London Bridge Station: more details of redevelopment proposals

The company hosted a public exhibition on the station concourse last week and held a briefing for local residents at a meeting of the Bermondsey Village Action Group.

The first images of the new station, designed by Grimshaw, were published last month but now some of the implications of the development are becoming known.

The creation of a new ground-level concourse will have a major impact on the surrounding area, including the demolition of the South Eastern Railway building on Tooley Street and the closure to traffic of the Weston Street and Stainer Street tunnels.

The Weston Street tunnel – which is currently closed for Network Rail survey works – will disappear completely and be subsumed into the new concourse.

Although much has been made of the new 70 metre by 150 metre concourse, plans show that more than half of it will be behind the ticket barriers so public circulation space will be more limited.

Stainer Street will be retained as a separate entity but will become a pedestrian-only route. It will remain open 24 hours a day, even when the station is closed.

Network Rail is still in discussion with Transport for London about the implications of the closure of the two road tunnels for the wider road network.

Chris Drabble, Network Rail's senior sponsor for the London Bridge project, told the BVAG meeting that the rail infrastructure company had successfully persuaded the Department for Transport to pay for canopies that extend the full length of every platform at the station, meaning that no passenger should have to stand in the rain.

The rebuilt station will be 10 metres longer from end to end than the height of the Shard.

Drabble also revealed early plans to transform the car park at the top of Bermondsey Street into an 'area of tranquility' for passengers at the station.

Some of the details of temporary changes to train services during the rebuilding work have also been revealed. First Capital Connect's Thameslink trains are likely to be diverted via Elephant & Castle. Southern and Southeastern trains will also be affected by the construction works.

Network Rail plans to submit a planning application to Southwark Council at the end of June and a decision is expected in the autumn.

If permission is granted, work will start in 2013 and the completed station should be ready in 2018.

• This week Chris Drabble will give a presentation on plans for London Bridge at a meeting of the London TravelWatch watchdog group. The meeting on Tuesday morning is open to the public.