Kew Bridge and Gunnersbury Stations to get money for step free access in new Government funding

Kew Bridge station

“This is really good news” – Andy Slaughter

While most of the focus in the national news has been on the new rail projects the Government has announced for the north of England, the Government has also announced major programme to fund accessibility at railway stations across the country, including Kew and Gunnersbury stations.

The funding covers ‘progressing to detailed designs’ at the two stations, so the money still has to be found to do the construction work, however it represents a significant step forward.

There has been a sustained campaign from Hounslow Council, Andy Slaughter MP, Ruth Cadbury MP, and local resident groups to get both stations upgraded.

Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith & Chiswick, told The Chiswick Calendar:

Andy Slaughter MP

“This is really good news. Particularly as it is for both stations, this is the news we wanted, and more than we thought they were going to do”.

The announcement was made in a written statement by Simon Lightwood MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport this afternoon and both Andy and Ruth Cadbury MP have received letters about it – Ruth about Kew station and Andy about Gunnersbury.

They do not yet know how much money has been allocated to the 23 schemes on the list, but without this money for detailed designs, the campaigns would have met “a dead end”, said Andy. The timeframe for delivering the design is either by March or autumn in 2027.

The criteria for which of those projects will then get funding for the next phase, the construction, will be the amount of match funding they have managed to attract, he told me. The local council is now expected to come up with money also.

Hounslow Council is currently going through the process whereby its Local Plan is being examined by independent inspectors accessing how realistic it is.

Gunnersbury station

Since 2006, the Access for All programme has delivered step free accessible routes at over 270 stations. Gunnersbury station is a more complicated proposition because as well as a lift it also needs a second staircase to relieve the pressure from overcrowding.

A developer was recently given planning permission to repurpose Chiswick Tower and build new homes beside it. They have promised to safeguard the land needed to do the station upgrade, provided TfL and Network Rail do technical designs within a certain time period.

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“I hope this money from the Government will justify the money for the rest of the work. It pushes the project along”, said Andy.

Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council

Commenting on the announcement, Labour Leader of Hounslow Council, Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, said:

“We’ve been campaigning for this for years. The previous Tory government made false promises, writing cheques they couldn’t cash.

“With sustained pressure from this Labour Council, our two brilliant Labour MPs, Andy Slaughter and Ruth Cadbury – as well as the tireless work of local community groups – this Labour Government is delivering for people in Chiswick.

“Their hard work cannot be overstated. We will continue to push for further progress at both stations as well as for stations across our borough.

“The fact that this news comes just after London Labour Councils successfully blocked plans to potentially restrict the Freedom Pass for older residents, shows that only one party is committed to making London accessible for all”.

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