The Department for Transport has allocated £5.5 million to fund the early design and development stage for an upgraded Lewisham station.

Network Rail, working with Transport for London and Lewisham Council secured the funding from the DfT to develop the plans for what could be a major upgrade of the rather shabby and overcrowded station.

It’s not just the appearance and overcrowding at the moment that’s an issue, it’s what will happen if the Bakerloo line extension is built. At the moment, they predict that passengers using National Rail services will double between 2011-2031 to approximately 10,000 in the morning peak. If the Bakerloo line extension is constructed, then passenger numbers could nearly double to around 18,000 passengers in the morning peak.

Lewisham Council have also previously called for the London Overground to be extended to the station, which would further increase demand.

Network Rail said that if approvals for the upgrade are granted, passengers can look forward to a signature ‘gateway’ station fit for the future. This includes provision for increased capacity on the DLR – funded for 2023 – and the proposed Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham.

It’s still at an early stage and the wider upgrade proposals, beyond the design stage, are not yet funded and still subject to planning approval.

In the meantime, as part of the South East Upgrade, Network Rail is investing £250 million in the track and signalling through the Lewisham area.

Recently there has been a 30% reduction in the number of signalling, track and other infrastructure faults in the wider Lewisham area. However, because the area is so busy and congested, with more than half of all Southeastern trains travelling through it, even minor incidents can have a major knock-on impact.

The signalling upgrade project is due to last around 4 years.

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3 comments
  1. Melvyn says:

    Given the amount of redevelopment that has occurred around Lewisham it’s a pity this was not done several years ago .

    The problems at Lewisham is not just the Station but the network of lines which cross the area causing Station platforms to not always be straight thus creating gaps between platforms and trains . While interchange is affected by lines having stations that are separate from each other.

    It’s a pity a proper plan was not developed by the last Mayor of London !

    • Victoria Line says:

      No thought has been given to dealing with the growth of passenger numbers at the Lewisham stations brought about by the mushrooming of high rise developments. A new station hub is overdue, but at the current rate of development, it will be overwhelmed in a matter of a few years.

      The gaps on platforms 2 and 3 are frightening and I don’t know how people have not fallen into them. I am increasingly reluctant to use trains from these platforms as my ability to leap the gap is diminishing.

  2. Babs Wilson says:

    The comparatively recent rejigging of the station was totally ill-thought out. Hardly anywhere to sit and nowhere inside when the wind whips straight through the lobby. And yes nothing done about those awful and dangerous gaps between the platforms and the trains. I’ve never got used to them and I so pity visitors who are new to the station. It must come as quite a shock.

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