Mayor of London visits new accessible ticket hall at Bank Underground station, as its major £700m upgrade completes

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visited the new ticket hall at Bank Underground station today (Monday 27 February), marking the completion of its major £700m upgrade. The new entrance on Cannon Street gives customers easy access - via six new escalators - to the Northern line and DLR. It also includes two new lifts which provide step-free access to the Northern line for the first time, and improved access to the DLR. 

Bank station now has 40 per cent greater capacity as a result of the major upgrade, with the opening of the new ticket hall on Cannon Street being the final milestone in this hugely complex construction project which started in 2016. As a result of the upgrade, Bank station now has: 

• A new, spacious southbound Northern line platform and concourse (opened in May 2022) 
• A new, more direct interchange route between the Northern line and DLR with three new escalators, shaving up to nine minutes off the journeys of those interchanging between these two lines (opened in October 2022) 
• A new, quicker interchange route between the Northern and Central lines, with the opening of two new 100-metre moving walkways and three new escalators (opened in October 2022) 

• A new station entrance - including two lifts - on Walbrook, at the Bloomberg building, giving easier access to the Waterloo & City line (opened in November 2018) 

At the peak of construction, around 550 people worked on the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project each day, and 38 apprenticeships were completed during the lifetime of the project. More than 1,000 metres of new tunnels were dug, including the new southbound Northern line running tunnel and the pedestrian tunnel which houses the two new moving walkways between the Northern and Central lines. The work was often intricate, with great care being taken to avoid disrupting any of the 31 listed buildings which surround the site. 

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: "These extensive works have transformed Bank station into a world-class station, fit to serve a financial district of international renown. Londoners can now benefit from a station with 40 per cent increased capacity, a brand-new entrance on Cannon Street and two new lifts which will deliver step-free access to the Northern Line for the first time.  

"London's Tube network is key to the capital's wider economic recovery. These updates to Bank station are just one of the ways I am continually improving London's transport network to build a safer, more accessible and more prosperous city for all Londoners." 

Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, said: "The completion of this major upgrade of one of the Tube network's busiest interchanges is a hugely important moment for the Square Mile, which is now served by a modern, accessible station with vastly improved capacity. Customers have already told us how the new interchanges are making their journeys quicker and easier, and the new entrance on Cannon Street is set to further improve the passenger experience. It's a great reminder of how investment in our Tube network, which celebrates its 160th birthday this year, supports the growth and success of the capital and wider country, and is playing a pivotal role in helping London continue to recover from the pandemic." 

Served by five Underground lines and the DLR, Bank and Monument together are one of the busiest interchange stations on the Tube network. Transport for London (TfL) estimates that more than 100,000 interchanges are made at the station on a typical weekday as customers change between lines, and around 145,000 entry and exits are made at the ticket gates. Following the completion of the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade, the two stations now have five ticket halls, nine lifts and 10 platforms. In addition, Bank station now has 31 escalators, the largest number of any station on the Tube network. 

Weekday Tube ridership has grown to around 75-80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels with at least three million journeys now being made on the Tube each weekday. Tube ridership at stations defined as 'City' stations - including Bank - is now at around 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, up from around 33 per cent at the start of 2022. Weekend Tube ridership is now increasingly approaching pre-pandemic levels, with key tourist stations in central London now beginning to exceed pre-pandemic levels at certain times on Saturdays. 

The City of London Corporation, Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: "I'm delighted to see the major upgrade of Bank station is now complete with the opening of the Cannon Street station entrance. 

"These upgrades will provide further step-free access, deliver 40% more capacity and shorten Londoners overall commuting time. 

"With the number of passengers, footfall and demand steadily returning to the City, continued investment into our public transport will be crucial for the Square Mile's and London's economic growth." 

Wayfinding at Bank station has also been improved to make it easier and more intuitive to navigate around the station. Improvements include installing new signage and contrast cladding between interchange corridors and platforms. A new platform hump has been installed on the northbound Northern line platform and the newly constructed southbound Northern line platform has been raised to provide level access between the train and the platform. 

London Underground has made a huge impact on the capital since it opened in 1863, connecting people and places, playing a role in revitalising areas of London and helping people enjoy everything the capital has to offer. It is extremely important that we continue to invest in London Underground to ensure that it can continue to support London for the next 160 years. TfL is completing the new signalling on the Metropolitan, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines and investing in new trains on the Piccadilly line, but there is more to do.  The completion of the Elizabeth line and now Bank station upgrade show the huge power of transport investment to support new jobs, homes and economic growth, and TfL is looking to replace some of the other fleets that are now getting old, and is in active discussions with the Government about this.

Notes to editors

Video footage showing the construction work involved in the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade is available here: BSCU construction 

Video footage showing footage of customers using the new interchanges, Northern line concourse and platform is available here: Bank station contemporary 

Timeline of Bank Station Capacity Upgrade (BSCU) works: 

• September 2014 - apply for Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) 
• December 2015 - TWAO granted 
• April 2016 - Construction work starts on site 
• May 2017 - Tunnelling work starts to create a new southbound running tunnel for the Northern line, three new escalator barrels and a new link tunnel connecting the Northern and Central lines 
• November 2018 - New station entrance opens - including two lifts - on Walbrook, at the Bloomberg building, giving easier access to the Waterloo & City line  
• March to May 2020 - Work at the site stops temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic, in line with Government advice 
• October 2020 - Tunnelling work finishes at the Bank construction site 
• 15 January to 15 May 2022 - Planned closure of the Bank branch of the Northern line to enable essential works to be completed 
• 16 May 2022 - New southbound Northern line platform and customer concourse opens  
• October 2022 - New, more direct interchange routes open between the Northern line and DLR (three new escalators), and the Northern and Central lines (three new escalators, two new 100-metre moving walkways) 
• 27 February 2023 - BSCU project completes with the opening of a new, street-level entrance on Cannon Street with two new lifts giving step-free access to the Northern line for the first time, and improved access to the DLR 

The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project has received 22 awards, covering areas such as Safety, Health and Environment, Engineering (including the prestigious Fleming Award in 2020) and project management. 

The BSCU is also enabling the creation of a new commercial development, which will help TfL generate revenue to reinvest in the transport network. Located above the new station entrance on Cannon Street, the eight-storey development will include both office and retail space, measuring around 140,000 sq. ft. (Net Internal Area), external terraces on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors and a green roof. The building will be constructed on the basis of Net Zero Carbon and, collaborating with future tenants, will target a rating of BREEAM Outstanding and Platinum WELL v2 Core.