Latest news with #stationupgrades
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Thameslink invests £1.7m into network to improve railway stations
A rail operator is making £1.7m of upgrades to stations across its network in the South Thameslink Railway (GTR), which has 236 stations on its network spanning across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, London and areas north of London including Peterborough and Cambridge, said the funds allowed it to make a "raft of improvements".The funding has been provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve passenger experience when the upgrades GTR is making is the introduction of 3D maps at 10 more stations, including Redhill, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath and Eastbourne. The maps allow disabled passengers to travel with "more independence" and help them to identify staircases, lifts, and ticket gates on bespoke aerial maps of interactive screens have also been installed at five stations, including Brighton and Gatwick feature a British Sign Language departure board, to help passengers with hearing loss to understand station announcements and navigate improvements include more secure bike parking at Chichester station, preparation for a second ticket gate line at Worthing station and two new heritage-style shelters at Lewes station. Louis Rambaud, chief customer officer for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: "These funds help us to deliver our goal of creating great journeys every day."We take pride in the environments in and around our stations, and want them to be welcoming, safe and comfortable for all."
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Rail campaign group calls for Peterborough station to be improved
A pressure group called for station upgrades to be included in a £65m regeneration project. Railfuture UK discussed Peterborough's new station quarter at a meeting on Thursday, which will benefit from nearly £48m in government group's East Anglia vice-chair, Peter Wakefield, said while the project was "exciting", it was "important" not to forget about the station Banks, who is overseeing the project for Peterborough City Council, said while the plans would "transform the city", in regards to platfrom improvements there were "no current plans" and the scheme was being looked at "from a regeneration perspective". The project is expected to be completed in stages, and the first phase will see a new pedestrian and cycling route created between the station and the city centre, replacing an existing underpass at Banks said: "With this project, it is a lot of money, but we are doing a lot with it."He continued: "At the moment, one of the issues is when you come out of the station, you are confronted with the Great Northern Hotel, and it is not very intuitive how to get into the city centre. "So, a big change will be that the station entrance will shift south, and you will be guided via a direct footpath into the Queensgate roundabout."On the western side, there will be a new multi-story car park with 460 spaces and new footways."He added that on the east side, a building would be refurbished. Mr Wakefield acknowledged that development around the station made the environment for train users better, but added: "The money doesn't extend much to improve the actual station. It is difficult to navigate in some ways."Especially platform six and seven – there is no covered waiting area there."And in the longer term, we would like another station being built to serve people living north of the city. Finding space is a problem, but we need to make the railway more accessible." Attendees at the meeting, held in Peterborough Museum, also raised questions about where services would be located in the new quarter. Mr Banks said space had been "a major constraint" with the scheme."But we are still discussing that kind of detail at the moment - Where are taxis going? What happens about rail replacement buses?" he added. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
