Green light for Bank station upgrade

Major work to increase capacity at London Underground’s Bank station will begin this month, after Government approved plans for the £563 million upgrade.

Once completed in 2021, the upgrade of LU’s third busiest station will boost capacity by 40%, improve accessibility and reduce interchange time.

Transport for London reports that demand has risen by 50% over the past ten years, and that more than 52 million passengers now use Bank annually.

The station will remain open while 200 engineers and staff build a new tunnel and platform for the Northern Line to accommodate more passengers, three new lifts and 12 new escalators, as well as a new entrance in Cannon Street and step-free access to Northern Line and Docklands Light Railway platforms.

“Improving Bank station is at the heart of our multi billion-pound investment programme to improve and expand the Tube,” said LU Managing Director Nick Brown.

“This critical and ambitious station upgrade will create a new southbound Northern Line tunnel and platform to vastly reduce interchange times.

“A new station entrance will also be constructed on Cannon Street, alongside a range of other major improvements to create more direct routes, improving accessibility for the millions of Tube customers who use Bank station each year.”