London Liverpool Street, one of the capital’s busiest train stations, will undergo a major £1,200,000,000 upgrade. The plans to revamp the station were approved in February by the City of London, and the application is now with London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Communities Secretary Steve Reed for final approvals.
Controversial Tower Block Plans
The controversial revamp involves building a mixed-use 97-metre (318ft) tower block over the concourse of Liverpool Street station, which Network Rail has said will make Square Mile – a nickname for the City of London – ‘more pleasant to work in and travel through’. Network Rail has also said the upgrade will ‘unlock new opportunities’ for growth in the area while improving central London’s connectivity to the rest of the country.
Key Changes at Liverpool Street Station
The station has previously faced issues with overcrowding, causing difficulties for people with disabilities, luggage and small children. Passengers have also complained of a ‘confusing’ layout, Network Rail said. It added that the changes are designed to ‘future-proof’ the station for 200,000,000 passengers in the decades ahead. According to Time for Liverpool Street, the upgrades made to the station include:
- A large new concourse which will increase overall capacity by 76%
- Eight new lifts to make Network Rail and London Underground platforms more accessible
- 10 escalators instead of the previous four
- Additional ticket barriers to reduce wait times
- Improved step-free access across the station and London Underground
- New toilets and family facilities on all station levels
- Improved signage and larger entrances
- More secure bicycle storage
- A variety of cafes, restaurants and shops
- New landmark entrances on Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate and Exchange Square
- New covered space for passengers waiting for TfL buses
The redevelopment proposal also includes a new five-star hotel operated by Hyatt as part of the Andaz Hotel next to the station. The office tower block will be ‘realigned to better reveal’ the Grade II listed building.
Public Reaction and Opposition
More than 3,700 people objected to the plans, while more than 1,100 expressed their support for them. Network Rail insisted its plans respect the station’s ‘unique heritage’, but actor Griff Rhys Jones, who is president of the Victorian Society and the Liverpool Street Station Campaign (Lissca), claimed the day the plans were released was a ‘sad day for the City of London’. ‘A disfiguring billion-pound office block on top of a major heritage asset is not essential to the City’s development plans,’ he said.
‘It is doubtful whether it will easily provide the profit to “improve” the concourse, and can only realise a small amount of extra space for the passenger. Its focus is retail opportunities which the commuter doesn’t need. It will destroy an existing conservation area. It demolishes listed buildings. It is harmful to the surrounding historic fabric.’ He accused the City of London of having ‘bowed to developer ambitions, set a bad precedent for London and (ignored) the user’.
Lissca said it has ‘the backing of thousands of supporters’ and will ‘now await the decisions of the Mayor of London and, if necessary, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government’. SAVE Britain’s Heritage said: ‘What a missed opportunity to consider less disruptive and damaging approaches to funding the station upgrades that passengers deserve. We will be carefully examining the committee’s decision and will consider our next steps.’
Support from City Officials
Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: ‘This redevelopment of Liverpool Street station is a major step forward for the Square Mile. It will support the City’s dynamic business ecosystem with state-of-the-art infrastructure, create new jobs and strengthen our position as a world‑leading destination, while ensuring that residents, workers and visitors all benefit from a modern, inclusive and future‑focused transport hub. As competition among global cities increases, we must demonstrate our openness to new investment that will enhance our urban environment and Liverpool Street station will now continue to do just that.’
Ellie Burrows, managing director for Network Rail’s Eastern region, said: ‘This decision represents a key step towards the transformation of Britain’s busiest station and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Liverpool Street. Our plans focus on improving the everyday experience for passengers whilst respecting the station’s unique heritage. With annual passenger numbers forecast to grow to 158 million, this approval ensures the station will be future-proofed for decades to come.’
Timeline for Construction
It’s unclear now when construction will start as the plans still need approval from the Mayor and the Government. Previously, developers said they hoped the new commercial building with shops and offices would be finished by 2030 if everything goes to plan.
