Old Oak Common redesign delivers level boarding for Elizabeth line passengers

Elizabeth line passengers using HS2's Old Oak Common station will benefit from level boarding after a revised design was agreed for four of the station's conventional rail platforms.

Platforms 5 to 8 will be built at a height optimised for Elizabeth line trains, reducing the vertical step and horizontal gap between the train and platform. The change means many passengers with reduced mobility will be able to board independently without using a ramp or requiring staff assistance. The solution follows technical and operational work between HS2, Network Rail, Transport for London and the Department for Transport, alongside consultation with accessibility groups and train operators.

Old Oak Common will become the 42nd station on the Elizabeth line and is planned as one of the UK's largest rail interchanges, providing connections to more than 100 destinations. Under the previous design, the Elizabeth line platforms would have followed the standard national platform height, meaning ramps would have been required to provide step-free boarding.

The revised arrangement required an exemption from the normal platform height requirements. This has now been approved, allowing platforms 5 to 8 to be configured specifically around Elizabeth line rolling stock while continuing to meet applicable accessibility standards. The engineering solution involves lowering the tracks through the station and replacing conventional ballasted track with solid concrete slab track.

Using slab track provides tighter control over the final rail level and geometry, an important consideration where the interface between platform and train has to be kept within a narrow tolerance. It also allows the track structure to be integrated more precisely with the station's permanent works. The platforms will still need to accommodate other passenger and freight services, maintaining operational flexibility. Level boarding will therefore apply when Elizabeth line trains use their normal designated platforms.

The change is particularly important because Elizabeth line passengers are expected to account for around 90% of interchanges at Old Oak Common. The station's six underground high-speed platforms will also be step-free, creating a continuous accessible route between street level, the Elizabeth line and future HS2 services.

Construction of the six underground HS2 platforms has now been completed. Work is moving onto the eight conventional platforms at ground level, which will serve the Elizabeth line, Great Western Main Line and Heathrow Express. The adjustment shows how relatively small changes in track level and platform geometry can have a significant effect on how passengers experience a major station. Rather than treating accessibility as an operational issue to be managed later with ramps and assistance, it is being incorporated directly into the permanent railway infrastructure.

Old Oak Common is also expected to become a major catalyst for regeneration in west London, with previous studies estimating that the station could support more than 22,000 homes and almost 19,000 jobs in the surrounding area.