New railway station over budget...and undersized

A new rail station needs millions of pounds worth of extra work - because the platform is 18 inches too narrow.

The Shepherd's Bush station was built in preparation for the massive shopping complex Westfield London, which will open next year.

The work cost £12 million but only when it was finished did developer Westfield realise the station would be unable to cope with the anticipated volume of passengers.

Lampposts had been installed and signs put up before it was discovered the width of the platform posed a safety risk.

Now a wall will have to be knocked down so the western platform can be widened - at a cost to the developer of another £7 million.

A source close to the development claimed planners had not taken into account the number of passengers changing between the mainline station and the Tube.

Workers also built the eastern platform wall in the wrong place.

The blunders have angered passengers on the route, which links Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction. Mark Balaam, chairman of the West London Line Group, said: "We are astounded at the delay in opening what is a straightforward station when passengers are already crying out to use it. We do not understand how any station is allowed to be completed with insufficient space for passengers so that it cannot be used.

"Maps have shown for many years the extensive Tube and rail connections that Shepherd's Bush will now have, allowing it to mirror, to a large extent, the Stratford interchange in east London.

"Our hope is that the Mayor will arrange for Transport for London to open this station as soon as possible, ideally within the first few weeks of the start of the new London Overground network next month.

"This station will provide significant improvements to public transport in an area where they are particularly needed."

A spokesman for Westfield Shopping Town said: "We are working with Network Rail to resolve the situation and are confident that we will be able to do so."

Although the station was designed and funded by Westfield, Capita Symonds was employed as project manager. It liaised with Network Rail, the train operating companies and other stakeholders and provided an on-site engineer to supervise the construction work. The company refused to comment.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "On any project of this size, it is sometimes necessary to revisit original designs and in this case it has been necessary to carry out further work to look at the projected numbers of passengers using the station and redesigning the platforms accordingly.

"We are working with the developer to address the situation in order to see the station in use as soon as possible."

Westfield London, which will be spread over three floors, will have boutiques, more than 40 restaurants, dozens of cafés and bars, a 14-screen cinema complex, an atrium for the arts, a medical centre, a spa and a citizens advice bureau. There are also plans for 200 affordable homes, an overhaul of Shepherd's Bush Green and a £170million upgrade of local transport links.

About 60 per cent of the tenancies for the shopping centre have already been exchanged or agreed.