Old Oak Common area earmarked as possible site
A Crossrail station should be built close to Wormwood Scrubs, say Hammersmith and Fulham Council who have started lobbying for a stop for the borough.
Under existing proposals, Crossrail, a proposed high speed train line linking east and west London, would stop at Acton Main Line, which provides no interchange with other rail services.
The council is arguing that a stop could be built at the North Pole depot and Old Oak Common sidings, part of which has already been earmarked for a Crossrail Depot.
This would allow the the new east-west Crossrail route from Maidenhead and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood, to cross the existing north-south West London Line
The 100 acre plot of land includes the area between the Scrubs and the Grand Union Canal.
The North Pole depot has been lying idle since train servicing operations were moved out to east London.
A Crossrail station would allow this area to be developed, with new houses, shops and businesses.
Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh, H&F Council Leader, said: "Let's be clear – there are no plans to develop anything in this area at the moment and Crossrail will not be up and running until 2017 at the earliest. All of these ideas are at an embryonic stage.
"What the council is saying is that, if we can persuade the Department for Transport and Transport for London to build a Crossrail station here we can see huge regenerative benefits flowing from that.
"A Crossrail station here could release the untapped potential of this part of the borough and make it a very attractive site for new homes, shops and businesses."
The current plans for Crossrail would see trains, which will travel underground between Westbourne Park and east London, pass through the north of the borough without stopping.
Emma Midgley
August 8, 2008
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