle charging facilities, and upgraded road infrastructure including a new junction. Outside the station, a new public parkland will be created with pocket gardens, trees and shrubs, and a new wetland area. This parkland will be a place for people to relax as well as a venue for community events and pop-up markets. The main paths in the park will also have step-free access with resting spaces for wheelchair users and accessible seating available.

The station will provide a world-class interchange for an estimated 250,000 passengers each day and will be a gateway into Old Oak and Park Royal, one of the largest regeneration sites in the UK. Plans to transform the wider area around the station are led by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). Over 100 acres has been marked for development and there are plans to create 25,000 new homes and 56,000 new jobs in the area.

Station construction

Construction of Old Oak Common Station is progressing rapidly, with a 2,000-strong team recently completing excavation of the 20-metre-deep underground station box. This future hub will house six 400-metre platforms for high-speed trains. Over the past three years, 1.3 million tonnes of London clay—equivalent to filling 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools—was excavated and removed via conveyor, eliminating the need for more than 75,000 lorry journeys on local roads.

Work has now begun on the six HS2 service platforms, with wall frameworks being installed ahead of concrete pouring. Meanwhile, the high-speed platform slabs are being manufactured by Explore in Worksop, with installation set to begin this spring.

Above the base slab, teams are constructing the station’s ground floor level in preparation for the superstructure, which will shape the vibrant station environment.

Tunnelling work to connect Old Oak Common to the HS2 network is being carried out by HS2’s London tunnels contractor, Skanska Costain STRABAG JV. In the eastern section of the station box, teams are preparing to launch two giant tunnelling machines toward Euston, while in the western section, tunnels will be excavated using the sprayed concrete lining method.

Additional works include the demolition of the redundant Wycombe Line bridge over Old Oak Common Lane and the construction of new bridges to carry the Great Western Main Line and Central Line into the station. These will be integrated with the conventional railway network, with tracks being progressively relocated onto the new structures over the coming years.

Network Rail is working in partnership with HS2 to connect the station to the existing rail network. This includes upgrades to station platforms, drainage systems, and overhead power lines. As a result, some rail services into London Paddington will be affected by temporary line closures during these works.