'Once In A Lifetime' Plan For Clapham Junction
A develpment of housing and shops built over the station is proposed
More than 5,000 homes could be built above one of London’s busiest train stations, as architects reveal their “once in a lifetime” plans for redevelopment.
The proposals for Clapham Junction would increase the station’s capacity and make sure it is ready for Crossrail 2, as well as creating a “new town centre” for the area.
Proposals put together by Laing O’Rourkes, Mott MacDonald and Hawkins Brown for Network Rail are at a very early stage – the artist’s impressions are a suggestion of how the station could look.
In March 2018 Network Rail took over management of the station from South Western Railway in preparation for redevelopment – these plans are the first step towards bringing that to fruition.
Phil Robinson, civil engineering leader for Laing O’Rourke’s engineering excellence group, said, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for transformation at Clapham Junction, providing significant benefits to both the local community and the wider transport network.”
Although Clapham Junction is only the tenth busiest station in London in terms of numbers of passengers entering and leaving (Waterloo is the busiest), it has more trains stop at it per hour than any station in Europe.
That also means it is the busiest in the UK in terms of passengers changing trains, and it's hoped that the plans will also alleviate problems with the often overcrowded walkway and tunnel, which can be extremely busy at peak times.
Shops and restaurants near the station would be demolished, and the main entrance moved closer to the corner junction. The Falcon pub, however, would remain as a separate building.
As well as this infrastructure work and the 5,000-plus homes, the designers also envisage space for shops, entertainment and industrial units when the work is done.
Plans are also aimed at bridging the social divide between the communities to the north and south of the train line – the Winstanley Estate directly north of the tracks is the most deprived area of Wandsworth.
Written with contributions from Calum Rutter, Local Democracy Reporter
April 1, 2019