Hither Green station in South East London reached a milestone over the early May bank holiday weekend, as all three spans of its new step-free accessible footbridge were lifted into position on Saturday 2nd May.

Two cranes were required to lift the three spans over the six lines at this junction station, which sits across a wide site atop a split-Y-shaped embankment.

Funded by the Department for Transport, work on the £28m project began in late 2024. Network Rail and partnering companies have been overseeing construction.

The lift towers were built in early 2025, and the stairwells to the towers from the platforms were added in early 2026, while the new ticket office buildings on platforms 1 and 6 are currently just shells minus roofs. The new signalling system, which runs through the station, has been in operation since 2020.

These new ticket offices, one on Springbank Road (Platform 1) and one on Fernbrook Road (Platform 6), will provide better access to the station from both sides.

At present, the only way to access the station is via a narrow subway leading to a single ticket office on platforms 4 & 5, with two separate footbridges linking platforms 1 to 4 and 5 to 6.

The new bridge links all 6 platforms and will create vastly improved access not just for passengers, but also for those with luggage, pushchairs and those who require step-free access.

As part of the investment, four new lifts will be installed, a new PA system, updated CCTV cameras, ticket machines and Oyster card readers will also be added.

Funding has also been set aside for the reinstatement and recovery of the adjacent nature reserve, which has been partially lost due to the construction.

The new footbridge is expected to open in the Summer of 2027, with the project to be fully completed by Autumn 2027.

“Our hard work at the station is paying off and is already highlighting how the ongoing improvements will significantly enhance the experience of customers at Hither Green.

The lifting into place of the new footbridge is a significant moment and means that people can see first-hand the scale of the work to make Hither Green an accessible station for the first time. We are looking forward to progressing further with the work by the end of this year.”

Paul Richmond, Senior Programme Sponsor for Network Rail