Hampshire County Council, South Western Railway and Network Rail begin £353,000 project to improve disabled access at Totton railway station

A £353,000 project to improve disabled access at a busy New Forest railway station has begun.

Expected to take around four weeks, contractors will create a second entrance to the platform on the southern side of Totton station to make it easier for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.

Hampshire County Council has teamed up with South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail to provide step-free access to the station.

The improvements have been funded by a £238,000 grant from the Department for Transport's Access for All fund with extra contributions from SWR and the county council, bringing the total spend to £353,000.

Cllr Neville Penman, a Totton and Eling town councillor, has been championing the scheme for over two years. He called the revamp “a great help”.

He added: “I have been working with Southampton Football Club’s disabled supporters and I know that when they come back from a game or even going to Southampton for shopping they have to go on to Brockenhurst, change platforms and then come back to Totton to get off on platform one.”

The scheme involves creating a new public footway connecting the southern (westbound) platform to the High Street, with a crossing point with tactile paving to assist visually impaired pedestrians.

The county council’s cabinet member for universal services, Cllr Nick Adams-King, said he was pleased there would now be an “obstacle-free route” for people using Totton station.

“This is an important travel link for residents and people visiting the town and these improvements will make train travel a more attractive and easier option for those who are mobility restricted”, he added.

SWR senior regional development manager Phil Dominey added: "From speaking to our customers and stakeholders we understand the big difference that step-free access at this station will mean for the local community. We're delighted to be working with Hampshire County Council to make it a reality."

Network Rail’s Wessex route director, Matt Pocock, said the company was committed to making the railway as accessible as possible to help ensure everyone can benefit from the green and sustainable form of travel.

“We want as many people as possible to leave their cars at home and use the railway as their preferred method of travelling”, he added.

“We have a large number of schemes in progress to make our stations step-free and easy to use and we look forward to working with our partners on this project to upgrade Totton station.”