Funding has been secured to build a second entrance at Wandsworth Town station, and add step-free access for the first time. The station is elevated up on a railway viaduct, with an entrance on the south side leading to an arch that runs under the railway with stairs up to the four platforms.
The existing southern entrance was built in 2011, to replace a very 1980s style post-modern entrance that was not much more than a glorified railway arch.
(c) Google Street View
Subject to final approvals, a new entrance will be created on the north side of the station, so people on the north side no longer have to walk along the narrow and rather grim pavement under the railway bridge next to the station. The second entrance also significantly increases the capacity of the ticket halls, with more gatelines for people to use. The second entrance would sit in front of the railway arch that’s currently blocked off and would give a through-passage to all platforms.
(c) Google Street View
Network Rail has estimated that the construction cost of the second entrance is in the range of £3.4 to £3.9 million. To pay for the upgrade, Wandsworth Council has secured £2.8 million, mostly from a property developer that’s turning the former Homebase store next to the station into flats.
The remaining £600,000 to £1.1 million needed to build the entrance is also expected to be sourced from property developer contributions.
According to the council, the detailed design stage will cost approximately £240,000 and be funded entirely by developer contributions. Additionally, the council is putting £650,000 towards making Wandsworth Town station step-free as part of the Department for Transport’s existing ‘Access for All’ Scheme that was announced in 2019.
If approved, the new entrance will be built by Network Rail, using the funds provided by Wandsworth Council.
The proposal is coming up for debate at the next Transport Committee meeting at the Council, being on 29th June for formal approval.
Although not part of this specific upgrade, the housing development next to the railway is also proposing to supply a 30-bike docking station next to the new station entrance for use by TfL’s cycle hire bikes.
The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway.
It IS a bit annoying looking left at the bricked up wall where this entrance will be as you come down the stairs from the Up platform.
But I’m going to miss being dripped on navigating my way through the sepulchral gloom under the seemingly endless bridge.