Network Rail is ready to start work on a major scheme to improve accessibility for passengers at Finsbury Park railway station – a key location on the network and a strategic interchange for services across London.
Work is being carried out in partnership with Transport for London and Govia Thameslink Railway and will begin on Saturday 21 July. Funding for the project has been made available through the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme.
Two new lifts will be installed to serve platforms 3/4 and 7/8, which means that the entire station will finally have step-free access. But the work will not disrupt any train services and the impact on locals and passengers will be kept to a minimum.
Engineers will also carry out a series of other passenger improvements, including:
- Updating the signs making it easier for people using the station
- Laying tactile paving along the platforms and improving the floor surfacing
- Upgrading the platform lighting
- Additional CCTV cameras
- Moving the ticket gates from Platform 3/4 to the entrance in Station Place, making it easier for people to move through the station.
Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, Paul Rutter, said: “Since receiving the Access for All funding, we’ve worked closely with local stakeholders and accessibility groups to find the best option for passengers, whilst at the same time, designing the scheme to minimise the disruption as much as possible.”
Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, added: “It is brilliant to see work beginning on these vital improvements, funded by our Access for All programme.”
“Our ambition is that the entire transport network is accessible to every passenger by 2030, and these works will help build a more modern, inclusive system.”
Tom Moran, Managing Director for Thameslink and Great Northern, said: “We’re committed to making our services accessible for everyone, and this scheme will improve journeys for many thousands of our customers, particularly people for whom the lack of lifts made some platforms difficult to use. Network Rail have worked closely with us to minimise disruption during the work.”
To ensure everyone’s safety, Stroud Green Road which runs next to the station, will be closed over one weekend from 06:00 on Saturday 31 July until 17:00 on Sunday 1 August. A signposted diversion will be put in place for motorists.
A section of the footpath and cycle path on one side of Stroud Green Road, running under the bridge of the station, will also remain closed. During this time, cyclists must dismount and cross to the other side of the road for the length of the bridge, where they will then be able to continue using the cycle lane on the opposite side.
