London was the place to be on Monday, as crowds gathered for the grand opening of Bond Street’s new Elizabeth line station.
The station, which opened to customers on Monday, 24 October, is set to radically improve travel across London and the south east, proving a slick link to one of the busiest shopping districts in Europe. It completes the central section of the Elizabeth line, as the last of the ten stations to open.
The first service arrived at the station at 05.47 this morning, and trains will now follow every five minutes, increasing to every three to four minutes at peak times from Sunday 6 November.
London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, was joined by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Katherine Fletcher MP, to welcome some of the first customers at the new station. Visitors to the station were treated to a live performance by Rosie Graham, who performed a song from the National Theatre’s new musical version of Sleeping Beauty, Hex.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘I’m delighted to be here today as the spectacular new Elizabeth line station at Bond Street opens to passengers for the first time. The spacious, stylish and step-free station at Bond Street is a huge boost for our retail and hospitality businesses and will radically improve travel across London and the south east by providing a new link to one of the busiest shopping districts in Europe ahead of the festive period. I can’t wait for Londoners and visitors to our capital to experience this beautiful new station for themselves.
‘The opening of the Elizabeth line by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Paddington in May was a landmark moment, not just for London but for the entire country. It is playing a crucial role in our recovery from the pandemic and delivering a £42 billion boost to the UK economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of new homes and jobs.
The Elizabeth line is helping to build a better London – a fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all. I’m so proud of this new line.’
Style and design
As you would expect from Bond Street, style was a key consideration for this new station.
Two spacious ticket halls, flooded with natural light lead passengers to the 25-metre-long Elizabeth line platforms. The station has been built to fit into its surroundings, with the entrance framed with towering columns, red sandstone to blend with buildings at the Davies Street entrance, and pale Portland stone at Hanover Square.
It’s not just the structure that is impressive either. Designers have installed three artworks into the station as part of the Art programme of the Elizabeth line.
British artist Darren Almond has created three pieces – ‘Horizon Line’, ‘Shadow Line’ and ‘Time Line’ – cast in in bronze and aluminium in the same vernacular as the nameplates that historically used to adorn British locomotives. Co-funded by Selfridges and the City of London Corporation, the sculptures were hand cast and polished by the same heritage sign company that oversaw many of the network’s locomotives.
Working with Westminster City Council, Crossrail has made strides in improving the area around the station too. As passengers exit the eastern hall at Hanover Square, they encounter a revamped revamped green space: Medici Courtyard. The courtyard is a result of a public realm transformation led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with adjacent property owners and developers. It is also the first public courtyard to open in Mayfair for more than a century.
Accessible to all
Since it opened in May 2022, more than 45 million journeys have already been made on the new Elizabeth line. It is expected that the new station will accommodate nearly 140,000 passengers every day, boosting the capacity of the Jubilee, Central and Elizabeth lines to a hefty 225,000 a day.
Transport Minister, Katherine Fletcher, said: ‘Just five months after officially opening, the Elizabeth line has shown itself to be a beacon of British success, delivering more than 54 million journeys and creating 55,000 jobs.
‘The opening of Bond Street station is only set to build on this success, servicing over 140,000 people a day and better connecting Londoners to the UK’s biggest shopping areas and the heart of the legendary West End. I’m delighted to be here today and immensely proud of the role the Government has played in making this a reality through our £9 billion investment.’
With step free access from train to street, the station provides easy access for all passengers to enjoy the delights of the West End. Two new lifts give simple access to the TfL network, and the escalator at the Hanover Square entrance is the longest escalator on the Elizabeth line. At a hefty 60 metres long it is also the second longest on the TfL network, just one metre behind the escalators at Angel Underground station.
Driving the economy
With so many more people flooding through the West End, it is no surprise that there are high hopes that the new station will do great things for the economy.
A report from the New West End Company (NWEC) compiled by global property consultancy, Colliers, the West End is forecast to return to its historic annual turnover of over £10 billion by 2025. In an area hit hard by the pandemic, this is exciting news. A significant part of this growth is being driven by the opening of the Elizabeth line, which is expected to influence between £700 million and £800 million a year (or between £5 billion and £7 billion cumulatively by 2031) in additional sales.
Dee Corsi, Interim CEO, New West End Company, said: “Today’s opening reflects and enhances the importance of London’s West End to Britain’s economy. The new Bond Street station serves the heart of one of the world’s most popular shopping and leisure districts, linking us to the most advanced rail line of any global city centre.
“By carrying millions of visitors and commuters into the West End every year, it will further enhance our district and encourage continued investment.”
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive, Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “It’s fantastic news for the West End that the Elizabeth line is reaching another milestone with the opening of Bond Street station.
“This step-change in improving connectivity and accessibility comes at a time when our members need it the most. London’s ability to drive growth for the rest of the UK depends on a clean, safe, modern, and well-funded transport system. If it is easy, accessible and enjoyable to get around then this supports the businesses and cultural institutions of the West End.
“Investment in world-class transport and infrastructure like the new Elizabeth line sends the message loud and clear that as a city, London is open to residents, workers and visitors.”
A royal connection
Queen Elizabeth II visited the station on 23 February 2016, accompanied by the then chairman of Crossrail, Terry Morgan and then Mayor of London Boris Johnson, where she unveiled the roundel for the Elizabeth line.
She was the first reigning monarch to travel on the London Underground when she opened the Victoria Line in 1969, and officials felt it was fitting that her name was added to the map.
