Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, joined Network Rail, Southern, contractors BAM Nuttall and local councillors to celebrate the official opening of the new lifts and footbridge at Crowborough train station, delivered as part of the £4.7m funding secured via the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme.
The Access for All scheme is part of the Department for Transport’s Inclusive Transport Strategy to make train stations across the country more accessible for passengers to navigate around safely. The £4.7m improvements at Crowborough train station improve accessibility between platforms within the station with the installation of two lifts and a brand-new footbridge to allow passengers to get from one platform to another easily, removing the barriers to travel for all members of the local community.
Alongside the lift installation, new tactile paving on both platforms has been installed along the edge of the platforms to improve accessibility for people with a visual impairment. Additional CCTV cameras have also been installed which aim to keep passengers safe when using the station.
This project follows the £1.9m improvements at Eridge train station completed last year, which saw a lift and a ramp delivered in addition to a new footbridge and platform refurbishments, all designed to blend in with the heritage aspects of the 1868 station.
Nusrat Ghani said: “I am delighted to celebrate the opening of the newly refurbished Crowborough train station today. Train travel is a key form of transport for Wealden residents, and I am pleased to have secured this multi-million-pound funding to ensure that both Crowborough and Eridge train stations are now fully step free, accessible to all Wealden commuters and fit for the future. A huge thank you to all the contractors and volunteers involved in delivering this project for Crowborough. It is fantastic that Wealden train stations are benefiting from this major investment programme from the Department of Transport, greatly improving the overall passenger experience for many Wealden residents using the line to commute to London, or those visiting the Spa Valley Railway.”
