A £3.7 million investment will see new lifts installed providing passengers with step-free access for both platforms at Catford station.
The improvements in accessibility for the South London station will make it easier for passengers with mobility impairments, parents travelling with young children, and customers with heavy or awkward luggage.
Network Rail is carrying out the installation of the two lifts as well as the walkways which will connect them. The project is being funded by the Department for Transport's Access for All programme.
The major part of the construction work is now underway with the assembly of the steel frames for both of the 11 metre-tall lift shafts. Catford station's extended CCTV system will cover the lifts and walkways which are set to open for passengers to use during the latter part of October 2022.
Passengers using the station can access Platform 1 via a temporary walkway whilst the work is ongoing.
Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Thameslink and Great Northern, said: “We want to create a more accessible and inclusive railway, where everyone has the confidence to travel no matter what their need for assistance, so we're delighted to see building work well underway at Catford after our successful bid for government funding.
“These lifts will be welcomed by everyone who finds it difficult or impossible to use the stairs. Network Rail have planned the building work carefully to cause as little disturbance as possible.
“Meanwhile, passengers returning to our services can travel confidently, knowing our trains and stations are cleaned regularly with long-lasting virucides and the air on our air-conditioned trains is refreshed every six minutes.”
Network Rail Route Director for Kent, Fiona Taylor, said: “Our railway is for everyone and improvements like this make a real difference to our passengers. It's great to see these works progressing, they're a step in the right direction, improving accessibility at this busy station.”
It’s literally insane spending this amount of money on something only a few people would need. Anyone using the train that is not able bodied could take a taxi for the next ten years at way less than the cost of these lifts. Do people actually think before making these decisions before adding more fair money onto people tickets its insane!