Score of London stations upgraded by South Western Railway as part of £6.5 million investment

South Western Railway (SWR) has announced the completion of over 100 station improvement projects, investing over £6.5 million in stations across its vast network throughout 2023-2024. 

This includes upgrades at 18 stations of varying sizes in Central and South West London, which have been revamped and restored thanks to SWR’s infrastructure and property teams.   

The massive investment has delivered more modern facilities, greater accessibility and sustainability, and ensured a more comfortable and pleasant journey for customers. 

The completed projects are part of SWR’s programme continuous station improvements, to enhance the customer experience, and attract people to the railway as a greener and easier way to travel. 

On top of this investment programme, this week SWR will officially complete a major station improvement project in South West London. 

On Friday 26 July, SWR will mark the completion of £3 million of accessibility upgrades to Isleworth station, providing step-free access to both platforms for the first time. The funding was secured by SWR, Network Rail and Hounslow Borough Council from the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ scheme.  

Alistair Wright, Head of Infrastructure & Property at South Western Railway, commented: 

“Every year, we make significant investments to improve and modernise our network to make every journey easy and reliable. Some changes may seem small, but they make a real difference. A fresh lick of paint to brighten surroundings, and features that make navigating a station or using the toilet that much easier, can make travelling by train a much more pleasant and comfortable experience.  

“Our stations are the heart of the communities we serve, and the teams can be really proud of the fantastic job that they have done to refresh and improve our spaces, particularly for customers with additional accessibility requirements.” 

The station improvements customers can now enjoy are: 

1. Toilet refurbishments 

A round of toilet facilities at two London stations have been refurbished: Kingston and Richmond.  

The cubicles, urinals, flooring and walls have been refreshed and enhanced to provide a more pleasant and hygienic environment for customers. The toilets now have a more recognisable SWR identity.  

Sustainability is increased by modifications to improve ventilation, more efficient lighting and heating systems, and the use of sensors to reduce water consumption, among other measures.  

SWR has carried out such toilet refurbishments at a total of 25 stations since 2021. 

2. Refurbished accessible toilets 

SWR has also refurbished accessible toilets at Kingston and Richmond, as part of its commitment to making its network more accessible for all customers 

The locations were chosen to coincide with the other toilet refurbishments.  

SWR has created new accessible toilets at five locations since 2021. 

3. Waiting room refurbishments 

Waiting rooms at two London stations have been refurbished: Kingston and Worcester Park. 

These aim to provide a warmer welcome for customers, with timber or heritage effect finishes, softer seating and murals relevant to the location.  

Where possible, calming features have also been incorporated into the refurbishments, particularly for the benefit of neurodiverse customers.  

These features include relaxing coloured lighting, acoustic wall treatment to deaden sound and plants. 

SWR has carried out such waiting room refurbishments at a total of 36 stations since 2021. 

4. RoomMate for customers with sight loss 

RoomMate is an automated audible guide to the toilet layout which can assist customers with sight loss.  

The unit is activated on entry to the toilet and asks the user if they would like an audio description of the layout of the facility, improving inclusivity and accessibility.  

In the latest tranche of upgrades, this system has been installed in accessible toilets at two London stations: Hampton Court and Wimbledon. 

SWR has installed RoomMate in 32 facilities on its network to date. 

5. New benches on platforms 

New benches on station platforms, made from sustainable, recycled plastic, are installed when existing metal benches reach the end of their life or are damaged. 

In the latest tranche of upgrades, benches were installed at: Hounslow, Mortlake, North Sheen, Isleworth, St Margarets and Strawberry Hill. 

SWR has installed a total of 200 new platform benches on its network to date. 

6. New inside benches 

Likewise, new benches inside station buildings, made from new upholstery, are installed when existing benches reach the end of their life or are damaged. 

These benches are more comfortable, with new internal benches installed at five London locations: Berrylands, Chiswick, Hampton, Teddington, and Wimbledon. 

SWR has installed new inside benches at a total of 40 stations since 2021. 

7. Additional wide aisle gate at Richmond 

A new wide aisle gate (WAG) has been added to the gateline at Richmond. 

This larger gate will both ease congestion at the busy London station and enhance accessibility. 

8. Station painting 

Improving and maintaining the appearance of stations is essential for providing a good customer experience, so SWR has coordinated station painting with Network Rail at ten London locations on its network: Mortlake, North Sheen, Putney, Raynes Park, Syon Lane, Teddington, Twickenham, Vauxhall, Wandsworth Town and Wimbledon.