London Bridge station: New concourse prepares to open as development boss vows end to overcrowding chaos

The man masterminding the £1 billion facelift of London Bridge station today vowed there would be “no repeats” of the overcrowding misery suffered by passengers.

Final touches are being made ahead of the opening on Monday of two thirds of a new concourse at London’s oldest station.

London Bridge has suffered overcrowding problems since the work began. In one incident in March last year passengers were forced to leap over or crawl underneath security gates, which was described by the RMT union as “life-threatening chaos”.

Asked about the chaotic rush hour scenes, Andrew Hutton, Network Rail’s lead development manager in charge of the project, told the Standard: “There should be no repeats of that, we’ve got a much larger area that we’re able to work people in.

“We’ve got additional ability in terms of the platforms and access so we don’t envisage any of that.”

The Standard was given a glimpse of the new concourse, which includes a new ticket office and refurbished platforms with cafes and shops to come. Network Rail is undertaking the government-funded Thameslink project to increase capacity, including up to 16 extra Thameslink trains every hour on commuter routes running through to the City and St Pancras.

Refit: The development includes a new ticket office and refurbished platforms
Chris Gorman

The rest of the London Bridge works are due for completion in January 2018, which will link 15 platforms serving 80 trains an hour.

Trains into Charing Cross will call at London Bridge from Monday after being cancelled in January last year, although Cannon Street services will not stop at London Bridge after Friday until 2018.

Mr Hutton said: “It’s going to be a huge space compared to what we had before. We’ve got a facility here that’s modern, but it’s the space and the lightness and airiness of it that people are going to feel.

“If there’s any disruption there’s space now to wait and sit, lots of information and lots of screens.

“Hopefully what people get is more of a feeling we’re looking after them.”

The control room is open to the public this weekend

The new concourse can be entered from St Thomas Street, easing pressure on the upstairs Shard concourse. Much of the congestion has been caused by nearly 150,000 people cramming through a space meant for 50,000.

Works have meant thousands of people being forced out on to the Shard concourse, but access to the new platforms should ease the problems.

Writing in the Standard today, Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: “I am extremely sorry that while doing this work there have been times when passengers have suffered frustrating delays.”

About 56 million people use London Bridge every year. When the works are complete that is expected to rise to 90 million people.

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