The construction of London's new Crossrail rail link has been a feat of logistics and engineering in itself, but, with the project nearing 75 percent completion, focus has shifted towards the end result. The new trains were unveiled at the end of last year and, now, images of its new stations have been released.
It was announced earlier this year that the new line will be called the Elizabeth line when it opens, named after the UK's Queen. It will run from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east and will carry an estimated half a million passengers per day, reducing journey times, relieving congestion and improving accessibility on the tube network.
The newly-released images provide a look at the platforms, ticket halls and surface areas of some of the stations that will operate on the line in central and south-east London. The stations will provide step-free access from train-to-street and are designed to be easily navigable, with visual clutter kept to a minimum and clear lines of sight along platforms.
The designs are said to have been aimed at accentuating the "curved, sweeping passageways" created during construction and use common components such as seating, signage and the full-height screen doors that will separate the platforms from the tracks to create an aesthetic that is consistent with the rest of the Transport for London (TfL) network.
Despite this, Crossrail says that the stations have each also been designed to reflect the character of their surrounding areas. Paddington, it says, will echo the design of Brunel's existing terminus building and the new Farringdon station will take cues from the historic blacksmith and goldsmith trades of the local area, as well as from the architecture of the Barbican arts center. The stations were designed at the same time as the public realm and above-ground spaces stations to ensure their coherent integration into their local environments.
The station designs are on display in the free "Platform for Design" exhibition at the Royal Institute of British Architects until June 14th. The first stretch of the Elizabeth line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield is due to open in May next year, with full service on the line expected to begin running from December 2019.
The video below shows the naming ceremony and provides more information about the Elizabeth line.
Sources: Crossrail, Transport for London