Will Chiswick Finally Have an Accessible Station?
Another feasibility study to be carried out into lifts at Kew Bridge
The steps down to the platforms at Kew Bridge station . Picture: Google Streetview
June 8, 2024
The lack of step free access at any of Chiswick’s tube or train stations may finally be addressed following the announcement of new government funding.
Kew Bridge station is one of fifty stations across the country which is to have an initial feasibility study carried out on whether lifts can be installed. At present there are steps leading down to both platforms.
The Access for All scheme has £50-£60 million earmarked for investment in any of the stations where analysis confirms lifts could be installed. South Western Railways, which runs the trains stopping at Kew Bridge, has eight selected, the most for any operator.
An earlier feasibility study into Kew Bridge station was carried out in 2019 and it was hoped to get step free access to the London bound platform from Lionel Road South once the Brentford Stadium was completed. Hounslow Council said at the time that it was also working with South Western Railway and Network Rail to explore how step-free access from the country-bound platform to the street can also be delivered. No details were published of the outcome of this feasibility study.
At the same time funding was secured for other local stations including Isleworth which saw its new lifts become operational this month and Syon Lane saw a new lift and footbridge open in 2020.
Improvements at other stations in Chiswick including on the tube, the mainline network and London Overground seem to be a distant prospect at this stage. Hounslow Council said back in 2019 that it was in discussion with the owner of Chiswick Tower about ways to make Gunnersbury Station step-free, but the new owners are intending to convert the building into flats under Permitted Development Rights which it is believed reduces the chances of significant changes at the station.
Michael Adlington, South Western Railway’s Senior Accessibility and Inclusion Manager said, “We’re absolutely delighted to hear that our nominations for these eight stations have been successful.
“We work incredibly hard in collaboration with local stakeholders to submit these nominations, and so we are really pleased that SWR has secured the most successful bids of any train operator, unlocking huge investments in the communities we serve.
“We really appreciate the commitments made by partners through match funding contributions which will have been a key factor in securing this DfT investment’.
“Should the feasibility studies achieve positive outcomes, customers who use these stations will benefit from transformative accessibility upgrades in the years to come.”
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