Two of the Northern line's busiest stations receive overhaul

Tube Lines has announced practical completion on the modernisation of two of the Northern line’s busiest stations – CamdenTown and Euston. This brings the total number of stations refurbished by Tube Lines to 58, well over half way through the station upgrade programme across the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

 

Both stations date back to 1907. Euston station boasts being the largest PPP project completed by Tube Lines to date, consisting of six platforms and two major interchange areas. Over 25 million commuters pass through the station each year. CamdenTownis one of just eight London Underground stations with a deep level air-raid shelter beneath it used during World War II. Today the station is used by over 18 million passengers a year.

 

The upgrades at the two stations have brought many benefits for the millions of passengers who use them. New, clearer public address systems and better customer information systems have boosted the travel information available and wall tiles have been replaced to improve the interior design of the stations. As with all station modernisations a key focus for Tube Lines has been to boost safety and security, with the number of CCTV cameras increased throughout the stations, new help points and tactile paving installed. The improvements help to make each station a pleasant place to travel through.

 

Engineers carry out the bulk of the station upgrades in the few hours between midnight and the first Tube train in the morning. Working overnight on the Tube limits how much work can be achieved in any shift with time taken up at the beginning to move the equipment into the station and set up safely and quickly. More time is then taken a few hours later to clean the site and exit before the first train carrying passengers to work comes into service.  

 

The hard work of the Tube Lines team at Camden Town was featured in Channel Four’s Paul O’Grady show in November last year. The piece was filmed whilst the upgrade was in full swing, showing daytime viewers what goes on during night-time engineering hours and the challenges faced by Tube Lines.

 

Tooraj Shadnia, Tube Lines’ Senior Project Manger for the station upgrade programme said:

“Both the stations are over 100 years old and were in need of attention. We had up to 200 engineers on site at each station and as a result of their hard work and dedication passengers are able to enjoy a better travelling experience.  There’s now more information available about when the next trains will arrive and where they’re going and announcements will be clearer.  Passengers can now also feel safer with additional CCTV cameras and new help points. I am delighted with the results and hope people travelling through the stations are too.”

 

ENDS

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Press office, Tube Lines: 020 7088 4848

Notes to Editors

1.  Tube Lines is responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. London Underground is responsible for operating the Underground, for employing drivers and station staff, for ticketing and fares, and for the Tube’s safety regime.

2.  The Tube Lines consortium consists of two shareholders – Amey and Bechtel. They bring together some of the most experienced providers of business services with specialist skills in the rail industry, including track and signal renewals, plus project and operational management. They are providing some of the best project and operational managers from around the world to work on the modernisation of the Tube system. Amey owns two-thirds of Tube Lines’ business and Bechtel one third.

3.  Practical completion means all substantial works have been finished although some outstanding works, such as snags, may still need resolution. These must be completed within a 16-week contractual period.

4.  As part of Transport for London’s transforming the tube initiative, third parties are carrying out ongoing works at Euston station which involve tunnel cooling works within the ticket hall and platform works on platform four.

 

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