Woolwich railway station is being built by Crossrail as part of the Crossrail rail project. Crossrail is jointly sponsored by the Department for Transport and Transport for London. The construction of a station at Woolwich was not proposed as part of the original Crossrail route. However, after talks between Greenwich London Borough Council and developer Berkeley Homes about the £162 million required for the station, the House of Commons Select Committee recognised its inclusion in March 2007.
Services
The opening of the new station will reduce the journey time from Woolwich to Canary Wharf, Bond Street and Heathrow stations to just eight minutes, 21 minutes and 47 minutes respectively. When the Elizabeth line begins operations, the new station located on the south-east section of the route will see up to 12 trains an hour during peak hours, connecting south-east London and the Royal Docks with Canary Wharf, central London and beyond. The closest existing station is Woolwich Arsenal. The station itself is separate and will not serve as a direct interchange with the DLR and local National Rail services which are located at nearby Woolwich Arsenal. However, all three services will be within a short walking distance of each other, in addition to the existing Thames Clipper service from Woolwich Arsenal Pier to central London.
Site
The station is being built on the south-east portion of the Crossrail line that ends at Abbey Wood, and is the penultimate station on this branch. The Woolwich redevelopment site at Royal Arsenal is a modern waterside housing and retail development area adjacent to the station. It is spread across approximately of land and is being developed by Berkeley Homes. The site is being developed with the construction of approximately 2,517 new homes, in addition to the 1,248 homes already built. The area also includes a new heritage quarter along with the Greenwich Heritage Centre and Royal Artillery Museum, as well as infrastructural developments such as retail stores, restaurants and cafes, offices, hotels and a cinema.
Design
The station box is long and below ground, and sits below a major housing development site. The station is built by Balfour Beatty after a design by Weston Williamson, Mott MacDonald and Arup Group. The station entrance in Dial Arch Square will feature a bronze-clad portal. Natural light will enter through the main entrance and ceiling into the ticket hall, whilst a connection to daylight is present below ground on the platforms. Set back from the main street and surrounded by a series of heritage listed buildings and a large retail unit, the station acts as a simple portal connecting all these elements together. The station entrance opens out on to Dial Arch Square, a green space, flanked by a series of Grade I and II listed buildings. In addition to enhancing the experience in and out of the station, the urban realm design also helps connect the station with the wider town centre. In addition to the station improvements, Crossrail has been working with the Royal Borough of Greenwich on proposals for improvements to the area around the station.
