Better access to Newbury station a step closer as work to replace footbridge begins

Friday 21 Jul 2017

Better access to Newbury station a step closer as work to replace footbridge begins

Region & Route:: Wales & Western: Western; | Wales & Western

Better access to Newbury railway station is a step closer as work to replace the station’s footbridge started this week as Network Rail continues to deliver its Railway Upgrade Plan.

The new footbridge will improve access and allow Network Rail to install the electrical equipment necessary for new electric trains, which will run on the line to Newbury from December 2018.

The current footbridge will be demolished and a new one will be built at the opposite end of the station with work completed by February 2018. This new bridge will allow better access for users of the station through

Graeme Tandy, route delivery manager for Network rail said: “The new footbridge at Newbury will deliver benefits to everyone who uses the station. The new bridge features new stairs and a lift, allowing those with wheelchairs, pushchairs and luggage to get to and from the platforms safely. “By moving the footbridge we will able to install electrical equipment, allowing bigger, cleaner and quicker trains to serve Newbury station.”

Alison Stone, GWR’s Newbury station manager, said: “We recognise the key role that rail travel has in supporting the local and national economy and we are delighted that this improvement has been started, providing better access for all who use the station. It is great for our customers, and for us to work with partners delivering benefits which will make a real difference.”

For more information please call our dedicated 24-hour National Helpline on: 03457 11 41 41 or visit www.networkrail.co.uk/contactus.

Notes to Editors

Notes

The work to replace the footbridge will be complete by February 2018 with the early stages of the upgrade being completed overnight.
From November there will be three weekends where a full closure of the line will be required in order to safely demolish and remove the existing bridge.

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office -Western route
MediaRelationsWestern@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

Media centre