£35m 'flat pack' Crossrail station takes shape in Sheffield

A £35 million “flatpack” station for Crossrail is being built hundreds of miles from London in a first for the rail industry.

The new station for Custom House is taking shape in a factory near Sheffield, pictured left, before being transported to London for assembly in 2015.

Crossrail chiefs say this will save time and money and minimise disruption for residents near the new line.

Built by Laing O’Rourke, the station will serve ExCel London and intersect the Docklands Light Railway line.

Terry Morgan, Crossrail chairman, said: “The construction of Custom House station is a perfect example of how a pound invested in London’s infrastructure delivers economic benefit to the rest of the UK, in this case securing skilled manufacturing jobs in the East Midlands.”

Roger Robinson, CEO Europe for Laing O’Rourke said: “Digital engineering has allowed us to design the station virtually before feeding the specifications directly to our manufacturing facility at Steetley where the major structural components are manufactured and pre-assembled in a controlled factory environment.

“Transporting them to London for assembly on site minimises site traffic volumes and general disruption to the local community, as well as reducing pollution and waste levels.”

The Crossrail station is being built on the site of the former North London line station and will include a new ticket hall, an interchange with the DLR and step-free access between the platforms and street level.

When Crossrail opens, up to 12 trains an hour will link Custom House with central London and beyond, improving access between the Royal Docks and London’s key employment areas.

The journey between Custom House and Bond Street will be about 10 minutes quicker and passengers travelling to and from Heathrow should shave about 35 minutes off their journey.