The opening of London's first new mainline railway station in over a decade is a major milestone in Barnet's journey to create a thriving new community at Brent Cross Town.  The station, Brent Cross West, is one of only a handful nationally to be delivered by a local council – and getting there wasn't easy.

Planning consent for comprehensive regeneration of the area was granted in 2010 and linked to the expansion of the 1970s Brent Cross Shopping Centre - palatial in its time, and still with a loyal customer base.  By 2012 it was clear that the shopping centre owners didn't have the appetite to deliver the wider development aspirations for the area and the council stepped in.