Greenwich railway station set for new seating and history installation after funding
By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
A 19th century railway station will see a series of upgrades including improved seating and a history installation.
Southeastern Railway has announced it will be providing up to £50,000 to the Greenwich Society to improve Greenwich railway station.
The project will reportedly improve the station by removing excess signage, adding comfortable seating and creating a history information board.
Artwork by students from Greenwich schools and colleges are also set to be displayed in the Grade II listed station, which dates back to 1840.
A spokeswoman for the Greenwich Society said: “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.
“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.
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.
“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.”
Pictured top: Greenwich railway station reportedly dates back to the mid-19th century (Picture: Google Street View)