Southeastern passengers to benefit as Plumstead station upgrade shows good progress
A project to upgrade Plumstead station is coming along well with new lift shafts now installed.
Yellow brick is now in place as accessibility improvements move forward as part of the Access For All project funded by the DfT.
An attractive bridge dating from 1892 is also being retained after Network Rail’s initial plan to remove it met with opposition.
Turns out it could be made accessible while retaining attractive features but required a bit of effort.
Network Rail are undertaking work and state that completion is expected by spring 2024.
Future users
It’s good news for both existing users and thousands of people set to move into thousands of new homes being built at three sites in the near vicinity.
The image below show work at the biggest, where almost 2,000 homes are planned.
Note Plumstead sidings in the foreground used by Southeastern. There’s space to expand these in time on what were former freight lines. It was formerly far more extensive with rail lines to Royal Arsenal also leaving the mainline here.
Some of the site was used by Crossrail during construction work but has now passed back to Network Rail and used to store materials.
Other nearby sites include 333 homes at a former care home.
As well as hundreds more at a rebuilt college site.
That site is six minutes walk to Plumstead station or 10 to Woolwich.
Of course many will take advantage of the Elizabeth line, for example, though the Southeastern line does still offer many popular destinations such as London Bridge, Lewisham and Greenwich.
Despite work on accessibility and the business of the station plus many new homes in the area, the station remains often unstaffed most if not all day.
It’s been that way for years but recently worsened with the DfT trying to cut costs.
