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Cabinet voted unanimously for the C9 scheme, which adds three floating bus stops. A resident had urged councillors to reject it over safety.
Old Oak Common’s Elizabeth line platforms to get step-free boarding
Rails at platforms 5 to 8 will sit lower, so the train floor meets the platform edge and staff will not need to bring out ramps.
Key facts
- Rails at Old Oak Common's platforms 5 to 8 will sit lower to give level boarding on the Elizabeth line
- The government has approved the redesign, with a concrete slab replacing ballast through the station
- TfL expects Elizabeth line passengers to account for about 90% of interchanges at the station
- Standard national rail platforms are built 915mm above the rails
Passengers boarding Elizabeth line trains at the new Old Oak Common station will not face a step up. The government has signed off a redesign that drops the rails at the station’s four Elizabeth line platforms, so the floor of the train will be level with the platform edge.
The work covers platforms 5 to 8. Through the station, trains will run on a solid concrete slab instead of ballast.
Why Old Oak Common needed a different platform height
National rail platforms are normally built 915mm above the rails. That height is a compromise that lets passenger, freight and engineering trains all use them, but at many stations it leaves a gap between train and platform. Old Oak Common was going up to that standard, which would have meant manual ramps for anyone needing step-free access to Elizabeth line trains.
The Elizabeth line’s central London stations avoided the problem in 2018, when the railway was granted a special exemption from the rules so its platforms could line up with the train doors. Old Oak Common is due to be the HS2 terminus. TfL expects Elizabeth line passengers to account for about 90 per cent of the people changing trains there. Serving that many with ramps would take a lot of staff and longer stops at the platform, and that would slow the service down.
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said level boarding was “vital for the safety and accessibility of our customers”.
Lowering the track instead of raising the platforms
TfL flagged the issue a few years ago and talks have continued since. In August an HS2 spokesperson said a fix had been found and was awaiting final approval. Building the platforms higher would have forced a redesign of the lifts, stairs and escalators. Dropping the railway instead means every platform, and the equipment that goes with it, can be built to one specification.
Signs are expected to send Elizabeth line passengers to platforms 5 to 8 and national rail passengers to platforms 1 to 4. Even so, the station was designed so any train can call at any platform. HS2 says compatible passenger and freight services on the relief lines will still be able to use the lowered platforms when required.
On those trains the carriage floor will sit below the platform edge, the reverse of most stations. Ramps are made for a train that is higher than the platform, so staff will offer passenger assistance whenever a GWR or Heathrow Express service calls at the Elizabeth line side. Such stops should be rare, for instance when engineering work closes a national rail platform.
Key questions
Will Old Oak Common be step-free for Elizabeth line trains?
Yes. The railway at platforms 5 to 8 is being set lower, so passengers can board Elizabeth line trains without a step or a ramp.
Why was the track lowered instead of raising the platforms?
Higher platforms would have meant redesigning the lifts and other station equipment. Lowering the railway lets every platform be built to the same specification.
Can other trains use the Elizabeth line platforms at Old Oak Common?
Compatible passenger and freight services can use them when required. Their floors will sit below the platform edge, and staff will offer assistance if GWR or Heathrow Express trains call there.
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