Inside Britain’s newest railway station so big 1,000 builders are working on it

Builders working on OOC (Image: Adam Toms/MyLondon) When the Elizabeth Line launched in 2022, it marked Britain’s first new underground line since the Jubilee Line was opened in 1979. Named after the late Queen Elizabeth II , it marked a new era in underground travel for Londoners. However, not all of the line is finished. In the outskirts of London , thousands of builders are working away on part of that line. The project is a brand-new railway station that will act as a hub to link Great Western Rail (GWR) services to London, Birmingham , Manchester , and Scotland. New photos have emerged which show a station where passengers will be able to board both the Elizabeth Line and the Heathrow Express. The OOC site (Image: AdamToms/MyLondon) The people behind the new station say it will transform how people enter and exit the UK’s capital. The station, named Old Oak Common (OOC) is due to open between 2029 and 2033 and around a quarter of a million people are expected to use it every day. Once everything is finished, around 16 trains will pass through the station every hour. Before this happens, tunnel boring machines will be stored under the site before they dig tunnels to Euston. According to officials, OOC will be two stations in one. Building work at OOC (Image: AdamToms/MyLondon) The station will have eight underground HS2 platforms on the north side and eight above-ground for the Elizabeth Line and GWR on the south side. The project is so big that around 1,000 workers are on the site every single day. Together they dig out around 700,000 metres of clay from the ground to create a huge space through which trains will enter the underground side of the station. This dirt is then taken to places around the country. In Kent, it is being used to create new habitats for birds. One of the platforms at OOC (Image: AdamToms/MyLondon) In addition to becoming a new railway hub, the OOC will hope to boost local communities too. Developments are expected in nearby Acton and TfL is planning an orbital railway line to connect the Central Line and Overground in West London . Officials said: “The West London Orbital service would use existing rail lines, including the Dudding Hill line – this is currently used for freight services only. “The scheme would provide new stations on the Dudding Hill line, as well as additional platforms and facilities at other existing stations along the route.”