Network Rail has confirmed that extensive works to upgrade Ilford Station for Crossrail will begin in January – and passengers have been warned the main entrance will be closed for most of 2020.

From early January 2020, the main station entrance in Cranbrook Road will close so construction works can get under way.

The major upgrade to Ilford Station will provide customers with a new station entrance, new ticket office and new lifts providing step-free access to the platforms.

A temporary entrance and ticket office will be provided, located close to the junction of Cranbrook Road and Ilford Hill, to enable the upgrade works to be delivered.

Passengers will need to use this temporary entrance to reach the platforms but will need to allow extra time for their journey.

That's because the temporary entrance will only provide gated access to Platform 1 - from there passengers for other platforms will need to use two footbridges to get to their trains.

During the construction phase, the area in front of the main station entrance will be enclosed by hoardings which may require some changes to pedestrian routes along the western pavement.

Cranbrook Road will remain open to traffic throughout, but there may be short periods when the road may be closed for significant deliveries.

The majority of deliveries are likely to take place during the off-peak hours, to minimise disruption to passengers.

The entrance on York Mews will remain open throughout the works.

Colin Prime, Network Rail's principal programme sponsor, said: We are currently preparing Ilford station for the main construction phase from January which will see the main entrance closed on Cranbrook Road until autumn 2020.

"The temporary entrance we are constructing will allow passengers to continue to use the station while we build this new entrance for the station and for the Ilford community.

And Howard Smith, operations director at TfL Rail, added: "This work at Ilford will provide customers with significant improvements in readiness for Elizabeth line services.

"With a bigger and brighter main entrance and new lifts, providing step-free access from street to platform for the first time, it will transform journeys for our customers at Ilford."