A new footbridge spanning all platforms at Hither Green station opened on Friday 2 October, marking the first publicly accessible element of a wider £28 million upgrade. The bridge is initially reachable from the platforms, with existing station entrances remaining in use while lift installations and new access points are built.
First visible milestone at busy Zone 3 interchange
The newly opened structure runs across all six platforms at the Lewisham station, where the Sevenoaks line and the Dartford loop via Sidcup converge. It follows recent installation works and provides a clear over-track route for passengers as the longer-term accessibility programme continues. The opening has been staged to keep people moving through the station while construction of step-free connections proceeds.
The broader scheme is designed to benefit a location handling around three million entries and exits a year and roughly half a million interchanges. Current interchange routes can involve awkward detours for passengers with mobility needs. The upgrade is intended to resolve that by delivering step-free links across the station once complete, without removing existing means of entry during the build.
What the full upgrade will deliver by autumn 2027
The programme forms part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All initiative. Its scope includes four new 16-person lifts and new staircases connected to the footbridge, two new accessible entrances at Fernbrook Road and Springbank Road, and a link passageway between platforms 4 and 5. Plans also include widening platforms 1 and 6 to improve circulation, alongside new CCTV, public-address and customer information systems. Landscaping, replanting and reinstatement of a local nature reserve are incorporated within the project footprint.
These elements are not yet open to passengers. The project team is working toward overall completion in autumn 2027, when the new Fernbrook Road and Springbank Road entrances are expected to open and create an accessible route throughout the station. Until then, the newly opened bridge provides an additional crossing while core accessibility components are installed and commissioned.
Access today and what changes next
With the bridge now in service via the platforms, passengers can continue to use the existing subway and staircase entrances during construction. This phased approach keeps the station operational while work progresses on lift shafts, entrance structures and associated systems. The previous footbridge remains in place for the time being and is due for dismantling at a later stage, following the transition to the new layout.
Passengers will see further changes on site as lift towers are fitted out and the two new entrances take shape on either side of the railway. Work to deliver the platforms 1 and 6 widening, the new passageway between platforms 4 and 5, and the station technology upgrades will proceed in sequence as part of the same programme. The operator and infrastructure teams have stated that the ambition is to enable more reliable and inclusive journeys through one of south-east London’s busiest interchanges once the full scheme is finished.
Contractor and timeline
The Hither Green works are being managed by Network Rail with principal contractor BAM Nuttall. Enabling activity began in late 2024, followed by main construction in 2025 and over-track steelwork installation in 2025–26 culminating in the bridge opening. The remaining phases run through to the anticipated autumn 2027 completion, when the lifts and new entrances are scheduled to open to passengers. Until then, all current station entrances stay available and the new bridge is accessed from the platforms only, as the step-free elements and new access points are not yet in service.
