Providing our transport expertise for the Bank station capacity upgrade project

Bank station was not designed to accommodate the passenger load it now has and as a consequence, the station is overcrowded and has won itself the title of “most disliked” tube station in London. However, planned improvements should relieve Bank station of its complexity, crowding and its title.

With five London Underground lines (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City, District, and Circle lines) and DLR services, ten platforms, three ticket halls, 15 escalators, 15 entrances and exits and a myriad of connecting stairwells and walkways, Bank Station is one of the most complex underground rail interchanges in the world. As a major interchange station in the heart of the city, it is used by almost 100,000 people in the am peak and over 300,000 people throughout the day.

The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade involves a major upgrade of the Bank Monument Station Complex to provide improved passenger access and increased circulation and interchange space. It will improve emergency fire and evacuation protection measures and it will provide:

• a new entrance on Cannon Street with lifts and escalator connections;
• a new Northern line passenger concourse using the existing southbound platform tunnel;
• a new Northern line southbound train tunnel and platform tunnel; and
• new passenger routes between the Northern line, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the Central line.

As specialists in Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) applications and the assessment of transport impacts, Steer was commissioned to manage the Transport TWAO application process and provide transport expertise including an expert witness at the Public Inquiry.

As an integral part of the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade delivery team, Steer is helping to ensure the smooth delivery of this £500 million project.

The scheme application was submitted in September 2014 and is currently working its way through the planning process with the upgraded station scheduled to be completed in 2021.

The improvements planned should relieve Bank station of its complexity and crowding and of its title of the most disliked tube station in London.