Campaigning to make Hither Green station fully accessible

Lewisham Liberal Democrats brought Caroline Pidgeon AM, the London Assembly Transport Committee Chair, to Hither Green station to see the problems passengers face in accessing the station.

Local campaigners are calling for the closed-up ramps at Hither Green Station to be re-opened to ease access to and from the station. Currently only one ramp is open to passengers using the station. Re-opening the ramps would allow direct access to the platforms, and avoid the current need to use bridges to get to and from the station.

Caroline Pidgeon said:
"Re-opening the closed ramps would massively improve access to this station for those with mobility problems, pushchairs or luggage. I have just launched a five point plan to improve train stations across the capital, and better accessibility is one of my priorities."

Local resident Paul Crudge, who uses an electronic wheelchair, is also backing the campaign. "Using Hither Green station at the moment can be a real nightmare," said Mr Crudge. "Whenever I travel back from London I can only take the Orpington train because it's the only one that stops at the one platform I can use. And if I'm traveling home from outside London I have to go all the way into central London just to get the Orpington train back to Hither Green. Opening up the ramps at Hither Green would make a huge difference."

Pete Pattisson, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Lewisham East, who is helping to organise the campaign said, "Hither Green is a very busy station, with over 2.9 million passengers each year, but no date has yet been set to make Hither Green fully accessible. Work is currently taking place at Lewisham, and is timetabled for Grove Park and Blackheath, to improve accessibility, so it's all the more important for the closed ramps to be urgently re-opened."