Platforms have been extended at three stations in Sussex, so they can accommodate longer trains.
The new platforms at Cooksbridge, Lancing and Goring-by-Sea will improve accessibility and reduce overcrowding for commuters and leisure travellers and ensure that trains calling at those stations don’t block level crossings.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the train company that operates Southern services, will increase the length of some trains operating along coastal routes to Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing and Littlehampton to eight carriages, increasing capacity.
Multi-disciplinary engineering services contractor Dyer & Butler carried out the platform extension works on behalf of Network Rail, as part of the overall £150 million Gatwick Airport station renovation scheme.
The platform extensions were constructed from an Expanded Polystyrene System (EPS) supplied, designed and installed by MegaTech Projects. This system has now been used at a number of Network Rail stations and is renowned for its light weight and ease of installation.
Paul Harwood, regional investment director for Network Rail, said: “These works support the vital Gatwick Airport station upgrade and the platform extensions will ensure we continue to provide a railway, which meets the needs of the communities and economies we serve in years to come.
“We look forward to passengers reaping the benefits of more spacious, more frequent and longer trains which will provide more people with opportunities to travel.”
Chris Darlow, rail director at Dyer & Butler, commented: “We are delighted to have successfully completed this platform extension programme on behalf of Network Rail.
“The increased platform capacity and the introduction of the longer trains will greatly transform the experience of passengers and likewise progress the service of the railway to ensure that journeys are safe and comfortable for all.”
I got held up by a carriage in its regular ‘halfway across the road’ at Cooksbridge last Friday (31st July). Is the work complete?