Peckham Rye station upgrade

Passengers using Peckham Rye station can look forward to a brighter, easier to use station thanks to a £5 million investment from Department for Transport, Southwark Council and the Railway Heritage Trust that will transform the station and support Peckham’s ongoing regeneration.

Passengers using Peckham Rye station can look forward to a brighter, easier-to-use station thanks to a programme of improvements that will enhance facilities and help meet growing demand.

Funded by the Department for Transport, Southwark Council and The Railway Heritage Trust, the scheme will deliver a range of upgrades over the next year, including improved station facilities, additional gate line capacity and better use of space to reduce crowding at busy times.

The works will also restore key historic features of the station and help create a more welcoming arrival point to Peckham Rye Station Square, a new civic space being developed by Southwark Council.

What work is taking place?

A brighter, more welcoming station entrance and booking hall

The station’s booking hall will be carefully restored to reflect its original 19th-century character, creating a brighter, more welcoming space for passengers. Refurbishment works will include a full redecoration and improved lighting, helping to showcase the building’s historic features while enhancing the overall customer experience.

A heritage lighting scheme is being developed , carefully balancing the restoration of historic features with modern lighting requirements.

The proposal includes the reinstatement of the original ceiling roses in their historic locations within the booking hall, helping to maintain and celebrate the building’s heritage character.

Two existing windows either side of the current doors will be converted into new entrance doors, improving passenger circulation and helping to ease congestion at busy times. Designed in keeping with the station’s heritage architecture, the new doors will complement the building’s historic appearance.

The removal of the cash machine and its enclosure has created additional space within the booking hall, making the area feel more open and accessible. Two additional ticket gates will also be installed to improve the flow of passengers entering and leaving the station.

Sustainable Improvements to the Station Setting

To enhance the appearance of the station and contribute positively to the local environment, the project proposes upgrading the existing bin storage area with a new green-roofed bin enclosure. A living green roof will introduce additional planting and biodiversity, creating valuable habitat for wildlife and supporting local sustainability objectives.

Platform and Canopy Improvements

To increase platform capacity and improve the passenger experience, the project will reduce the footprint of the existing toilet facilities on Platforms 3 and 4 while fully refurbishing them. A new toilet with baby-changing facilities will also be provided on Platform 4, offering improved amenities for customers and families.

These changes will create additional usable space on the platforms, helping to improve passenger circulation and providing a safer, more comfortable environment for people arriving at and departing from Peckham Rye station.

In addition, the canopies on Platforms 3 and 4 will be refurbished, with dirty glass panels removed and repairs carried out to address existing leaks and defects. These improvements will enhance the performance and longevity of the canopies while also improving the overall appearance of the platforms, creating a more welcoming station environment for passengers.

In addition to the wider station improvements, GTR will install additional passenger information screens at the far end of the current canopy on Platforms 1 and 2. These new screens will encourage passengers to move down the platform reducing crowding near the stairs.

A station that opens onto Peckham Rye Station Square

The works will help integrate the station with Southwark Council’s plans for a vibrant public square, creating a safer, more attractive environment for everyone.

Future proofing for a future upgrade featuring full accessibility

By completing these improvements now, the planning consent for lifts, accessible toilets and a new western entrance will be enacted, so the full upgrade can restart quickly when funding allows.

Project timeline

  • Late December 2025 – £3.919m secured from the Department for Transport – completed
  • April 2026 – Contract awarded to Bam Nuttall for design work – completed
  • May 2026 – Removal of the structure that used to house the cash machines and relocation of a ticket vending machine to that corner, in preparation for additional doors later this year – completed
  • June 2026 – Work commences at the front of the station providing the foundation for future canopy, in coordination with Southwark square works – completed
  • August 2026 – by GTR – installation of the CIS screen on platforms 1 and 2
  • August 2026 – by GTR – installation of the additional ticket barriers within the booking hall
  • Late Winter 2026 – Summer 2027 – Major works commences in Booking Hall, including refurbishment of the walls, lighting installation, creating the additional doors
  • Summer 2027 – Booking hall and platform works completed.


Major station upgrade proposal

In August 2023, we received Planning Consent from Southwark Council for a major proposal to provide new lifts and staircases to all platforms, accessible toilets and create more space within the station. The plans also included larger gate lines and entrances, as well as improved integration with the surrounding public realm, including better access into the station.

Those proposals were not funded in the June 2025 Spending Review and are currently on hold awaiting funding.

View from the new concourse facing east towards the back of the historic station building

Downloads

Peckham Rye station upgrade design – option that has secured Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent
3 MB
Listed Building Consent granted 13 September 2022
160 KB
Section 106 Agreement agreed 23 August 2023
2 MB
Planning Consent granted 25 August 2023
207 KB

Design public workshops and meetings

You can read more about the history of Peckham Rye Station by downloading the “Peckham Rye Station Chronology Presentation” pdf (15Mb).

Focus group meetings

Focus Group documents

Minutes and Action tracker (PDF)
264 KB

Get in touch

To join the mailing list for updates and information about public meetings, please email NRSouthernProjects@networkrail.co.uk and ask to join the mailing list for the Peckham Rye Station upgrade project.

For more information about the project, call our National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41, email us at NRSouthernProjects@networkrail.co.uk or contact us on Twitter @NetworkRailSE.