Southern has celebrated the completion of a £2m Access for All improvement project at Dorking station with a grand opening event.
Representatives from Southern’s project team, Network Rail, station users and the Mole Valley Access Group were in attendance as the new lifts and new footbridge were officially opened by long-standing Dorking passenger and local resident, Catherine Davenport.
Catherine has been using Dorking Station since her first train trip to school 73 years ago in 1937 and still uses the station regularly – at least twice a week.
She was delighted to be asked to officially open the new improvements and remarked on how much easier her journeys have become thanks to the new lifts.
The new lifts and footbridge provide step-free access for passengers who use the station for more than a million journeys every year to get between the station entrance and all platforms, making the railway more accessible for everyone, particularly those with reduced mobility, parents with small children or people with heavy or bulky luggage.
Tactile paving was also installed along the platforms to aid the visually impaired.
Simon Chapman, Network Rail’s route enhancement manager for Sussex, said: “An important part of building a bigger and better railway is to make it easier for everyone to use. The improved access at Dorking is a big boost for the community and businesses and will better meet the needs of the thousands of passengers who use the station every day.”
Southern’s area manager, Mark Epsom, said: “The improvements have truly transformed the journey experience for a great many of our passengers at Dorking station. Feedback from them has been extremely positive and we are delighted with the results.”
The completion of the £2m scheme, which was funded through the government’s Access for All programme, will bring the added benefit of reducing congestion in the existing subway, especially during the morning and evening peaks.
