Passengers using Gipsy Hill are experiencing a markedly improved station environment following a comprehensive, customer-focused upgrade led by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). The transformation is already delivering measurable benefits, with customer satisfaction rising by 11 percentage points—from 79% to 90%.
The south London station is the second of three pilot sites selected to trial GTR’s “Model Stations” concept, an initiative aimed at creating a more consistent, intuitive and welcoming railway environment. With GTR managing one of the UK’s largest station portfolios, the ambition is to scale successful elements of the scheme across its network of 236 stations.
At its core, the programme aligns closely with wider industry priorities—delivering a more reliable railway, improving customer confidence, and ensuring value for money as the sector moves towards the establishment of Great British Railways.
A holistic approach to station transformation
Rather than focusing solely on infrastructure, the Gipsy Hill project has taken a holistic view of the passenger experience. Improvements span physical design, digital information, staff training, and community partnerships—all aimed at creating a seamless journey from arrival to departure.
Key changes include:
- Decluttering and zoning of the station into clearly defined areas for journey planning, ticket purchasing and boarding
- Upgraded lighting, flooring and paintwork to create a brighter, more welcoming environment
- Enhanced wayfinding with modern signage that is easier to read from a distance
- Installation of new customer information screens, offering real-time updates including carriage length, accessibility features and departure times
- Introduction of an interactive journey planning screen, including British Sign Language functionality
A new coffee shop and refreshed ticket retail area also add to the improved customer offering, while targeted messaging promotes rail as a sustainable travel choice.
Customer service at the forefront
Crucially, the Model Stations concept extends beyond physical improvements to focus heavily on people. All frontline staff at Gipsy Hill have completed GTR’s “Great Journey Makers” training programme, designed to enhance service quality and encourage more meaningful interactions with passengers.
Louis Rambaud, Chief Customer Officer at GTR, emphasised the importance of both people and partnerships in delivering the initiative:
“We want to create a blueprint for stations across the country, one that creates environments that passengers find welcoming, clean and comfortable, safe, secure, digitised, accessible and inclusive with ‘model staff’ serving their communities and customers.
“We can’t transform the UK’s entire network of stations in one go but creating a clear outline of expected outcomes will ensure that future investment is spent wisely and efficiently, delivering the best outcome for taxpayers and passengers alike.
“Key to the success of the model stations concept is the people who both use and work at our stations. We’ve built on our already strong partnership with the Friends of Gipsy Hill, who are essential partners in both helping us understand the needs of passengers and also helping us keep the station garden blooming.
"We have brilliant teams at each of our three pilot stations who have been through our new Great Journey Makers training programme, and we want to promote their amazing attitudes. We’ll be inviting our managers to visit these completed locations, to take pictures and consider how they can bring their stations up to a similar standard.
“This is not just about monetary investment. Significant improvements can be made right away at low cost simply by looking at stations through the eyes of our customers. For example, working with community groups like the Friends of Gipsy Hill makes a huge difference and really helps root stations within their communities through a range of locally led customer focused initiatives.”
Strong community and stakeholder backing
The completion of the scheme was marked with a ribbon-cutting event on 3 July, attended by key stakeholders including local representatives and industry leaders.
Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, highlighted the local impact:
“The improvements at Gipsy Hill have already made a real difference to the daily journeys of my constituents, and the simplicity of this project is what makes it so successful.
“Railway stations are at the heart of our communities and it is uplifting to see the great partnership work between Southern, the Friends of Gipsy Hill and Lambeth Council to make this possible, and ensure the station reflects the identity of the local area.”
Community group involvement has been a defining feature of the project. Andy Scholes, Treasurer of the Friends of Gipsy Hill, said:
“By working collaboratively with GTR, the council, our local MP Helen Hayes and our brilliant members, we’ve been able to really build upon Gipsy Hill’s local identity right here at the station.
"Our organisation is rooted in the station’s history and we’re pleased to be celebrating its 170th birthday this year. Neither us nor the railway could do what we do without each other and we’re very excited for the future here.”
A scalable model for the wider network
Gipsy Hill was deliberately selected due to its mixed accessibility profile, allowing GTR to test how the concept performs across different station types and passenger needs. The first pilot at Enfield Chase has already been completed, with Elstree & Borehamwood next in line.
Alex Hynes, Chief Executive of DFTO, framed the initiative within the broader context of rail reform:
"The Model Stations programme at GTR exemplifies the modern, customer-focused railway we are building for our customers.
“With eight in ten passenger journeys made on one of our publicly-owned operators, there's a great opportunity to share successes from this scheme across the country as we work together to build a better railway for everyone in Britain.”
Photo credits: GTR
