In partnership with the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ scheme (AfA), an investment of over £8million means that the station is now much easier to use for customers that are wheelchair users, have limited mobility, or are travelling with heavy luggage, bicycles and pushchairs.
Work on the project began at the end of January 2024 and involved the installation of three new 16-person lifts, providing step free access to each platform from the main entrance of the station up to platform level, linked by a new footbridge.
A new emergency staircase has also been constructed, and new CCTV cameras and lighting installed.
The existing subway at the station is to be retained and will remain open to customers.
The station remained open throughout the work. Final testing has been completed, and the lifts are now open to customers.
Shortlands is the latest station in Kent and south east London to benefit from accessibility upgrades as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) AfA scheme, following Canterbury East (August 2021), St Mary Cray (Jan 2022), Chatham (November 2022), Petts Wood (December 2023), Bexley (April 2023), Plumstead (November 2024) and Herne Bay (April 2024).
David Davidson, Network Rail’s Kent route director, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to open our latest Access for All scheme at Shortlands, which will provide step-free access to those in wheelchairs, or with pushchairs or heavy luggage to be able to reach their trains.
“We want our railway to be as inclusive as possible and Access for All is opening up travel by rail to more and more people. The newly opened lifts at Shortlands makes it a hat-trick of good news stories for our step-free stations. It follows on from the lifts that opened at Herne Bay earlier this month, and the £28million funding award for an Access for All scheme at Hither Green, which will complete in 2027.”
Steve White, Southeastern’s Managing Director, said: “This is greatly encouraging, and it will be warmly welcomed by the increasing number of people with accessibility needs who are travelling by rail.
“We are always looking to do complementary work with our South East Alliance partner, Network Rail, when they are delivering these schemes and, to further improve the travel experience at Shortlands, we have added an extra Help Point and re-positioned customer information screens.
“These lifts will provide step free access from street to platform. In parallel, we are working to replace our older Metro trains with a more modern and accessible fleet which will ease boarding from platform to train. This procurement process is ongoing.”
