The leader of Ealing Council has reassured residents that upgrades to train stations in the borough that were promised under the Crossrail scheme will finally be delivered by the end of next year.

Questions have been raised after Network Rail failed to deliver extensive improvements to the five Ealing Crossrail stations in the borough on schedule and delays have dragged on.

Acton, West Ealing, Hayes and Harlington and Southall stations were originally due to be finished by the end of 2017.

And Ealing Broadway was meant to completed by end of January 2018.

But though no clear explanation has been offered for the delays, Mr Bell said he has been assured by Network Rail bosses that the station improvements will be delivered.

Speaking at a full council meeting on Tuesday, June 12, he said: “Network Rail has not done a proper job building our new station at Ealing Broadway, but I’ve been given assurances recently that the stations will be completed by the end of 2019 and that the original designs we signed off for improvements at Ealing Broadway will be delivered by Network Rail and will be completed by the end of 2019."

An artist impression of how Ealing Broadway station could look

The council has been unable to complete improvements around Ealing Broadway and other stations because of the delays.

The first trains have already started running on Crossrail from Paddington on the Heathrow Connect service.