A bid to cut carbon emissions, the bridge is seen as a major advertisement for London’s efforts to become a sustainable city.
First Capital Connect, which runs Blackfriars, expects its 4,400 photovoltaic panels to cut the stations’ carbon emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes a year.
“Electric trains are already the greenest form of public transport – this roof gives our passengers an even more sustainable journey,” said David Statham, managing director of First Capital Connect. “The distinctive roof has also turned our station into an iconic landmark visible for miles along the River Thames.”
The revamped Blackfriars station opened in 2012 and boasts a new entrance on the South Bank of the Thames, a redeveloped Underground station and four new platforms, meaning a better interchange between First Capital Connect and London Underground services and space for longer trains. It sits at the heart of the £6.5 billion Thameslink Programme which will increase capacity on one of Europe’s busiest stretches of railway running north-south through central London.
Image credit: Network Rail
