Network Rail Property has launched a consultation on new plans to transform Britain’s busiest station - London Liverpool Street.

It says a previous scheme, submitted in 2023, generated “significant objection” from heritage organisations.

Having gone back to the drawing board, new plans will now provide “significant improvements to public infrastructure” but also protect the station’s heritage setting.

A new office building on top of the station concourse will generate money to pay for these improvements.

London Liverpool Street station is a major transport hub connecting more than 100 million people a year within London and the south-east, with passengers forecast to grow to more than 140 million a year by 2050.

The new project will focus on:

• Increasing the size of the concourse to ease congestion
• Step-free access across the station and London Underground
• Delivering seven new lifts to make Network Rail platforms and the London Underground more accessible
• Increasing the number of escalators from four to eight to enable easier access to the trains
• More ticket barriers to reduce queuing
• New toilets, including family facilities on all levels of the station
• New landmark entrances on Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate and Exchange Square
• Additional waiting lounges
• Better signage throughout, making the busses easier to find
• More cycle storage with direct access to platforms
• More space for passengers inside the station
• A greater variety of cafes, restaurants and shops

Robin Dobson, group property director at Network Rail Property, said: “Investing in transport infrastructure is key to unlocking future economic growth.

“We’ve spent time talking and listening: our latest plans celebrate Victorian features including the original train shed and the Great Eastern Hotel.

“Network Rail Property is leading a new team with a new approach which will respect the station’s unique heritage - simple in design, embracing London’s mix of the old with the new.

“A new office building on top of the station concourse will generate the money to pay for these improvements.”

ACME is working with Network Rail Property to bring forward new proposals for Liverpool Street Station.

The new scheme is based on a thorough understanding of the operational needs of the station and its historic significance.

The original 1864 station and its 1991 reconfiguration are remarkable for their cathedral-like concourse and train shed, and the new concourse roof extends this language into the 21st century.

Friedrich Ludewig, founding director, at ACME, said: “We are delighted to be part of this monumental design challenge to create a world-class transport gateway in the City of London.

“Working with Network Rail Property, we are creating a transport hub that will work for the city and all Londoners.

“The 1990s saw a few stations such as Victoria, Cannon Street and Charing Cross compromised by Over-Station Development.

“At Liverpool Street, we will retain the sense of a tall and airy concourse, with a flexible workplace building above to fund the development of the station at street level.”

Network Rail will be consulting on the changes with passengers, local businesses, heritage groups and elected representatives and intends to submit a planning application within the next few months.

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