Motspur Park station, in southwest London, is the latest to get an upgrade to provide lifts and step-free access, with construction works due to start next month.

The station is currently an island platform between the railway tracks, with a footbridge linking the station with roads on either side of the railway. A ticket office is on the platform, along with a closed waiting room.

The footbridge is awkwardly designed, with steps up to the footbridge from the streets, over the railway, and then down another set of steps, before a right angle turn and down more steps to the station platform.

Adding step-free access to the station requires a major rebuild, with a brand new footbridge supporting three large lifts. The existing station footbridge and platform building will also be fully demolished to make way for a new ticket office, staff area and public waiting area.

The demolition of the station platform buildings is partly because they’re quite shabby, but mainly because the new footbridge and lifts will take up more space, right where the current buildings are. So the facilities need to be moved further down the platform, in new buildings. That also means the closed waiting room can be opened up again.

The current footbridge is also open to the elements, and the replacement will be fully enclosed.

The lifts being supplied are Network Rail standard 16-person lifts designed to be large enough for powered wheelchairs. Ideally, the lift would have doors on both sides so users don’t have to reverse backwards out of a lift, but that’s only possible here on the platform. The lifts at the street entrances will have the doors on just one side due to space constraints.

Due to the constrained site location, most of the footbridge structure will be assembled off-site, and then craned into position when ready.

As the new footbridge sits slightly to one side of the existing one, they will be able to keep the station open during the works, although the existing footbridge will be partially replaced with a scaffolding one during works on the platform.

Once the new footbridge is commissioned, the remains of the old one will be demolished, although that will need to take place before the eastern stairs are completed, so there will be a short period when people will have to use the western stairs to get in and out of the station.

Work on the new footbridge and lifts is due to begin in early April.

Merton Councillor Stephen Alambritis, Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring improvements forward for Motspur Park station. Delivering step-free access here will hugely benefit the local community, allowing those with mobility impairments to travel further and more freely as well as bringing safety improvements for all travellers.”

The upgrade is being funded by the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme.

If it ever gets built, then Crossrail 2 trains will also call at Motspur Park station, doubling the number of trains that currently call there per hour during peak times to roughly one every five minutes.