Platform extension granted for Sutton stations (From Surrey Comet)

Platform extension granted for Sutton stations

8:40am Sunday 22nd January 2012 in Sutton By James Pepper

Platform extension granted for Sutton stations

Passengers tired of hearing how "customers for Hackbridge and Carshalton Beeches must board the first eight coaches of the train" will be relieved to hear the platforms are set for an extension.

Following the news Southern, which manage the stations, placed an order for 130 new carriages, there were fears some of the borough's stations would not benefit from extended trains.

However, with many Southern trains being enlarged from eight carriages to 10, the company have confirmed the platforms at the two stations will indeed be lengthened to accommodate them.

A spokesman for Southern said: "Longer 10-car trains will be introduced on some of our busiest Metro routes into Victoria, including routes via Gipsy Hill, Norbury and Hackbridge when the winter 2013 timetable comes into effect in December of that year.

"Not all of our stations have the capability to accommodate 10-car trains, but the platforms at Carshalton Beeches and Hackbridge stations will be lengthened to do this by the time the trains are introduced. This is very much in the planning stage, so at the moment, a schedule for the work has not yet been determined."

In December it was announced Hackbridge station is to get a £350,000 facelift.

The work, set to begin this year, is aimed at making the station more accessible for passengers, especially older and disabled people and those with pushchairs or luggage.

Changes include a new step-free path from London Road to platform two, an accessible toilet, an adjustable ticket counter and automatic doors.