Network Rail, Southern and contractors BAM Nuttall celebrate the official opening of Crowborough station’s £4.7m lifts and footbridge.

The investment funded from the Department for Transport (DfT) aims to improve accessibility between platforms within the station with the installation of two lifts and a brand-new footbridge to allowing passengers to easily get from one platform to another.

Alongside the lift installation, new tactile paving on both platforms has been installed along the edge of the platforms at Crowborough station to improve accessibility for people with a visual impairment.

Kate Warner, Network Rail’s director for route sponsorship, said:

 “We’re really grateful for the continued funding from the DfT which helps make our stations more accessible for passengers to navigate around safely.

“Putting passengers first is at the heart of what we do and we’re always looking for more ways to improve their experience.”

Nusrat Ghani MP, 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.”

Sharon Gray, South East Community Rail Partnership’s community rail officer, said:

“We are really excited to see that equal access to travel has arrived at Crowborough station, a true example of levelling up and equality. The installation of the lifts and the covered footbridge have removed the barriers to travel for all members of the local community. No more worrying about the amount of steps or crossing the windy footbridge in the rain. Congratulations Network Rail on a job well done.”