The construction of the new Brent Cross West station on the Thameslink line in north London reached a new milestone this week when the external signs were installed, signalling the future opening of the station, which is expected in autumn this year.

The new is being built about halfway between Cricklewood and Hendon stations and is tied in with a large housing development taking place in the area. When it opens, it will connect passengers from central London to Brent Cross in as little as 12 minutes, with up to eight Thameslink services an hour at peak times.

The new station will also be able to accommodate the planned West London Orbital (WLO) railway in the future, if that railway upgrade goes ahead. Brent Cross West station includes provisions for bike storage and a new transport interchange is also under construction with three bus routes proposed to stop directly outside the station.

The station will also connect the areas of Brent and Barnet via a new overbridge, which will be free to access. A 150-year landmark, it will provide the first pedestrian and cycle access across this stretch of the Midland Main Line since it was first built in the 19th century.

The Brent Cross West station programme is being led by Barnet Council, built by VolkerFitzpatrick, and project managed by Mace, with Network Rail a key programme partner.

It had been expected to open late last year, but that was pushed back to this Autumn, with an official opening date to be announced this summer.

Mike Evans, Operations Director for VolkerFitzpatrick, commented: “This is an exciting moment for us to step back and reflect on this substantial and structurally complex build. I want to thank everyone who has been involved with the building of this station – they’ve worked incredibly hard to bring it to this point. It’s a real achievement and has taken great planning, close collaboration, and robust processes to safely coordinate around the existing railway infrastructure.”

The station is also part of a wider regeneration of the area, which will see the shopping centre being doubled in size, plus around 7,400 additional homes being built on the land around the area, which is currently a mix of light industrial and residential.