New bridge installed as Hither Green station upgrade takes a leap forward
Work to upgrade Hither Green station has taken a major step forward over the recent May Day Bank Holiday as a new footbridge was installed.
Bridges now span all platforms meeting up with lift shafts installed last year.
The station is seeing a major upgrade as part of Access for All funding from the Department for Transport benefiting Southeastern passengers.
The main photo above is courtesy of Netowrk Rail. I went to take a few photos of the station a few months back in advance of the bridge’s installation.
It was fortunate timing as a Networker in Network Southeast livery was passing through.
I still say bring it back. It’s so much better that every subsequent colour scheme. That includes the red color scheme at stations.
We’ve also gone full circle as both Network Rail and Southeaetern are under public control and under the same management in this part of the world. Privatisations’s failure is slowly being reversed.
Still, as is the way with railways a lot of this funding and planning goes way back.
New station entrances
Upgrade works at Hither Green doesn’t just include new lifts and bridges but also new entrances on both sides of the station.
This does offer another way into the station aside from the pretty dingy entrances currently in place.
That tunnel below the track will remain open though to offer alternative routes for passengers. As while it isn’t great, it’s still better to have more options to traverse the station.
Hopefully now work will crack on to get it all open to passengers. Completion is expected in autumn 2027.
This is excellent news and will certainly improve Hither Green Station for passengers.. Making Stations more accessible for everyone is a good step forward.
Does St. John’s station at St. John’s in Southeast London could be upgraded with lifts or is the station too small and the platforms aren’t wide enough to fit a lift. It’s good that Either Green station is to have step-free access. Would other stations in Southeast London that Southeastern manages could also be upgraded with lifts and step-free accessible.
@Andrew Gwilt: St John’s used to be my home station. The footbridge is narrow but there could only be a lift at platform level as the entrance is via steps that come off the access slope.
I agree. There could be an option to have lifts at St. John’s station. Which might happen in the near future.
It’s nice to see that Hither Green station getting the upgrade including a new footbridge and lifts to all 6 platforms.
I have been to Hither Green station before and it’s nice to see some upgrade works taking place at Hither Green. Including a new footbridge with stairs and lifts to the 6 platforms and easier access to the station from both sides.
Plus Network Rail and Southeastern should improve more railway stations in Southeast London and across Kent to improve better facilities and easier access for disabled people who use the trains.
The new footbridge is much higher than the existing ones, presumably to accommodate the lift shafts, and I guess the trade-offs are better cross-platform inter-changes and access for people who can only manage the stairs with difficulty. I have seen many a parent with small child and pushchair taking a deep breath before tackling the stairs.