Abbey Wood station – going to poo (literally)?

This post is a bit cheeky as Abbey Wood’s new station is still far from finished but I’ve noticed a few things that could give concern about how it’ll shape up over the mid-to-long term.

So there I was, waiting for a train and I noticed that pigeons have setup home and left their mark on the exposed concrete underneath the new main station building.

Will this expanse of concrete with extensive gaps be the finished article?

There’s an sizeable amount of exposed concrete around the station building and exterior. This could weather quite quickly giving the station a pretty drab appearance in years to come.

The new lifts

There’s a concrete frame around the lift shafts (at least one of which is now working) and concrete walls are also appearing on the main forecourt by Harrow Manorway flyover which weren’t there in early station renders.

The flyover beside the station has also had a large amount of concrete installed in recent weeks along its entire length. The older elements of the flyover over the other side of the road could give a hint as to how newer parts will appear when stained with pollution and rain.

These pics are from Bexley is Bonkers as my camera threw a wobbly outside. You can see his many fantastic photos here.

This wasn’t how it appeared in early renders. Here’s how the forecourt looked. No walls intruded so far across the public space by the upper station entrance

Yet concrete walls have now appeared. If there are security concerns a line of smart bollards would’ve sufficed.

Of course, the wall could be clad in other materials in coming weeks and months.

However in certain areas it seems probable that bare concrete will be the the finished surface material. And then the new surfaces will look like the other side of the flyover, which is pretty bleak.

Network Rail havn’t covered themselves in glory when it comes to aesthetics. This is a footbridge they installed in a residential area at Church Manorway.

Most of the station is fantastic. Hopefully possible pitfalls affecting the design will be rectified over the next few months.

In the new year work begins on improving public realm around the station on Wilton Road and Felixstowe Road. Harrow Manorway’s upgrade work to create a wider street with dedicated bus and cycle lane will also move up a notch.

Lots to look forward to. Finally, a very happy Christmas to all readers and a brilliant new year!

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