Opening of new Ilford station entrance delayed
Josh Mellor, LDRS
Ilford station will be on the Elizabeth line - Credit: PA
Repairs to a bridge have set back the opening of a new entrance at Ilford station.
A “technical issue” with the structure that carries Cranbrook Road over the railway line has created at least a month-long delay.
The entrance was originally meant to be finished by next month, well ahead of the anticipated launch of Crossrail’s central London section this summer.
Network Rail, which is responsible for the railway lines and stations on the existing network, said it discovered the bridge issue last autumn.
A spokesperson said: “The bridge’s concrete slabs are in poor condition and we have used the time to work up a solution to repair the bridge, while allowing the internal fit out of the new entrance to continue.
“These repairs will be carried out between now and the end of May which will allow us to finish the new entrance and open it to passengers this summer.”
Network Rail did not specify which month it would open.
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The spokesperson did not respond to questions about what the additional cost of the repairs will be, saying only that its Crossrail budget is £2.98 billion.
At the other end of the station, two new entrances have already been opened leading to York Road and Prior Road.
The Prior Road entrance, which leads to a number of recent residential developments, was built using funding from Greater London Authority, Transport for London and Redbridge Council.
Building work around the station may continue for a number of years, as the council plans to redevelop land around the gyratory system and make it more pedestrian friendly through its Western Gateway project.
A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: “We remain in close contact with Network Rail and are aware that they had to revise their works programme to accommodate technical issues with the bridge structure.
“We are working closely with our partners to ensure that the remaining works are completed safely so that the much-anticipated new station entrance can finally open to the public."
They added that the station regeneration is "closely aligned" to the Ilford Western Gateway project.
