Forest Gate station entrance set to reopen with lifts delayed until ‘later this year’

Forest Gate station’s Woodgrange Road entrance is due to reopen next week, but not the promised new lifts.

The main station building had been closed for rebuilding work including improvements to the ticket hall and staircases besides new help points and CCTV as part of preparations for Crossrail.

Network Rail planned to complete the new ticket hall and lifts by the end of August. But rail chiefs pushed the finish date back.

Danny Fox, deputy director of TfL Rail, said: “Customers will benefit from a new, more spacious ticket hall and stairs providing access to our platforms.

“Some improvement work continues at the station with new lifts being installed, improving accessiblity at the station, and an upgraded ticket office due to open later this year.”

The Elizabeth line is due to start running through central London in autumn 2019 several months over schedule.