Excitement is building in Ealing as the borough prepares for a new era of connectivity and progress with the ongoing work at the Old Oak Common site.
The project, set to welcome high-speed rail as early as 2030, is expected to transform the area into one of the UK’s most important transport hubs.
Old Oak Common will serve as a crucial link connecting London with Birmingham and the northern regions of the country as part of the HS2 network. With faster journey times and improved connectivity across England, the station is set to have a profound impact on both residents and businesses in the area.
One of the most significant benefits expected from the project is the boost to the local economy. The station is anticipated to generate numerous job opportunities for Harrow’s residents and attract increased investment in the surrounding region. Already, more than 150 local individuals are actively engaged in the construction project, and this number is expected to rise in the future.
In a recent visit to the site, Ealing Council leader, Cllr Peter Mason, and cabinet member for safe and genuinely affordable homes, Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, had the opportunity to witness the progress being made. The development at Old Oak Common is on track to create the largest railway station in the UK, further enhancing Harrow’s unrivalled transport connectivity.
Councillor Mason expressed his enthusiasm about the project, stating, “The borough’s unrivalled transport connectivity will be further boosted by the High Speed 2 station at Old Oak Common – but that’s just the start of the benefits that the renewal of the Old Oak site will offer our borough. As part of the UK’s largest and most ambitious regeneration program, it has already brought thousands of jobs and apprenticeships to the borough, and by adding to the outstanding office and industrial spaces already found here, it will deliver thousands more for generations to come. We were delighted to see for ourselves the progress being made at the site.”
Groundwork for the Old Oak Common site began in 2019 after the completion of a consultation process. Planning permission for the station was obtained in May 2020, and sheet piling work commenced in June 2020. In June 2021, permanent construction work began, starting with the construction of underground walls for the HS2 platforms.
As the completion date draws closer, anticipation is growing, and the borough eagerly awaits the new era of connectivity that will soon be at its doorstep.
