New Bakerloo line ticket hall opened by Transport for London at Paddington

It may have some of the oldest trains rumbling around in the country at 52 years old but the Bakerloo has brand new step free access thanks to a new ticket hall at Paddington.

The ticket hall has been opened by Transport for London and part of a new development providing access to the Bakerloo, Circle and District line.

The enlarged ticket hall is more than three times the size of the old while ticket gates have increased from five to 11.

Dull façade. Taken during construction

Paddington Square is an 18-floor box featuring 30 retail units sitting beside the station on what was a Royal Mail depot. TfL’s press release tries to extol virtues but it’s not the best building, though public space at street level is welcome.

It’s all a bit lumpen and squat and is the awkward compromise reached after a taller building was axed.

London Bridge designs seen on right

Renzo Piano designed the block as he had with those beside London Bridge station.

He can do a cracking tower (the shard) but the mid-rise blocks both at London Bridge and Paddington are all a little dull and stumpy.

I mean it’s not terrible, but just leaves you with a sense to shrug. Meh.

Paddington Elizabeth line station

Paddington improvements

Back to the Bakerloo line ticket hall and it’s impressive how much better Paddington now is to travel through. I used to do so weekly using the tube and train.

Since then the Elizabeth line has arrived which means I don’t take the tube much anymore given the Liz line is excellent, but if I did at least there’s a better and less cramped ticket hall to use.

Courtesy Transport for London. New ticket hall

And then if heading out west trains are now a fair bit quicker since electrification of the line to Cardiff.

So while sometimes progress can seem slow at transport projects, thinking back to all those trips to and through Paddington and beyond it’s nice to think just how much better it now is.

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J Smith

I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

    One thought on “New Bakerloo line ticket hall opened by Transport for London at Paddington

    • The News building at London Bridge is the glass version of the ctrl+c/v brick flats that constity most modern living. The run past Deptford railway station is so bland that you almost feel like you’re in a computer game, with a single pattern copied over and over to give the illusion of a background. Mind you, at least the pedway system never came to pass…

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