We’re installing a new deck for Surbiton station’s footbridge as part of a £6.7 million project to reduce overcrowding and improve passenger safety.
Starting in October 2021 we will add a new deck to the existing footbridge at the ‘London end’ of platforms 3 and 4, along with eight additional ticket gatelines, accessed by a new staircase.
We had originally looked to complete the scheme in May 2022, however due to unforeseen circumstances we’ve had to amend our design and introduce new elements. We are now expecting to finish the scheme in February 2023.
Surbiton is the eighth busiest station on the Wessex route. According to the Office of Rail and Road, in the 2019-2020 period, 8.79 million passengers entered and exited with a further 691,452 passengers changed between services.
This large number of passengers often causes congestion on platforms 3 and 4 during evening peaks, as passengers queue to exit the station using a single set of stairs.
At times, these queues can prevent trains from leaving on time and cause delays to South Western Railway (SWR) services towards Guildford, Hampton Court and Woking. It is estimated that the proposed improvements will make journeys at the station as much as 31% faster.
The station building is a famous local landmark thanks to its art deco style, dating back to its rebuilding in 1937 using designs by the chief architect of the Southern Railway, James Robb Scott.
In October 1983 it was made a Grade II listed structure by Historic England, marking it as an ‘important building of special interest’. We have taken great care to plan our improvements and have worked closely with, among others, the Railway Heritage Trust and Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to develop our designs and construction methodology.
Enabling work for the scheme is scheduled to begin at the station in October 2021, with the main construction work taking place between November 2021 and April 2022. We anticipate that the new staircase and gate lines commissioned in November 2022, however all dates are subject to change.
Further information
The scheme’s Listed Building Consent application can be viewed on the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames’ online applications website here. You can find supporting documents by conducting a search using the reference number 21/02703/LBC.
Public access to footbridge
Members of the public will have full access across the station footbridge throughout our improvements.
From Wednesday 27 October to Sunday 14 November, members of the public will be redirected via the passenger side of the footbridge while the public side is temporarily closed. Dedicated staff will be on hand to provide assistance. This will provide full access while the public side staircase on Glenbuck Road is demolished on Sunday 7 November.
The public side will be reopened on Monday 15 November when a new, temporary entrance to the footpath is opened, linked to the passenger side staircase on Glenbuck Road.
On the weekends of January 22/23 and 29/30, the public side will be closed. Members of the public will again be redirected via the passenger side of the footbridge, with staff providing assistance. The station lifts will be unaffected by our improvements and open as normal.
Contact us
For more information or to get in touch with us, please contact us by visiting our contact us page or by calling our 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.