Road safety concerns have been raised over “unorthodox” plans for a new HS2 high-speed rail link station.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned of an increased risk of collisions and too few bus stops at the Old Oak Common station being developed in Acton.

Construction has been taking place ever since the former Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps gave the thumbs up to begin permanent work on a HS2 Old Oak Common station in June 2021.

Once complete, the station will have 14 platforms and will be the UK’s largest new railway station ever built.

Brent & Kilburn Times: A look at a construction site in 2022 A look at a construction site in 2022 (Image: Street View)

People who rely on the road for commuting and school transport have hit out against plans to shut Old Oak Common Lane for four years.

Separately, TfL also raised a series of concerns about the transportation design.

TfL ‘restricted’ documents from October stated that there has been no assessment of on-site congestion, claiming the “current approach for understanding surface transport is unorthodox”.

The document says that the design did not take into account the pedestrian forecast of visitors, staff and on-site residents.

According to TfL, there would also not be enough bus stops and stand spaces for future bus networks and the current set up for buses had an increased risk of collisions and closures.

The blue badge parking layout also meant that private vehicles will share the bus loop, which was described as “high risk”.

However HS2 says it is working closely with local partners to ensure it is “operationally safe and resilient".

Responding to TfL’s points, a HS2 spokesperson said: “HS2 is committed to working closely with local partners to best integrate the station into the wider development plans and ensure it is operationally safe and resilient.”

People in Acton and those travelling from Harlesden or other neighbouring areas in Brent have been heavily impacted by roadworks as the building took place – including the entire road being closed at one point as the Wycombe Line Bridge was demolished at the end of May 2023.

Alarm bells were rung when a consultation session in late February revealed that HS2 is toying with the idea of fully shutting the road for four years to carry out further work.

But HS2 said no decision has been made and people have not been told it will "definitely" be four years.