Plans have emerged for a vast new Ilford station, part of the package of improvements for the development of Crossrail services. Many passengers have criticized the present Cranbrook station as “ghetto” but the Atkins’s architects will design the new station by having it glass-fronted so the natural light can make the station feel more comforting and will be very efficient, therefore more money can be spent on improving the station and more areas on Ilford in general.
Another new feature of the station will be lifts which will allow step-free access to all platforms from street level, which make it more convenient for people to change platforms as the current stairs can be crowding and busy. The Station will also have longer platforms which will provide more space for passengers to walk down the platforms as (like the stairs) they become overcrowding which can cause people to miss their train. There will also be customer information points which will be appropriate for customers who are not sure which train to take to a certain destination, or if they are having trouble purchasing a ticket or topping up there Oyster Cards, they will be able to speak to someone who could help them solve their problems. There will also be CCTV cameras all across the station which will provide comfort and make the customers feel safe when travelling to and from Ilford Station. Similar to the customer information points, there will also be overhead information screens which will be beneficial if a person cannot find a member of staff in an emergency, they can themselves go to a screen and find a solution to their problem.
Many people of the Ilford community are looking forward to the future of Ilford Station, Rebecca Ogbonna, 17, Student quoted, “As a daily customer at Ilford Station, I think I will enjoy travelling to and from school, as I currently don’t feel safe at the Station, especially as I travel alone and it gets dark much earlier and it doesn’t provide comfort, but when I start travelling in Spring next year I will feel much safer and comfortable with the CCTV cameras. Also, I have been late to school many times due to having to climb the stairs to reach the platforms which I find very time consuming and then leads to me missing my train, but that will all change with the lifts as it will be a much faster way of getting to the platforms.
The first Crossrail trains on the new Elizabeth line will start passing through Ilford around May of 2017, with up to 12 services an hour into central London by May 2019.
Tahiya Ahmed
