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Thursday 7 Jan 2021

Heavy metal comes to Liphook station in 2021 with new steel footbridge

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Passengers will benefit from better access to Liphook station in Hampshire after Network Rail replaces the footbridge.

The station on the Portsmouth line which carries passengers to Portsmouth Harbour and London Waterloo has two platforms and will remain open during the work for critical workers any anyone else who must travel .

The fully enclosed bridge will feature one lift on each of the two platforms to provide step-free access between platforms for disabled passengers, people with pushchairs and cyclists.

The age and condition of the old bridge means it can’t do its job much longer so it is being replaced with a much more durable, modern steel structure. Construction of the new bridge is expected to be complete by the end of August 2021.

Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with a solar-powered generator used to power the site accommodation. The project team also worked with ecologists to relocate slow worms onto nearby land and are reusing excavated earth from the railway cutting, rather than bringing in new materials.

Andrew Magee, senior asset engineer for Network Rail Wessex, said: “I am very grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we carry out this essential work to the footbridge at Liphook station.

“While the new bridge is being built, the existing footbridge will remain open for passengers to use the station. Work is progressing well and when complete, the new bridge will better serve the people of the area for decades to come.”

Michael Adlington, accessibility and inclusion manager at South Western Railway, said: “We’re really pleased that Liphook will soon have step-free access to each platform. The new footbridge will provide a sheltered and safer route between platforms, with the new lifts providing step-free access to all customers who require it.

"We hope that our customers, and soon-to-be customers, will enjoy the benefits of this much needed addition to the station for years to come.”

During the project, engineers will install new lighting and CCTV to the footbridge and also locally widen the platforms around the new bridge via the construction of new retaining walls behind the platforms.

As work is being undertaken on operational platforms, the team are working with BTP, Land Sheriffs and SWR to keep passengers safe when travelling through the station and around the construction site.