Is Crossrail 2 coming to Kensington?

Bosses of organisations around West London, including Imperial College Union’s managing director, have signed an open letter to the Evening Standard announcing their support for a Crossrail station on the King’s Road.

The proposed station would be part of the £30 billion infrastructure project by Transport for London and Network Rail that would open in 2030 and provide new links between Surrey and Hertfordshire, passing through several stations in London.

The support was provided through a letter to the London Evening Standard which was also sent to London Mayor, Boris Johnson.

The signatories’ letter says that the north-south link would provide Kensington and Chelsea with the “integration with the wider London public transport system, especially the Underground” which they say it currently lacks.

The 46 signatories were cultural, business and health chiefs including the chief executive of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the chair of Harrods, and the director of the Natural History Museum. The signatories claimed that the project would “safeguard the area’s status as a world-leading cultural hub and location for pioneering medical, research and educational establishments”.

The current plans involve building the station opposite Chelsea’s Old Town Hall on the King’s Road. A campaign opposing the proposal is being led by some famous local residents including The Good Life actor Felicity Kendal and Made In Chelsea stars Georgia Toffolo and Hugo Taylor.

The proposals are currently part of the wider consultation on Crossrail 2 led by TfL who recently reported 19,000 responses, which are currently being analysed. The project has previously met with criticism when Soho’s Curzon Cinema was earmarked for demolition to build a Crossrail station’s ticket hall.

“A number of suggestions and alternative proposals have been put forward and will be considered” announced Michèle Dix TfL’s managing director for Crossrail 2. The results will be published in Spring.