Features

The DLR will have a new stop at Langdon Park in Poplar and First Capital Connect trains will be using a new station within St Pancras International. But where else in London needs a new station? Send us an email with your suggestions!

Artist's impresson of Langdon Park

Langdon Park

The Stratford to Poplar branch of the Docklands Light Railway gains an extra station, Langdon Park, situated between All Saints and Devons Road. The station will be opened on Monday morning by the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone.

This new station gives improved access to the DLR for local residents in the area, plugging a gap on one of the longest stretches of line on the network.

Langdon Park DLR

• Construction on the station began in April this year, and it cost £10.5 million.
• About 5,000 people a day are expected to use Langdon Park Station.
• 65% of local residents will be able to reach a local hospital within 30 minutes using the DLR, compared to 11% before.

First Capital Connect

The First Capital Connect station at St Pancras International will also be officially opened today by the Transport Secretary, Ruth Kelly, with 100 invited guests.

First Capital Connect’s old home at Kings Cross Thameslink will become an Underground station only. The last train left Kings Cross Thameslink at 01:06 on Sunday 9th December.

Impression of First Capital Connect at St Pancras

First Capital Connect trains will have improved access for Eurostar passengers. The new station will also mean easier access for Tube lines serving King's Cross as well as mainline trains to the Midlands.

Where else?

Some parts of London can be more difficult to access by public transport than others. When the first phase of the East London Line extension opens in June 2010 Transport for London says that 20 of the 33 boroughs in the capital will be connected by the orbital London Overground rail network. They also claim that one in five Londoners will live within 15 minutes walk of an Overground station.

But are there still transport 'black-holes' in the capital? Where else in London could do with a station? Crouch End? Thamesmead?

Send us your suggestions for places in the capital that desperately need a train, Tube or DLR station.

Your Views

Absolute madness. It could not have been possible to have located the new First Capital Connect suburban commuter platforms A and B further away from the Victoria and Piccadilly lines.

First Capital Connect? It's a complete disconnect. This is a shambles straight out of the Heathrow book of horrors. Lost, congested commuters and wheelie case towing Gatwick and Luton travellers required to complete an horrendously long route march through a shopping mall.

Two steps are required. First, clear and unambiguous signage (resolving the FCC/Thameslink branding issue) and second, the immediate reopening of King's Cross Thameslink as an additional station to St Pancras International.

David Williams

Crouch End could do with a Tube and was at one stage planned to have a station on the Northern Line as was Muswell Hill.

Chris Denny

Referring to the recent opening of the new DLR station near poplar - great. Thats excellent that we have new stations opening.

What would be even better, is if the current stations and the train service providers could actually satisfy the current customer demands.

I commute everyday from Chafford Hundred to Canary Wharf - a journey that used to take me 45 minutes door to door. C2C used to have a peak service from Chafford Hundred that stopped at west ham. However, they have now revised the schedule to trains that either stop in Upminster or Barking, then straight to Fenchurch street. This means that those of us hundreds of Canary Wharf commuters need to stand on the freezing cold platforms and wait for our next train or use the District line. A journey that now takes an hour.

I have complained 3 times in the last year to C2C - they have never provided a positive response. I also asked them to provide recycling bins at the stations for news papers - to which they replied they had a lot to consider.

In addition to all this, they have yet again decided to raise fares. Now, I ask, in this day and age, how is it possible that companies that fail to meet customer expectations can raise fares? This is because the trains know they have a monopoly, and continue to take advantage of customers.

The answer isnt more train stations - it is to address current concerns, reduce fares, more seats. Why do I pay so much to stand for 1 hour, in a crammed carriage, after waiting on a freezing cold platform????

Tina Chugani