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.

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.

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 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.

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.