Crossrail has submitted proposals for a new station at Abbey Wood in southeast London to the London Borough of Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich for approval.

Crossrail represents a major step-change in public transport for the local area, and is the single biggest addition to the local rail network since the North Kent line was built in 1849. It will be a significant spur to regeneration in Abbey Wood, encouraging investment and development as well as supporting jobs and businesses in the local area.

The new two-level station will open in 2017 and will be built above two new dedicated Crossrail tracks and those used by North Kent services. The design includes:

• A bright, spacious concourse that leads directly onto a wide forecourt connecting the station to the Harrow Manorway dual carriageway which runs above the current station

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• Two new 'island' platforms for Crossrail and North Kent services

• Six lifts to help passengers get around the station and to provide step-free access to every platform

From 2018, a train every five minutes during the peak will allow residents to travel right through the capital without having to change trains. The journey from Abbey Wood to Canary Wharf and Bond Street will be around 20 minutes quicker and passengers travelling to Heathrow will be able to shave around 40 minutes off their journey.

Passengers using the station are predicted to almost treble within the next 15 years, with numbers during the morning peak expected to increase to over 10,000 by 2026.

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive said: "Crossrail will help to transform the local area, dramatically improving transport links, reducing congestion on existing rail services, providing a boost to the local economy and supporting wider regeneration in southeast London."

The existing station will be demolished and replaced by a temporary station by summer 2014, which will be located in the current station car park. In addition, two tracks for Crossrail services will be installed next to the existing North Kent lines and work will be carried out to raise and lengthen a number of bridges along the track so they can accommodate the overhead electric wires that will be used by Crossrail trains.

The work will be carried out by Network Rail, which is responsible for the delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network.