Hanwell station scoops prestigious award

Hanwell station has been awarded the Ealing Civic Society’s Annual Award for its recent restoration work.

The Grade II listed Victorian building has been brought back to its former glory as part of a project leading to the forthcoming Elizabeth Line services. Transport for London (TfL) worked with the Railway Heritage Trust to upgrade the nineteenth-century station, ensuring it met modern standards while retaining its historic character.

The original station buildings have been repaired, re-painted, and restored to the traditional Great Western Railway cream and golden-brown colours. Historic signs on the platforms have also been carefully restored, and on the staircases, timber handrails, and cast-iron balustrades have been given a new lease of life. Meanwhile, the lighting has been upgraded with brighter, energy-saving LEDs fitted in the station’s traditional hanging lanterns.  

Other important upgrades include the conversion of a derelict building on platform 2 into a new, spacious waiting room with refreshed period features, a newly converted accessible toilet facility, and the installation of an accessible ticket office window.

There is also step-free access from street to platform after the installation of lifts, one of which required the use of specialised equipment and a closely-managed hand excavation over a period of weeks so that the historic timber canopy could be left in place. This accessibility means the facilities will be in keeping with the other 40 stations on the Elizabeth line. The station is staffed at all times while trains are running with ramps available for those that need them to board trains.

Improvement work was undertaken by J. Murphy & Sons and Elm Site Services and resulted in Hanwell being removed from the “Heritage at Risk” register by Historic England.

Since 1989, the Ealing Civic Society has given awards to recognise and encourage building and environmental projects that make a noteworthy contribution to the community in its borough. The judging panel, which was unanimous in awarding the society’s top prize to Hanwell station, commended the restoration, and stressed that the work had upgraded it to modern standards and transformed its accessibility whilst protecting historical features, ensuring that a vital aspect of local and railway history is preserved.

TfL’s station enhancement manager, Peter Herridge, said: “The renovation work at Hanwell station was a real collaborative effort between TfL, our operator MTR Elizabeth line, the Railway Heritage Trust, and the London Borough of Ealing. It has delivered not only step-free access, but vital new facilities that customers will benefit from for years to come. I am delighted that this achievement has been recognised by the Ealing Civic Society.”

Chairman of the Ealing Civic Society, Ann Chapman, said: “Ealing Civic Society is delighted to make this award to TfL for the restoration of Hanwell Station. This unusual project shows that it is possible to combine sympathetic restoration of a heritage asset with modern convenience. That this is a publicly accessible location is also welcome, allowing the restoration to be appreciated by travellers every time they pass through.”

Harbinder Birdi, partner, infrastructure sector lead at Hawkins\Brown, and a member of the Ealing Civic Society judging panel, said: “Hanwell station clearly demonstrates how successful infrastructure can be delivered through collaboration with the client, contractor, design team, and local community. The judges were mindful of the constraints that the project had to be delivered within, notably being constructed whilst keeping the station operational. All the judges commended the considered restoration of the existing station buildings, platforms, and waiting rooms creating a station of rich visual character and heritage that will aim to serve it’s community for generations to come.”

 A commemorative plaque and certificate was awarded to TfL by the Ealing Civic Society which will be displayed at the station.

Images supplied by TfL

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