Brent Cross West train station opening: all you need to know

The station, in Geron Way off the A5 Edgware Road, is located between Cricklewood and Hendon stations on the Midland Mainline, and will be operational from Sunday (December 10).

We have rounded up as much information as we can about the new station.

On-board passenger information displays were also tested, with the station name added to arrival announcements and route diagrams

When will it open?

The official opening will take place on Sunday, December 10 at around 11am, but there will be activities from 10am to 4pm.

Where can I go from Brent Cross West?

Thameslink services will connect the new station to central London, with journey times to St Pancras taking as little as 12 minutes.

At peak times, up to eight trains an hour will pass through the station, providing links to Luton Airport and the Elizabeth line via Farringdon.

Passengers will be served by six trains each way per hour during off-peak hours and weekends.

A CGI of Brent Cross West station

There will be four trains per hour between St Albans and Sutton, and two per hour between Luton and Rainham (Kent).

The extra two trains per hour at peak times will be provided by the Luton to Orpington services.

Where else can I go?

A CGI of the new station in Brent Cross. Credit: Barnet Council

A new overbridge at Brent Cross West will connect parts of Barnet and Brent until now divided by rail tracks, providing the first pedestrian access across this stretch of the Midland Mainline since the line was built 150 years ago.

Anywhere else?

It is hoped Brent Cross West can provide a key link in the West London Orbital in a decade’s time.

West London Orbital would use existing rail lines that run from West Hampstead and Hendon towards Hounslow.

The final route is yet to be revealed, but current plans would see trains stop in Cricklewood, Neasden, Harlesden, Acton, Brentford and Isleworth – 15 stations in total.

In some instances, existing platforms will be used but new stations would be required at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common and Lionel Road.

Don't I recognise that voice? 

His was the first person to speak on Radio 1, and legendary DJ Tony Blackburn, who lives in Barnet, has been station announcer across the Thameslink network this week to celebrate the opening of the station.  

Until Wednesday (December 13) passengers travelling between Luton and Sutton will hear a series of special announcements from the 80-year-old radio legend on the Thameslink route.

Tony’s voice will be heard at stations between Bedfordshire and South London that will serve Brent Cross West, as well as welcoming passengers at the brand-new station itself.  

What is that mural about?

Artist Giles Round unveils his frieze Time passes & still I think of you at Brent Cross West Station with Barnet Council and Related Argent members (Image: Barnet Council)

You won't be able to miss the colourful 250sq m frieze by artist Giles Round called Time passes & still I think of you.

It is dedicated to the artist's late mother Margaret Round, who for a time worked in Brent Cross shopping centre.

The idea is to combine personal memories with ideas about how place is essential to our sense of identity and how buildings connect us with the landscapes of our lives.

The artist, who was raised in Barnet, said:  “The work is a monument to love. It is for everyone, in particular, all we have lost."

Why do we need a new station anyway?

Brent Cross West station will be the station for Brent Cross Town, a new neighbourhood that will include 7,500 new homes, 27,000 jobs, three new schools, shops, major road improvements, and new community facilities as part of a regeneration scheme.

The station is part of the housing and commercial development of the area that will provide access from the newly created Brent Cross Town to the rest of London and other areas.

Brent Cross West railway station (Image: Barnet Council) (Image: Barnet Council)

Brent Cross South will be connected to Brent Cross shopping centre, which will be doubled in size as part of the regeneration.

Why is it called Brent Cross West?

Developer Argent Related engaged with community groups to discuss ideas for a name, then Barnet Council's assets, regeneration and growth committee voted on it.

Cllr Daniel Thomas, then deputy leader and chairman of the assets, regeneration and growth committee, said: "During the consultation process it became quite clear the area was already well-known as Brent Cross and given the station is located to the west of Brent Cross, it was considered Brent Cross West was the most appropriate name."

Is it safe?

It should be. The station has had to pass a range of safety and technical tests.

Thameslink trains arrived and departed over two weeks of overnight trials during the summer, with essential tests to ensure passengers could safely board and alight and trains come and go.

The tests were conducted jointly by GTR’s station project team and the ASLEF union’s health and safety representatives.

Tom Causebrook, GTR’s infrastructure project manager, said: “Our testing focussed on ensuring that the station’s platforms are safe for passengers and staff.

"Included in the checklist were making sure trains stopped at the right points, the mechanisms for selective door opening worked correctly, our drivers have good visibility along the platforms, and passenger announcements on the trains’ information screens are at the right times.”

Give me some trivia

Railway enthusiasts can look at new sidings to replace a facility that dated back to the 1860s, a new train drivers’ and staff centre which has been built by the sidings, with a crossing built for safe access.

Developers claim more than 100 Barnet residents have been employed on the project, with 20% of the workforce from Barnet and neighbouring Brent and Camden boroughs.

Yes, but what does it look like from the air?

This drone footage was taken as the station was nearing completion:

Who built it?

Brent Cross West is being built by a Barnet Council-led development partnership, in association with Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to serve the fast-growing area of Northwest London.