September 2011

POTENTIAL WEST BROMPTON STATION ENHANCEMENTS STAGE C REPORT - PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION

Originated by:

Neil Baker

Associate

Aedas Architects, 5-8 Hardwick Street, London, EC1R 4RG

Authorised by:

Tim Narey

Divisional Director

Aedas Architects, 5-8 Hardwick Street, London, EC1R 4RG

Document Number 002

Contribution to the document / Name Aedas Architects Ltd

Revision History Second Draft Issue

Document Title West Brompton Station Enhancement Study

Profession Architect

Date 10/09/2011

Revision 1

Location West Brompton Station

Executive Summary

CapCo has appointed Aedas to undertake a study of potential

enhancement opportunities at West Brompton station to RIBA

Stage C. The station is an important hub on the Wimbledon

branch of the District Line and the Overground West London Line

(WLL), serving Earls Court Exhibition Centre, as well as residents

and businesses in the surrounding area.

It is anticipated that with the redevelopment of the Earls Court

site there will be growth in usage of the station, and that

improvements may be considered to ensure a satisfactory level of

service for passengers leaving and arriving.

A dynamic passenger modelling assessment, carried out by

Halcrow, has identi#ed areas of the station that would bene#t

from capacity enhancement under current conditions, through

increasing the number of gates at the ticket hall, and the

widening of stairs and passageways.

Objectives

The objectives of this study are threefold:

1. To understand the potential to increase station capacity

relevant to passenger growth forecasts and assessment of the

proposed Earls Court Development ;

2. T o understand the potential for the provision of full step free

access between platforms and the ticket hall;

3. To understand the provision for improvements to the station’s

appearance through general refurbishment of the entrance and

ticket hall.

Each of the above objectives are to be considered while taking

into account the constraints associated with the station's Listed

Building status.

Over the course of the four week study, Aedas has reviewed the

existing record information for West Brompton station, together

with the dynamic modelling assessment, so as to develop

potential outline station enhancement options that meet the

above objectives.

Aedas has met with CapCo on to discuss the enhancement

options and to determine a preferred solution for the purpose of

presentation to consultees. Arup has been consulted with

regarding the structural feasibility of preferred option, and has

o$ered recommendations that have been recorded in this report.

Next Steps

The preferred station enhancement option developed in this

report represents a potential outline design based upon the

current information available. It is considered that the works to

construct the proposal can be carried out in a relatively short

timescale, subsequent to detailed design and approval of

proposals from all relevant parties, including English Heritage.

Dimensional information has been taken from historic record

drawings and localised site measurements. It is proposed that a

full topographic survey be carried out in the next stage of the

design to con#rm site dimensions and de-risk the programme of

works.

The record drawings and visual surveys have revealed that there

are no signi#cant services that will require diversion as a conse-

quence of the works. To con#rm this assumption it is proposed

that a services survey also be carried out in vicinity of the works

proposed within the ticket o%ce and historic train shed to the

rear of the ticket hall.

During the next stage of the design there are a number of

departments within TfL, London Underground and Network Rail

that it is proposed will be consulted with for approval of opera-

tional and technical aspects of the proposal.

It is also recommended that further consultation is undertaken

with Transport for London Equality and Inclusion to gain

assurance that the proposals are in accordance with current

station accessibility requirements.

Aedas has discussed the proposals with London Underground’s

Chief Lift Engineer and Accessibility and Inclusion Manager who

have o$ered technical advice regarding the passenger lift

solution, and have commented that they support the step-free

access proposal in principle.

As West Brompton Station is a Grade II listed structure, it will be

important to liaise with English Heritage through each stage of

the design process.

CONTENTS

1 CONTEXT 5

1.1 EXISTING STATION LAYOUT 6

1.2 PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS 8

1.3 DYNAMIC MODELLING 10

1.4 EXISTING FINISHES 11

2 CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT 13

2.1 EXISTING TICKET HALL 14

2.2 GATELINE OPTIONS 15

2.3 PREFERRED GATELINE OPTION 16

3 STEP FREE ACCESS 19

3.1 EXISTING PLATFORM ACCESS 20

3.2 OVERVIEW OF SFA OPTIONS 21

3.3 LIFT OPTION 1 23

3.4 LIFT OPTION 2A 24

3.5 LIFT OPTION 2B 25

3.7 PREFERRED LIFT OPTION 26

3.8 IMPACT ON EXISTING 28

3.9 DYNAMIC MODELLING 30

4 TICKET HALL REFURBISHMENT 33

4.1 EXTERNAL FINISHES 34

4.2 INTERNAL FINISHES 35

1 CONTEXT

WEST BROMPTON STATION ENHANCEMENTS STAGE C REPORT 5

1.1 Existing Station Layout

West Brompton Station is located on Old Brompton Road, directly

opposite Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The original building is

one of the oldest stations on the London Underground network,

having been constructed in the 1860s, and is widely regarded as

the best preserved example of a District Line station. The building

is protected with Grade II listed status by English Heritage due to

its historic importance.

The original station, designed by Sir John Fowler, opened in 1869

as an extension of the Metropolitan District Railway. A portion of

the building was demolished in 1928 as part of the sale of a plot

of land to the east of the station to the London Electricity board.

The station is built in the Victorian neo-classical style with white

Su$olk bricks and a slate pavilion roof.

To the rear of the building is an iron, timber and glass train shed

roof that was originally accessed through #ve round-headed

arches in the rear wall of the ticket hall. This train shed provides

cover over the north end of platforms 1 and 2 serving the District

Line. Immediately to the west of the station building, also

accessed through the train shed, are platforms 3 and 4 serving

the West London Line. The property to the east of the station is

owned and operated by EDF Energy as an electrical transformer

station with o%ces.

The station is accessed o$ of Old Brompton Road through two

narrow entrances into the ticket hall. The ticket hall has a compact

layout comprising one ticket issuing window, three automatic

gates and one manual wide aisle gate. To the right hand side of

the ticket hall is a ticket vending machine enclosure containing

one Multi-fare Machine (MFM) and one Few Fare Machine (FFM).

A Gateline Attendance Point (GLAP) sits between the gateline and

the ticketing suite. On the paid side of the gateline there is a small

excess fares window occupying a narrow space between the

GLAP and the rear wall of the ticket hall. It is worth noting that the

area of the ticketing suite is unusually larger than the public

concourse in the station building. The sta$ accommodation is

comprised of a separate Station Control Room and Ticket O%ce,

together with a locker room, station o%ce and two WCs. The suite

is accessed through a generous secure lobby with two entrances;

the #rst connects with the ticket hall by a door adjacent to the

ticket window, and the second accesses directly onto a platform

footbridge in the covered section of the platforms, known

historically as the train shed.

6 WEST BROMPTON STATION ENHANCEMENTS STAGE C REPORT

EDF ENERGY SITE

OL

D B

RO

MP

TO

N R

OA

D

STATION

ENTRANCE

HISTORIC TRAIN SHED /

COVERED AREA OF PLATFORMS

PLATFORM 1

PLATFORM 2

PLATFORM 3

PLATFORM 4

Passenger Lift

Passenger Lift

Existing Station Layout

EASTBOUND DISTRICT LINE

WESTBOUND DISTRICT LINE

SOUTHBOUND WEST LONDON LINE

NORTHBOUND WEST LONDON LINE

Ticket

Hall

(See page 14

for detail)

WEST BROMPTON STATION ENHANCEMENTS STAGE C REPORT 7

The structure covering platforms 1 and 2 is 66 ft (20.12m) long,

divided into six bays of brick arches, with a roof of nine bays of

segmental-headed iron trusses, supporting a wooden roof with a

central glazed lantern.

To the south end of the structure is a wooden framed gable-end

clad in vertical planks and supported on square wooden piers

and pilasters with moulded pendants. This angled roof is

considered a prototype for later stations on the District Line.

The ticket hall connects with the #rst of two platform footbridges

in the covered section through two of the original, round-headed

arches in the rear wall of the building.

The #rst footbridge connects with platforms 1 and 2 by a 1.4m

wide stair to each platform. Adjacent to the eastbound platform

stair is a ramp to a second footbridge that again connects with

platforms 1 and 2 by a wider, 2.1m stair to each.

The two footbridges have decorative balustrading, square newel

posts and mahogany handrails supported on decorated cast iron

columns. Their parapets include criss-crossed iron strap panels

that are considered one of the most important heritage features

of the building.

The second footbridge structure continues through an opening

in the historic train shed wall and connects with an external,

uncovered, modern bridge structure that spans over the West

London Line platforms. This bridge is connected with platforms 3

and 4 by a 1.5m wide stair and a passenger lift to each platform.

Platforms 2 and 3 (westbound District Line and southbound WLL)

e$ectively form an island platform, with a pailsade fence and gate

controlling access between the two. The passenger lift to

platform 3 is also accessible by passengers on platform 2, leaving

platform 1 the only area of the station without step-free access.

Existing Aerial View of West Brompton Station