The first six platforms for HS2 trains have been built at Old Oak Common station in Acton.
The 450-metre-long platforms are underground and will eventually be used by high-speed trains travelling between London and the West Midlands, as well as services continuing further north on the West Coast Main Line.
Another eight platforms are planned at ground level for Great Western Main Line, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services. When Old Oak Common opens, it will also become a new stop on the Elizabeth line.
Construction of the HS2 platforms began in April 2025 inside the station’s underground box.
Almost 2,000 precast concrete slabs were used, with each weighing between four and five tonnes. The platforms were built from both ends before the sections met in the middle, forming three island platforms.
Although the main platform structures are now in place, further work is needed before they are finished. This includes installing lifts and escalators, laying floor finishes and building rooms for staff and equipment.
Passengers are not expected to use the new HS2 platforms for at least another decade.
As EALING.NEWS reported in May 2026, the government now expects the first HS2 services between Old Oak Common and Birmingham to begin between 2036 and 2039 following a reset of the project. The line through to Euston is not expected to be completed until between 2040 and 2043.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said at the time that HS2 had suffered from years of “mismanagement, flawed reporting and ineffective oversight”, while the government said projected costs had risen to as much as £102.7 billion.
HS2 Old Oak Common area director Kim Kapur said: “Going into the underground box at Old Oak Common, you can immediately visualise how it will look as an operational station, including where passengers will board or alight HS2’s brand new trains.”
She added that there was “much more to do”, including building the surface-level platforms, completing tunnels on either side of the station box and installing the station roof, with work on the roof due to begin next year.
