Media centre

Monday 6 Jan 2014

Gravesend station improvement unlocks capacity improvements in Kent

Region & Route:

| Southern

The £19m upgrade of Gravesend station completed over the Christmas and New Year period has unlocked capacity improvements in Kent which will provide more space and seats for passengers.

The improvements to the station, which include a new platform and lengthened existing platforms, will allow 12-car trains to call at Gravesend which will provide greater capacity for passengers, particularly those travelling in and out of London.

It’s the final stage of improvement work which will allow 12 car trains to call at stations in the south east London metro area for the first time.

Improved facilities have been provided and a new footbridge and lifts has also meant there is step-free access to all platforms.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “Passengers will see and benefit from a much-improved Gravesend station now this work is complete. The new platforms are an important part of boosting capacity in Kent and will be able to accommodate longer trains which will provide more space and seats for passengers.

“Completing work of this nature is never easy but it was carefully planned at a traditionally quieter time of the year to keep disruption to a minimum. I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we completed this upgrade and can assure them that we will continue to work with our partners and invest in the railway in Kent to provide the best possible service.”

Charles Horton, managing director of Southeastern said: “This project is part of our ongoing commitment to invest in and improve services for passengers, and part of our plan to meet the increasing demand for our services. Gravesend station now not only have a crucial third platform which will give us more flexibility with operating the service, but the station is now also fully accessible. We’d like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience while this work was carried out.”

The station closed on 22 December and reopened today (6 January) after 15 days of work by Network Rail’s contractor, Spencer Rail. The work was paid for by the government’s Access for All programme and Network Rail.