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Thursday 1 Aug 2024

Makeover for Richmond station in London

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

Passengers in Richmond are benefitting from a much brighter station and enjoyable experience thanks to an ongoing programme of renovations and improvements to the station building and facilities.

A collaborative effort between Network Rail, South Western Railway (SWR), the Railway Heritage Trust, and Richmond Council has jointly funded a wide range of improvements to date with further work ongoing.

While the station originally opened in 1846, the current station building opened in 1937 and was designed by James Robb Scott in Portland Stone, and this programme of work is helping give the station a much-needed makeover, while honouring its original look.

To date, a wide range of improvements have already been completed, including: 

• Refurbishing and re-polishing the entrance doors
• Cleaning the stonework to the façade
• Installing new station lettering to the façade at high level.
• Redecorating the windows and the inside of the booking hall with the original heritage colours.
• Replacing the flagpoles putting them in their deployed position.
• Refurbishing the customer toilets in the lower concourse.
• Installing a new wide aisle gate in the lower concourse gateline.

Currently, teams are repointing and repairing the stonework and plans to replace the entrance canopy with a heritage style bronze coloured fascia are soon to be agreed with all work due to be completed by March 2025.

Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “It’s particularly pleasing to see the culmination of a joint effort by the rail industry and our local partners to improve the look and feel of Richmond station.

“The station has a rich heritage and was designed by James Robb Scott, and much of this work is about preserving and enhancing the charm of this fabulous station.

“It is clear to see the positive impact of collaboration and I hope passengers and the local community in Richmond recognise and appreciate the improvements that have and are continuing to be made.”

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council said: “Residents will be aware that we are in the early stages of creating a vision for Richmond Town Centre. While that longer term project is in train, I am really pleased that this work is starting, to improve the overall experience of arriving into Richmond for all residents, visitors and businesses. This project is not just about aesthetics but about ensuring Richmond Station and the surrounding Town Centre remain a hub for good business and cultural heritage and I’m confident that the new station look will boost the appeal and status of Richmond within the borough and beyond.”

Tim Hedley-Jones, Executive Director of the Railway Heritage Trust said: “The Railway Heritage Trust is pleased to be supporting this project to restore Richmond Station. It is a fine example of an Art Deco station from the late 1930s whose appearance had become tired and in need of an uplift. We are particularly pleased that South Western Railway recognise the benefits of enhancing and restoring our railway heritage as part of an attractive offer to passengers. We believe that the work already undertaken and that which is planned for the future will restore it to its former glory and make the station a fitting welcome to Richmond”