£400 million for King’s Cross

8:26am Wednesday 16th February 2005

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The government has given the go ahead for a £400million revamp of King's Cross station.

London Underground has been given permission to seek planning permission for the redevelopment of the building, believing the proposed expansion will increase the number of customers to 50 million a year an increase of 10 million.

A new 3,000 square metre concourse will provide extra room for the key interchange between St Pancras tube lines and the mainlines, while the temporary front to the station - where a new piazza is planned - will be demolished in order to restore the original.

New northern and western ticket halls will be developed, with the existing Underground ticket hall refurbished.

London Underground managing director, Tim O'Toole, said: "I am pleased that the new northern ticket hall at King's Cross can now proceed. When complete, the new hall and the new connections to Tube and rail platforms will make King's Cross fully accessible for the first time, by providing lifts to serve the deep-level Tube platforms.

"This announcement means the new King's Cross St Pancras Tube and rail stations will be complete in time for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

"It also means the new station will be able to cope with the extra passenger traffic that will be generated as demand on the Tube grows from the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link and high-speed commuter services from north Kent to St Pancras."