South London train station to get more comfortable seating and a local history board in £50k upgrade
A 19th century train station in South London will see a series of upgrades including improved seating and a local history installation. Southeastern Railway has announced it will be providing up to £50,000 to the Greenwich Society to improve Greenwich train station.
The project will reportedly improve the station by removing excess signage, adding comfortable seating and creating a local history information board. Artwork from local schools and colleges is also intended to be displayed in the Grade II listed station, which dates back to 1840.
A spokesperson for the Greenwich Society told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Greenwich Society is delighted to receive a grant to upgrade Greenwich Station as a Grade II listed building and gateway to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site which draws millions of visitors each year."
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They added: "It also reflects that it was the first mainline metro railway built on viaducts from London Bridge and Deptford in 1836. It's Railway 200 celebrations in 2025 [celebrating the 200th anniversary of the modern railway] so even more appropriate! We look forward to working with Southeastern to achieve this."
The grant comes as part of a wider project from Southeastern Railway to fund 13 community projects across its network in South East London, Kent and East Sussex to deliver social value and reduce inequality. The scheme will also see four community singing events coming to Westcombe Park station in Greenwich in an effort to combat isolation while supporting refugees and disadvantaged groups.
A program across schools in Brixton, Lewisham and Kent is envisioned to help encourage environmental initiatives such as rail travel. A set of 20 blue plaques are also planned for the Hastings area to commemorate railways heroes, with other sites benefitting from the scheme including Gravesend, Folkestone and Dartford.
Damian Testa, Southeastern's Head of Public Affairs, said: "Our railway sits at the heart of communities, not only getting people from A to B, but also driving economic growth and jobs, and helping people break down barriers to reach their potential."
He added: "At Southeastern, we are an industry leader in improving social mobility and we are proud to be able to help these projects unlock opportunities to make a positive difference across the areas we serve."
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