Hanwell station to be taken off at risk register following renovations

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis 26th Aug 2021

HANWELL station will be removed from the Heritage at Risk Register by Historic England, following extensive renovation work by Transport for London (TfL).

The station was originally opened by the Great Western Railway in 1838, although the buildings on site today date from a station rebuild in 1877.

It was Grade II listed in 1972 but was already falling into a poor state of repair at that point.

Despite having had some work done in 2000, deteriorated signage and peeling paint on platform canopies and buildings showed that the station was in need of a lot of work when TfL took over the management of the station in 2017.

The station, which will be served by the Elizabeth line is now more customer friendly, with improved accessibility and customer information and new spacious facilities.

The original station buildings have been repaired, re-painted and restored to the traditional Great Western Railway cream and golden-brown colour scheme.

Historic signs on the platforms have also been carefully restored.

New customer information screens displaying live travel information including local bus departure times now make the customer experience even better.

Customers can now also benefit from step-free access from street level after the installation of lifts.

The station will be one of 41 step-free stations on the Elizabeth line which is due to open at the start of next year.

Hanwell has also benefitted from a doubling in service frequency, moving from two to four trains per hour in either direction, while shorter, old trains have been replaced with longer, modern, more spacious Elizabeth line trains providing a significant increase in capacity.

Following the completion of the improvement works, Historic England and Ealing Council have agreed that Hanwell station can be removed from the Heritage at Risk Register and the change will be reflected in the new register, published in October.

Peter Herridge, TfL's Station Enhancement Manager, said: "Our team, including colleagues from our operator MTR Elizabeth line, has worked closely with the Railway Heritage Trust, the Ealing Borough and Network Rail to carry out these improvements while preserving the rich heritage of this 19th century station.

"Our friends at Didcot Railway Centre also provided some invaluable guidance and inspiration to help us with the finishing touches.

"It was a real collaborative effort and delivered not only step-free access, but vital new facilities that customers will benefit from for years to come.

"Getting to the stage of the station being removed from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register shows that this work was well worth the effort."

Emily Gee, Regional Director for Historic England in London and the South East, said: "Hanwell has been given a new lease of life thanks to the careful restoration and improvement works by TfL over the last few years.

"The Victorian character of the station really shines through and we hope all users appreciate the new spaces and intricate details now revealed for many years to come."

Leader of Ealing Council, Julian Bell, said: "Preserving Ealing's outstanding heritage has always been a priority for us and I am delighted to have been able to work alongside our partners TfL to ensure the historic features of Hanwell station are protected long into the future.

"Not only has the renovation eliminated any risk of losing this valuable local heritage, the station has also been upgraded and modernised with new lifts, waiting room, toilets and a refurbished platform.

"Working with TfL, we have also completed work to improve access to the station for those walking and cycling by creating a paved forecourt.

"We will continue to work with TfL to improve transport options for local commuters, improve access and reduce journey times wherever possible."

     

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