Tony Blackburn lends legendary voice to Thameslink for Brent Cross West station opening

National treasure Tony Blackburn has swapped ‘King of the Jungle’ for ‘King of Thameslink’, taking on the role of station announcer on the Thameslink network this week to celebrate the opening of Brent Cross West station on Sunday 10 December.

From today [7 December] until 13 December, passengers will hear a series of special announcements from the radio legend and Barnet resident - on the Thameslink route between Bedfordshire and South London that will serve Brent Cross West, and then welcoming passengers at the brand-new station itself.

No stranger to lending his signature tones to the airways, Tony Blackburn had this to say: “As a Barnet resident I’m delighted and honoured to be involved in the opening of our fabulous new station which, as far as I’m concerned, is top of the charts! Congratulations to Barnet Council and all their partners for this magnificent project.

“I'm sure Thameslink passengers will enjoy the style and space here, as well as being just 15 minutes or less from central London. But we’re not just celebrating a great train station – the public footbridge is this area’s first link between Barnet and Brent since the railway first came through 150 years ago.”

Brent Cross West will be the first main line station to open in London for over a decade, connecting passengers from Central London to Brent Cross in as little as 12 minutes, with up to eight Thameslink services running each way.

The station project with its associated rail infrastructure has been led by Barnet Council. It is one of the first rail projects in England to be delivered entirely by a local authority.

Brent Cross West will serve as the gateway to Brent Cross Town, a major regeneration programme by Barnet Council and development partner Related Argent that will bring 25,000 jobs and 6,700 new homes to the area, and pledges to be a net zero carbon town by 2030.

Keith Jipps, Govia Thameslink Railway’s Infrastructure Director, says: “There really is no person or voice more iconic and ideal than the legendary Tony Blackburn to welcome passengers to the new Brent Cross West station. This station will make a huge difference to residents in both Barnet and Brent, and we’re absolutely delighted to have Tony on board!”

Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council said: “Excitement is building for the opening of London’s newest mainline station, a project we are very proud to have led, and we are delighted to see Tony Blackburn join in the fun of celebrating this huge achievement for Barnet Council and all the partners involved.”

Head to the new Brent Cross West station from Sunday 10 December to receive a Tony Blackburn welcome in signature style, or if you’re taking a Thameslink trip between Luton and Sutton before Sunday, listen out for a kingly change to your regular station announcements.

For more information about the new station, visit https://transformingbx.co.uk/

and for details of train services and Thameslink’s new timetable, visit the Thameslink website

ends

Notes to editors

More about Brent Cross West station

Barnet Council has announced that London’s newest mainline station, Brent Cross West, will be open from Sunday 10 December 2023.

The impressive Brent Cross West station in North London will sit between Cricklewood and Hendon stations on the Midland Main Line. It spans 7,000 square metres and is 16 metres high, with four platforms.

Thameslink trains will connect central London to Brent Cross in as little as 12 minutes, with up to eight trains an hour at peak times. There will be direct services to Luton Airport Parkway station as well as connections to Elizabeth Line services via Farringdon station.

Brent Cross West includes a new overbridge that will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross this part of the Midland Main Line for the first time since it was built more than 150 years ago, linking communities on both sides of the station, and making it much easier to get around the area.

Partnerships

Brent Cross West station and the associated rail infrastructure has been led by Barnet Council. It is one of the first rail projects in England to be delivered entirely by a local authority. It is being project managed by Mace and being built by VolkerFitzpatrick, with Network Rail a key programme partner. It will be operated by Govia Thameslink Railway.

The station is an essential part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration Programme, providing the gateway to Brent Cross Town, the 180-acre, £8bn net zero park town that is being delivered by the partnership between Barnet Council and Related Argent. Brent Cross Town will deliver 6,700 new homes, create 25,000 jobs, and aims to be net zero by 2030.

Providing opportunities to local people has been a key part of the programme to build Brent Cross West, with 102 Barnet residents employed and 20% of the workforce from Barnet or neighbouring Brent and Camden boroughs.

Sustainability

Brent Cross West will also increase public transport options by providing a more environmentally friendly way to connect across the borough and the capital. An important part of Barnet’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency, it will also include plenty of bike storage, and good bus and cycle links to the surrounding area.

New bus stops at the station’s eastern entrance, just a few minutes from Claremont Park will offer new ways to board the 189 and 326 in future. Over at the western entrance, the 316 bus will terminate and leave from the station.

The station will also be able to accommodate the planned West London Orbital (WLO) line in future, which will provide additional cross-London services.