Crossrail has unveiled striking new designs for Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station, one of the biggest stations on the Crossrail route.

The updated designs not only provide Londoners with a first glimpse of the new station but also an indication of the scale of the station's eventual size. The new Crossrail station will be integrated with the Tube station to form a combined station that will stretch from Soho to Centre Point.

Over the last year Crossrail architects Hawkins Brown have been busy finalising the design for the new Crossrail station which will transform the daily commute for passengers when Crossrail opens, provide additional access to the West End and act as a trigger for further regeneration in the surrounding area. A planning application containing the updated Crossrail designs will shortly be submitted to Westminster City Council for consideration with a final decision expected later this year. Further updated design images for other key Crossrail stations will be unveiled this autumn.

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Crossrail will cut journey times from the West End to many destinations. Paddington will be just 5 minutes away, Ealing Broadway 15 minutes, Heathrow 30 minutes, Canary Wharf 12 minutes and Ilford 23 minutes. The Crossrail service at Tottenham Court Road will be 24 trains per hour in each direction during the peak.

When Crossrail opens Tottenham Court Road will be one of the most important transport hubs in the West End as it will serve both Crossrail and London Underground. The existing Tube station is being extensively redeveloped to make the ticket hall around six times larger and the station will have twice the capacity that it does now. The redeveloped Tube station will eventually connect with the new Crossrail station to form one integrated station. The combined Tube and Crossrail station will have two ticket halls - both entrances will provide access to Tube and Crossrail services.

The new Crossrail station will be constructed on a site bound by Oxford Street to the north, Great Chapel Street to the west, Dean Street to the east and Diadem Court to the south. The station will be constructed with five levels with the ticket hall at street level; it is designed in such a way as to ensure the free flowing movement of passengers entering and exiting the station, thus reducing congestion and crowding. The new Crossrail station will also benefit from step-free access.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said: "Crossrail is an exciting project which will boost rail capacity in London by 10 per cent, revolutionise travel around London and the South East and benefit both business and passengers."

In total, £1bn is being spent to build a new Crossrail station, upgrade the capacity of the Tube station and create a new piazza outside Centre Point. The transport improvements will also provide better facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, bus passengers and other road users.

(CD/GK)