There are too few passengers to justify building a second entrance at Woolwich’s Elizabeth Line station, despite complaints about crowding, Greenwich Council’s planning officers have concluded.
Problems with crowds on the platforms are down to too many people choosing to get off trains close to the escalators, they said in a report to councillors.
A second entrance for the station has been ruled out of plans to build 575 new homes on top of the eastern end of the station, which opened three years ago. Some 138 homes will be for social rent with 49 for shared ownership.
The council’s planning board will meet next Tuesday to discuss the plans for Armourer’s Court, which include towers of up to 26 storeys. Officers have recommended approving the scheme.
An earlier version of the plans was approved in December 2022, just six months after the Elizabeth Line opened, but the scheme – from Berkeley Homes and Transport for London – has been altered following new fire safety rules.
The new version has two towers of 26 storeys rather than just one, extra floors on other buildings and 50 more homes. The towers would be the tallest in Woolwich.
A number of objections highlighted the lack of a second entrance to the station and the issues with crowding, which last year resulted in queueing trials in an attempt to resolve the problem.
But while Greenwich planners said the objections resulted in talks with TfL about the issue, they said the number of passengers using the station would not support a second entrance, and the new development would not generate enough journeys.
“Surveys were undertaken by TfL in late 2024,” a report to councillors said.”This took into account PM peak travel between 4pm to 7pm. This suggested between 8,600 and 9,600 alighters between 1600 and 1900, whilst the Woolwich station forecasts used to support the design and construction assumed a figure of 11,000 for 2026 + 28 per cent. it has been advised that station usage would be less than that forecast for the station design.
“The forecasts also identified no capacity issues, but when there was service disruption this would be up to a minute of queuing in peak travel hours and this was driven by passenger movement.”
The report – which did not appear to have been proof-read – claimed that 75 per cent of passengers left trains from the front four carriages, although this appears to be an error as trains from central London arrive with their rear cars closest to the escalators.
It added that 50 per cent of passengers at Woolwich leave trains from the two carriages closest to the escalators, compared with the 38 per cent assumed in modelling.
Woolwich station was not part of the original plans for Crossrail, with neither central nor London government supporting a station. In the end, Greenwich Council and Berkeley Homes had to pay for basic works to enable a station to be built, with Greenwich finally paying its £15 million share of the bill last year.
That prevarication by Westminster and City Hall has had lasting side-effects, with no provision made for a second entrance at what is now the 33rd most-used mainline station in Great Britain.
With more developments coming to the areas of Woolwich and Plumstead closest to the station, Greenwich Council told The Greenwich Wire in June that it would support plans for a second entrance if TfL brought them forward.
But the station is now likely to remain with only one entrance and an emergency exit, which will emerge in Armourer’s Court.
Greenwich’s planning board will discuss the Armourer’s Court plans next Tuesday.
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