Transport for London is opening the railway arches at Wood Lane
Transport for London (TfL) is opening up the railway arches at Wood Lane.
The 31 railway arches in west London, currently unused, will be transformed into commercial and retail space. There will also be new pedestrian passageways under the arches and new bicycle parking places.
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TfL is planning to convert the arches in two building phases, with 19 arches set to open in early 2018 and 12 opening in the early 2020s. However, the project is still subject to planning approval from the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Located on the Hammersmith and City viaduct at Wood Lane tube station, the arches are in an area undergoing a considerable amount of development. Nearby, the Westfield shopping centre is being extended and 2,500 new homes are being built, along with offices, restaurants and shops.
The arches are located at the Hammersmith and Fulham viaduct (Source: TfL)
Graeme Craig, TfL Commercial Development Director, said: “Opening the arches at Wood Lane will truly transform the area – supporting ongoing regeneration with new locations for small and independent businesses and improving pedestrian connectivity.
"These are the first of a number of arches that we are looking to develop to help us raise vital revenue to reinvest in the transport network.”
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Duncan Bower, Development Director for Westfield, said: “Westfield very much welcomes TfL’s project to activate the Hammersmith and City Line arches with new and exciting uses which will complement our expansion at Westfield London. We are looking forward to working closely with TfL in order to ensure their successful and timely delivery in 2018.”
The arches will be transformed into shops and walkways (Source: TfL)