Earlsfield station benefits from £5.5 million transformation project

Date: 22/4/2013

Earlsfield station in South London has undergone a £5.5 million transformation as part of the (DfT) Department for Transport's Access for All and National Station Improvement Programmes.

Rail Minister Norman Baker unveiled the improvements last week, with new lifts and staircases - as well as an expanded ticket hall - designed to increase accessibility at the station.

The Minister explained that the upgrades are essential to opening up rail services to a higher number of people and enhancing the reach of the network.

"Improvements like these help those using the railways. Opening up access at stations and providing step-free routes can make a real difference to wheelchair users and others with limited mobility, as well as parents with buggies," he said.

"Everyone feels the benefit of taking a train from stations with improved facilities and layout."

Work at Earlsfield initially began in 2011, and hundreds of stations throughout the country are expected to benefit from the national programme as the DfT funds various upgrades.

The Access for All scheme will pledge a total of £370 million to facilitating obstacle-free routes at more than 150 priority rail stations by 2015, while more than 1,000 stations have already received grants to cover the cost of smaller scale improvement projects.

In addition to this initiative, the National Station Improvement Programme has provided £150 million to improve passenger facilities in busy locations, with over 300 stations having benefitted since its introduction.

According to the DfT, a further £200 million will be split between the two schemes to upgrade more stations in the five-year period between 2014 and 2019, with an emphasis being placed on projects that have to potential to attract third party contributors and maximise the value of improvement work.

There are also plans for the rollout of a £7 million system designed to ensure that all information on train running times displayed both at stations and online originates from a single source.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

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