Bosses say work to ‘improve the passenger experience’ at a major London station is almost complete. The project includes installing new ticket gates, which are set to come into use at some point between the spring and summer.
Officials say that customers using Victoria station can look forward to ‘faster and easier journeys’ through the interchange as the project will ‘reduce congestion’ on platforms and at ticket gates.
The work will also enable more trains to run on time, as crowds at ticket gates mean people take longer to get on and off trains and platforms. This leads to delayed trains at busy times.
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By adding more ticket gates and additional wider gates, Network Rail says, people will be able to board and alight more quickly. This is expected to improve punctuality.
The project will:
- Create a spacious new thoroughfare between platform 14 and the existing escalators to the Victoria Place Shopping Centre
- Create more space for additional ticket gates by relocating the Gatwick Express ticket to within the existing Southern ticket office
- Demolish existing gateline retail units, with new ones being constructed
- Add new travel information screens throughout the station
‘Grateful to our passengers for bearing with us’
Des O’Dwyer, Network Rail’s project manager said: “Victoria wasn’t originally designed for the number of passengers using it today, and there can be times when it is very congested. To reduce crowding we’re introducing additional gates, and larger concourses for passengers.
“We’re increasing the number of ticket gates, adding new, wider gates and upgrading eleven others to make them fully automatic so that we can open up and expand the station concourse area.”
Elison Banan, Network Rail’s London Victoria station manager said: “I’m pleased to say that the finishing line is within sight, and passengers will see the gates coming into use by the summer. We’re really grateful to our passengers who’ve been bearing with us while we’ve been working on this project – journeys are soon to get easier and faster through the station as the new gates come online and the concourses are opened up.”
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