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Monday 21 Mar 2022

Plans revealed for £3.5m footbridge at Royston station

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

Today (21 March), Network Rail has announced plans to build a new £3.5m accessible footbridge at Royston station to help Thameslink and Great Northern passengers switch platforms more easily.

Installing the new footbridge will bring back a direct pathway between the two platforms, and two new lifts will provide a vital step-free route.

This will make it easier for passengers – particularly those with limited mobility, luggage, pushchairs or bikes – to use the station, without needing to use Old North Road.

The new plans were announced at the station this morning, where representatives from Network Rail, Thameslink and Great Northern were joined by Sir Oliver Heald, MP for North East Hertfordshire. He said: “I welcome this announcement which will greatly benefit Royston passengers, in particular families and those with limited mobility. It will be a huge improvement.”

Jonathan Ham, Lead Portfolio Manager for Network Rail said: “People in Royston will no longer need to use a diversion to simply switch platforms at the station – and the new lifts will help everybody have the confidence to use the station independently.

“I’d like to thank passengers for bearing with us while we worked on these plans, and I’m looking forward to seeing the new bridge come to life this year.”

Tom Moran, Managing Director for Thameslink and Great Northern said: “This is really great news for our customers at Royston and will open up the railway at this station to so many more people. Big projects such as this are a crucial part of our drive to create a more accessible and inclusive railway, where everyone has the confidence to travel no matter what their need for assistance.”

The original bridge was closed in 2020 to keep people safe after Network Rail found serious problems with the structure. Construction on this major project is set to start in Spring 2022 and complete by early 2023.

ENDS