Published: 12 January 2012
by DAN CARRIER

A MAP with a red line drawn around the streets surrounding Euston station is currently the only sign of the massive changes afoot as the government starts work on the country’s second high-speed rail link.

Cardington Road, Melton Street, Eversholt Street and Euston Square have all had a rough red line drawn round them – showing the extent of the rebuild the 1960s station will undergo as HS2 plans plough ahead.

Among the buildings that could be hit by redevelopment of the station are a grade II-listed Victorian office block – home to the Royal College of General Practitioners – while the expansion of the site could force Royal Mail to close a crucial distribution centre in Eversholt Street.

But while the redevelopment of the area has met furious opposition from people living nearby, Sydney and London Properties, which owns part of the station, has welcomed the news.

Chief executive Richard Anning said: “This will bring much-needed investment to modernise this landmark station, providing a catalyst for regeneration of the surrounding areas.

“For more than six years, Network Rail has been talking about the modernisation of Euston station, calling it a ‘prime development site’ with ‘a comparable area to Canary Wharf’.

The station struggles to cope with demand and Network Rail has revealed overcrowding will worsen, with the Euston to Glasgow West Coast Main Line reaching capacity by the end of the decade.”

He added: “The redevelopment of Euston has suffered delays associated with the HS2 consultation, but we hope the decision will ensure the planning can now begin in earnest. We look forward to working with High Speed Two Limited to develop a world-class station at Euston.”