A NEW entrance to Ilford station facing onto Cranbrook Road opened on September 1, as part of an upgrade for Elizabeth Line (EL) passengers. It includes a spacious new ticket hall, an improved gateline to ease passenger flow and longer platforms. Three new lifts provide stepfree access to all platforms for the first time ever since the station’s opening in 1839.
The completion of the Ilford scheme means all major station upgrade work by Network Rail for the Crossrail project in east and west London is ready for the start of full EL operations from November 6. From that date, services will connect Reading and Heathrow through to Abbey Wood and from Shenfield through to Paddington, with 22 trains per hour during the peak and 16 trains per hour off-peak.