Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet has agreed investment that will include an upgrade to Wandsworth Town station, including an accessible second entrance and lifts to platforms.

Wandsworth Town is the 146th busiest of Britain’s 2,580 stations. The station serves Wandsworth’s town centre and riverside area, which are becoming busier. The station often experiences overcrowding, and regularly receives complaints.

The station benefited from repainting four years ago, but will now undergo a much more thorough revamp. The upgrade work will include the construction of a new entrance, which will open to the north of the station. It will also include installing new ticket turnstiles and putting in new lifts, which will provide step-free access to all four of the station’s platforms.

Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet has agreed £7.08m funding to enable the station upgrade work.

Part of the funding comes from. money that the council has collected from property developers. The money has to be paid to the council in order to improve local infrastructure in response to rises in population brought about by new developments.

The council has worked with Network Rail and the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme on the upgrade, to ensure that it removes barriers to disabled passengers and those whose movement is restrained by buggies, heavy luggage or other reasons.

There will also be improvements to Wandsworth’s town centre, including resurfacing and paving works on Old York Road.

Wandsworth Town station is part of the new Wandsworth Growth Corridor, an area which links the town centre with Clapham Junction and Nine Elms. The council has a Growth Plan that aligns with the Mayor of London’s London Growth Plan.

“We are delighted that we will be able to start work on improving accessibility at Wandsworth Town.

“This transformational investment at Wandsworth Town station will make our railway more accessible for customers, particularly those with limited mobility or those with prams or luggage.

“The improvements, once completed, will open up new opportunities for residents and those visiting the area, and make it significantly easier for many people to choose the sustainable way to travel.

“We are committed to working with the Wandsworth community throughout this development and further information will be shared in due course.”

Lawrence Bowman Managing Director, South Western Railway, speaking on behalf of South Western Railway and Network Rail