South Western Railway (SWR) has the highest number of stations of any train operator in the latest government Access for All (AfA) funding announcement.
A recent government announcement listed 50 additional stations selected for initial feasibility work which, if successful, would be taken forward as part of the AfA programme.
Eight SWR stations — Ash Vale, Dorchester South, Esher, Hedge End, Kew Bridge, Raynes Park, Swanwick and Yeovil Junction — have been included in the list and will now go forward to have feasibility studies conducted.
Should these studies be successful, between £50m and £60m in AfA funding will be released to enable the schemes to proceed to construction.
The studies will consider how accessibility can be improved at these stations, most typically through the delivery of new lifts and in some cases bridges. If completed, the projects would significantly boost accessibility and make it easier for all customers to travel on the SWR network.
Michael Adlington, South Western Railway’s Senior Accessibility and Inclusion Manager said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to hear that our nominations for these eight stations have been successful.
“We work incredibly hard in collaboration with local stakeholders to submit these nominations, and so we are really pleased that SWR has secured the most successful bids of any train operator, unlocking huge investments in the communities we serve.
“‘We really appreciate the commitments made by partners through match funding contributions which will have been a key factor in securing this DfT investment’.
“Should the feasibility studies achieve positive outcomes, customers who use these stations will benefit from transformative accessibility upgrades in the years to come.”
The AfA programme is funded by the Department for Transport, which selects the stations based on nominations from train operators, Network Rail, and local authorities.
Nominations are assessed against a range of criteria, from the annual footfall at stations to the availability of third-party funding including from local authorities and support from Members of Parliament and other local stakeholders.
SWR works closely with local stakeholders and partners to devise nominations and secure successful AfA bids. These studies will now begin to be worked up, and more information about schemes which are able to be taken to the next stage will be published in the future.
