South Western Railway invests over £6.5m in stations across the South of England

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.  

From Devon and Dorset to South West London and Surrey, 78 stations stretching the South of England 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 two major station improvement projects. 

On Thursday 25 July, SWR will open Southampton Central station’s new interchange, following £5.5 million of investment by SWR, Network Rail and Southampton City Council. The interchange provides easier onward travel from Hampshire’s busiest station, particularly for sustainable options, and a new and improved design which blends with the station’s Art Deco style. 

On Friday 26 July, SWR will also mark £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 11 toilet facilities at six stations have been refurbished: Bookham, Farnham, Kingston, Richmond, Woking and Yeovil Junction.  

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 sensors to reduce water consumption, among other measures.  

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

2. New and refurbished accessible toilets 

SWR has installed two brand-new accessible toilets at Bookham and Yeovil Junction, as part of its commitment to making its network more accessible for all customers. 

Existing accessible toilets have also been refurbished at Kingston and Richmond. 

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 

A round of nine waiting rooms at five stations have been refurbished: Aldershot, Kingston, Salisbury, Swanwick 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 14 stations: Aldershot, Basingstoke, Brockenhurst, Egham, Farnborough Main, Fratton, Hampton Court, Southampton Central, Thames Ditton, Virginia Water, Walton on Thames, West Byfleet, Weybridge 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, 58 such benches were installed at: Bookham, Chertsey, Datchet, Farncombe, Hounslow, Micheldever, Mortlake, North Sheen, Isleworth, Shepperton, St Margarets, Strawberry Hill, Sunbury, Sunnymeads, Sway, Tisbury, Virginia Water and Weybridge. 

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 42 new internal benches installed at 18 locations: Berrylands, Brockenhurst, Chiswick, Crewkerne, Hampton, Hinton Admiral, Hook, Martins Heron, Netley, Parkstone, Rowlands Castle, Swanwick, Sway, Teddington, Tisbury, Weybridge, Wimbledon and Wool. 

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

7. Waiting shelters 

New or improved waiting shelters have been installed to enhance the customer experience in all weathers.  

Two new waiting shelters have been installed at Petersfield and Egham.  

An existing open waiting shelter at Hedge End has been improved to include side and rear panels to provide more shelter. 

8. 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. 

9. Access for All Minor Works Programme 

SWR has made smaller yet valuable accessibility improvements to a range of stations. 

These include the replacement of staircase single handrails with double handrails, the addition of anti-slip treads to staircases as well as the inclusion of more warning tactiles at the top of staircases. 

Access to blue badge parking has also been enhanced in key locations like Basingstoke.  

10. 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 33 locations on its network: Beaulieu Road, Bentley, Chandlers Ford, Dean, Havant, Liss, Longcross, Martins Heron, Mortlake, Mottisfont, North Sheen, Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Putney, Raynes Park, Redbridge, Romsey, Shawford, Sherborne, Sholing, Southampton Airport Parkway, Swaythling, Syon Lane, Teddington, Templecombe, Tisbury, Twickenham, Upper Halliford, Vauxhall, Wandsworth Town, Wimbledon, Wokingham and Woolston.