Leatherhead station is based in south London, managed by Southern and served by South Western Railway will see work get underway on the 29th of January to create step-free access under a £6.2 million programme of work which aims to be completed during spring 2025.
The project will see the station become fully accessible which will support passengers with limited mobility, visual impairments or people travelling with pushchairs, bicycles or heavy luggage to navigate the station.
The Surrey station will see two new 16-person capacity lifts installed alongside a new footbridge which will feature staggered staircases forming a ‘Z’ shape which is necessary due to operational equipment on the platform.
The project will also see further improvements made at the station including:
- Refresh of the lighting
- Adding CCTV
- Minor Alteration to the current ramp
- Installation of new handrails
The accessibility improvements at the station are possible thanks to funding via the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ scheme which was launched in 2006. The scheme aims to support disabled passengers and those with mobility restraints such as pushchairs or heavy luggage and creates obstacle-free railway stations, forming an accessible route from entrance to platform. ‘Access for All’ projects usually include the provision of lifts, ramps, associated works and refurbishment.
“It’s really great to see the investment being made to make stations fully accessible across the Sussex route and we welcome the continued investment from the DfT and continue to work closely with local councils to provide the best experience for all rail users.
“We’d like to reassure passengers and local residents that most of the work will take place over weekdays during daytime hours and will not affect train services during the week.”
Hodan Hassan, Network Rail’s Commercial Scheme Sponsor
“We’re committed to removing barriers so that our services are easier for everyone to use, so we’re delighted for our passengers that these major improvements are now under way. The new lifts, footbridge and other enhancements will make going to, from and between the platforms a more accessible experience for all our customers here.”
Carl Martin, Govia Thameslink Railway’s Accessibility Lead
