Passengers at East Worthing station can look forward to more space and reduced congestion after Network Rail engineers started work to widen both platforms.
The investment has been welcomed by East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, who today visited the station ahead of the start of work. Parents and teachers from nearby schools are also pleased with the improvements as the platforms can become especially busy in the after school period, when many children return home by train.
Tim has held a number of meetings with Network Rail and Southern to discuss the threat to safety that that the existing narrow platform poses to the public, especially when it becomes overcrowded with school children. Tim was joined by Local Councillors Roger Oakley and Keith Bickers at a meeting in May last year to witness the dangerously crowded conditions on the platform, particularly at going home time when the station is extensively used by pupils from both Davison’s and St Andrew’s schools. Since that meeting, Network Rail and Southern have been busy researching solutions to the problem including widening the platform. In addition, CCTV has been used to monitor the platforms at peak times. Measures have also been taken to slow the non-stopping train which hurtles through East Worthing station whilst platforms are at their peak use with many pupils dangerously close to the platform edge. The schools have been fully involved with pressing for this action and girls from Davison’s have conducted surveys showing how many pupils use the station estimated at almost a quarter of attendees at the school. Nina Vinther, a parent of a Davison pupil, has also campaigned vociferously for safety measures to be introduced,
Network Rail will widen the full length of both platforms, which are around 100m long, by 1.5m, increasing them on average to 3.75m in width. The work will not impact on train services and is scheduled for completion in May.