Rebuilt Blackfriars Tube station reopens

A busy Tube station, shut for nearly three years, finally reopened today after a spectacular rebuilding job.

Closed in March 2009, Blackfriars Underground station now has entrances both north and south of the River Thames.

Able to accommodate up to 60% more passengers a day, the station has new lifts and escalators and a new ticket hall.

The work has been part of the redevelopment of Blackfriars main line station which, in turn, is part of the Bedford to Brighton Thameslink rail project.

Main line platforms now span the Thames, making way for longer trains on the Thameslink route through central London.

The project has provided jobs for 13,000 people over the last three years, with 2,000 people working on the site each day at the busiest times.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "The rebirth of this central London station will improve the journeys of thousands of passengers every single day."

PA