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

This includes toilet refurbishments and the addition of wide gates at Richmond Station as part of the investment project.

78 stations stretching the South of England have been revamped and restored thanks to SWR's infrastructure and property teams.  

The train network say the 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.  

This come as SWR officially announce two major station improvement projects this week.

On Friday, 26 July, SWR will 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.

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. 

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."

South Western Railway has completed over 100 station improvement projects at stations on its network (credit: Cesar Medina).

Richmond Station improvements

Toilet refurbishments:

• 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.  

New and refurbished accessible toilets:

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

Additional wide aisle gate:

• 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.