Monday 18 Sep 2017
Almost 2m passengers to benefit from new lifts and footbridge as plans progress for Access for All improvements in Crawley, West Sussex
- Region & Route:
- | Southern
Almost 2m passengers who use Crawley station each year are set to benefit from accessibility improvements, making access between the station entrances and platforms much easier for people with disabilities and reduced mobility, as well as those with children, heavy luggage or shopping.
Network Rail engineers are about to submit a planning application for lifts and a new bridge at Crawley, West Sussex.
The £3.6m improvements are being delivered as part of the Access for All programme, which is funded by the Department for Transport and administered by Network Rail, improving step-free access across the railway network.
Network Rail’s route managing director for the South East, John Halsall, said: “These improvements will make travelling by train much easier for people with reduced mobility, people with buggies, bags and bikes, and they will make a real difference to how people get around. Train travel should be for everyone, and while there are historic reasons as to why not all our stations are accessible, we remain focussed on making improvements to as many as we can.
“We’ll now be working closely with local authorities, passengers and neighbours to take these designs and make them a reality.”
Keith Jipps, Infrastructure Director at Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Southern, said: "We are really pleased with the announcement and commitment from Network Rail to invest in these stations for the benefit of our passengers. It supports our plans to modernise the railway with new infrastructure, trains and working practices. We fully support the projects and have been involved in their development throughout.”
Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, said: “I’m grateful to Network Rail’s commitment to improved disability access at Crawley station and the Department for Transport’s funding to realise upgraded facilities.”
Network Rail will be submitting designs in the autumn for planning determination by local authorities in 2018. Work will take place once permission has been received and designs are complete, with the scheme intended to be completed over the next two years.
Notes to Editors
NOTES
Some previous Access for All schemes planned for the South East were postponed until the railway’s next funding period, 2019-2024, under the Hendy Review:
The schemes in this press release were funded separately, and are going ahead as planned and previously announced. Other schemes in the South East going ahead this year are in Bexley, Plumstead, Shortlands, Carshalton, Coulsdon South and Canterbury East; worth a combined £30m.
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