Proposals to upgrade the various West Hampstead stations into a major transport hub are again on the agenda. First Capital Connect, the operator of the Thameslink line, presented plans this week.
It seems the idea of converting the stations into a single interchange has been dropped. Instead, there would be new stations for the Thameslink and Overground lines, the pavement along West End Lane between the two would be widened and there would be commercial development around West End Lane and Iverson Road to finance the plans.
A contributor to Cityneighbours, Marcia, says the meeting was told that Mayor Ken Livingstone and Transport for London are planning a significant expansion of the capacity of the West Hampstead stations:
When someone asked about the effect this will have on the underground, we were told Jubilee Line is increasing capacity by 40 per cent and, like it or not, West Hampstead is being developed as a major transport hub - but without the single station that it requires to be a proper interchange. We also heard that Livingstone has designated West Hampstead an area for high density housing by 2025 - with lots of tower blocks - because of its excellent transport links.
So one of the issues that could be decided in the forthcoming London Mayoral election is whether West Hampstead faces a high rise future, with many more shops and offices around West End Lane and dramatic population growth.
