Thameslink finishes station bang on time

Thameslink has finished the £1.5m extension of Elstree & Borehamwood station, right on schedule.

Contractors HA Marks have left site having successfully extended the station, first forwards, and now sideways, to ease rush hour congestion and improve facilities.

All that remains is for Costa Coffee to fit out the side extension, which will be accessible from both the station and Platform 1.

The scheme, which began in November, has doubled the size of the concourse, creating space for another two ticket gates.

The ticket office has been rebuilt and reconfigured so that queuing passengers do not block others passing through.

There are also bigger male and female toilets and, for the first time, an accessible toilet.

There are now three ticket machines inside the new concourse and another two outside.

Nisa convenience store has stayed open throughout and is now 50% larger.

Thameslink station manager Marc Asamoah said: “This has been a fabulously well-run project which has given the passengers of Elstree & Borehamwood the station they have always deserved. We’re delighted with the end result.”

Contracts Manager at HA Marks, Innocent Obiekwe has had up to 28 people working on the site at any one time.

He has hit every milestone in the often-difficult project.

“One of the greatest challenges was the condition of the ground we were digging up. This used to be a railway sidings and there were all sorts of things buried there, such as abandoned railway sleepers, concrete structures and track.

“We also had to keep the station operating while we did all this work as well as maintain access to Nisa.”

Karl White, joint manager at Nisa, (pictured below serving a customer), says the convenience store has doubled in size and reopened after a short refit on 23 April. “The station is a lot better, there’s much more room. People like it.” 

Innocent is particularly going to miss the project because the station staff have been so welcoming. They even gave them a card and some chocolates as the team prepared to leave. Innocent said: “They have been fantastic — very, very supportive and cooperative. They were part of the team!”

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