Londoners were given a glimpse of the future today as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and Rail Minister Theresa Villiers unveiled cutting edge designs of Crossrail stations to be built across central London and the Docklands

An exhibition of the stunning designs, which opened to the public today, highlights the scale and extent of the new Crossrail stations at key London locations.

Over the last year some of the UK’s best known architects have worked with world-class engineering firms to finalise the designs for eight of the new Crossrail stations. The results are stunning, sustainable and world-class designs of which London can be proud. The new stations will take inspiration from the past and from the local area but have a fresh modern twist. The work, at Bond Street, Canary Wharf, Custom House, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road and Whitechapel, will be on a scale not seen since the Jubilee Line Extension opened in 1999.

For passengers these new stations will deliver a vastly improved travelling experience, larger station entrances and ticket halls, more space and easy access to Crossrail and other transport services. Crossrail will boost London’s rail capacity by ten per cent, delivering new journey opportunities, faster journey times and up to 24 trains per hour between Paddington and Whitechapel during the peak.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “As Crossrail moves from the drawing board to reality we can see the breathtaking benefits it will bring to our city and I'm thrilled Londoners can finally see designs of the world-class stations that we will construct. When complete they will run east to west in a solid backbone of quality infrastructure and style.”

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said: "These designs provide a glimpse of the impressive new buildings that will welcome passengers to the heart of our capital. 

"Crossrail will enable passengers to arrive at their destinations in less time and more comfort. It will create thousands of jobs and potentially generate up to £50bn for the UK's GDP.  We are working hard to make sure that the new railway offers the best possible value for money.

”London has a glorious railway design history that ranges from the Brunel-designed Paddington station, through Charles Holden’s Tube stations of the 1920s and 1930s to the revival of St. Pancras International. Crossrail intends to build on this design legacy and create cost-effective stations fit for the 21st Century while regenerating local communities."