High Speed 2 Limited, the company that is delivering the project for government, said the platforms will be built in two stages at the north London terminus in order to minimise disruption to existing travellers.
Six new high-speed platforms and a concourse will be built to the west of the station for the first stage of the project, which is intended to start running services between London and the Midlands in 2026. A further five platforms will then be constructed to support the expansion of the line to Leeds and Manchester in 2033.
The plans will be formally submitted to parliament next week and are also intended to help unlock the potential for regeneration at the site.
As well as the 11 high-speed platforms provided by the new plan, 11 platforms will remain in the current station to serve the existing network, down from the current 18. This will also create new space for shops, restaurants and cafes.
HS2 Ltd’s chief executive Simon Kirby said the proposals would allow Euston to fulfil its potential while a staged approach to building the high speed terminus means existing services can continue to operate.
“It’s time for Euston to change,” he said. “Not just if it is to fulfil its historic role as the gateway between London and much of the rest of the country, but also if it is to become a much bigger and fully accessible part of its own community.
“Just a stone’s throw away, we have seen how the stations at King’s Cross and St. Pancras have transformed the surrounding areas into vibrant and thriving locations. We must replicate and build on that commercial and architectural success. Now is the time for Euston to catch up with its neighbours to meet the requirements of the 21st century and beyond.”
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin added that HS2 offered a “once in a lifetime opportunity to revolutionise not just Euston station but a whole area at the heart of London”.
However, Camden Council’s response to the plans warned that it would bring more than a decade of blight to the station and did not include comprehensive regeneration.
It also highlighted that possible future developments, including the proposed Crossrail 2 line, had not been included in the plan.
The council’s Euston Area Plan showed how up to 3,800 homes, up to 14,100 new jobs and new open space could be achieved through comprehensive development at Euston with the HS2 tracks and existing tracks all on one level, council leader Sarah Hayward said.
However, this had not been integrated into HS2’s proposals. “If HS2 goes ahead with these plans, Camden suffers all of the pain with none of the benefits. London has a housing crisis and people’s jobs are insecure.
“Comprehensive development at Euston with tracks on one level can help remedy this and provide a world-class transport hub, yet the short-sightedness of these plans is threatening to let down Londoners on all these fronts.”
