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Monday 2 Nov 2026

Major milestone reached to provide step-free access at Wandsworth Town station

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

• Piling work for Wandsworth Town’s new lifts is complete, paving the way for improved accessibility at the station, with trains now once again calling at the station’s island platform

• Collaboration between track and train has completed this important phase of the programme and kept customers moving 

• The £19.8 million project will deliver new lifts serving all platforms and a new  station entrance on Odyssey Way, with step-free access expected in summer 2027

A major milestone has been reached in South Western's project to make Wandsworth Town station accessible for customers. 

Engineers have completed piling work at the station to provide structural support to the station’s new lift shafts, moving it closer to step-free access. 

Completion of this critical phase is good news for regular customers at the busy London station, marking the end of five months of service alterations requiring trains to depart from different platforms.

Piling the foundations of the new lift shafts serving platforms 2 and 3 was one of the most challenging stages of the project, laying the foundations for the new lifts and wider improvements to come.

The original plan required the closure of the island platforms for up to 12 weeks, preventing train services travelling out of London from calling at the platforms, causing three months of disruption. 

Integration between track and train teams unlocked the solution to this challenge, by re-platforming trains during critical stages of the work, reducing the need for platform closures and maintaining a safe and operational railway to help keep customers moving. 

This approach also avoided an estimated £1.2 million in lost revenue, highlighting the value of closer integration between track and train under public ownership and the benefits for customers and taxpayers. 

The £19.8 million scheme, funded through the Department for Transport's Access for All programme, alongside significant investment from Wandsworth Council, will deliver new lifts serving all platforms and a new second station entrance, supporting local growth and future transport demand.  

The focus now turns to preparing for the construction of the new lift shafts in December. The project will then move into the next major phase of delivery, with construction of the new second station entrance on Odyssey Way.  

Oliver Rogers, South Western’s Strategy & Business Development Director, said: 

“It’s brilliant that we’ve successfully completed one of the most difficult parts of this project, whilst managing to keep trains running for our passengers. 

“Improving the railway for passengers and communities is what integration under public ownership, and ultimately Great British Railways, is all about.  

"We’re looking forward to delivering an accessible Wandsworth Town station for all customers in Summer 2027, and we thank them for their patience while we complete this these improvements." 

Councillor Nick Austin, Wandsworth Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “It’s great to see real progress being made at our rail stations, helping people get around more quickly and easily. These improvements are part of wider investment in local infrastructure, providing better transport options for our growing town centres.”

Providing step-free access at Wandsworth Town is just one of many new accessibility schemes under development on the South Western network, and just one part of a commitment to providing accessible journeys for everyone."