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Monday 9 Dec 2013

Gravesend station investment means changes to journeys this Christmas

Region & Route:

| Southern

Passengers who use Gravesend station are being reminded of changes to their journeys this Christmas and New Year as a result of a £19m improvement project being delivered by Network Rail.

The upgrade will allow longer 12-car trains to call at the station providing more seats and extra space for passengers. There will also be improved facilities while a new footbridge and lifts will provide step-free access to all platforms. An additional platform will also be built.

The station will be closed for 15-days between 22 December and 6 January 2014. Network Rail will continue to work with train operator Southeastern to minimise the disruption caused and to provide passengers with information to help them plan for their journeys.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “Passengers are advised to check before they travel to find out how the work at Gravesend station will affect their journeys this Christmas and New Year. The work has been carefully planned at a traditionally quieter time of the year to keep disruption to a minimum – the impact would have been far greater had it taken place over many weekends throughout the year.

“I apologise for the disruption this essential upgrade will cause but can assure passengers that the end result will be a better station and that we are doing all we can to minimise the impact of the work as much possible.”

Alison Nolan, head of customer services for Southeastern said: “This is a major £19m investment to improve services for our passengers and increase capacity on our network. We’ve worked closely with Transport for London and Fastrack buses to provide a range of alternative journey options while the station work is underway, but we realise it will be an inconvenience. We’ve written to customers directly and shared all the alternative journey options on our website to give people as much advanced notice as possible to plan ahead.”

Work at Gravesend station, which will be carried out by Spencer Rail, will be completed in May 2014. Funding for the £19m project is coming from the government’s Access for All programme and Network Rail.

For Christmas and New Year travel information regarding Gravesend station visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/gravesend.