London’s newest station, Meridian Water in Enfield, opened this week, marking a significant step forward at the heart of a £6bn development of the area being led by Enfield Council which will see 10,000 new homes and the creation of thousands of jobs. 

The new station replaces the existing Angel Road station, providing improved accessibility for passengers with stairs and lifts providing step-free access across the railway and to the enclosed concourse.

The station is part of the Lee Valley rail programme and has been delivered by Network Rail and its principal contractor, VolkerFitzpatrick. A package of upgrades to this part of the West Anglia line that runs from Stratford to Meridian Water, include:

• 5.5km of new track to enable two more trains per hour to run between Stratford and Meridian Water from this September.
• Improvements at Tottenham Hale station including a new platform and a new accessible footbridge with lifts and an escalator, reducing congestion around the station.
• Upgrades at Northumberland Park station, including building an additional platform and new step-free footbridge across the railway for passengers and the community.
• Refurbishing or replacing several rail bridges, upgrading signals, installing power cables and additional overhead power lines.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “By working closely with Enfield Council and Network Rail, we have provided significant investment to improve this vital rail link, which will allow more people access to the railway and facilitate the council’s plans to increase housing in the area.”

Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor of London for Transport, said: “The Lee Valley rail programme is an excellent example of how investing in transport directly supports regeneration and growth. I’m delighted that the GLA and TfL have worked alongside Network Rail and other organisations to fund this important improvement to the West Anglia line, including the new Meridian Water station.”

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “The delivery of the Lee Valley Rail Programme is the culmination of years of hard work. This collaborative programme shows how the rail industry can work together with external partners to fund and deliver rail upgrades that will not only benefit passengers by improving their travelling experience but also benefit the communities where they live through regeneration.”