Published on: Thursday, 30 July 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Passengers using Prittlewell station willsoon benefit from a more welcoming and attractive station environment as trainoperator Abellio Greater Anglia begins a complete refurbishment project.
Work is underway to refurbish the station,which was built in 1889 and serves over 80,000 passengers every year.
Abellio Greater Anglia will carry out repairsto the station canopy and platforms, a complete repaint, lighting improvements,the construction of a new, improved waiting room and the installation of a newticket vending machine (TVM).
The new waiting room will see the dividingwall between the existing booking hall and waiting room removed to create alarger, brighter space. The new waiting room will benefit from DDA compliantpush button automatic doors, a train departure summary screen and energy-efficientheating, as well as new flooring and seating and redecoration in AbellioGreater Anglia colours. It will also offer passengers the opportunity to chargelaptops and mobile phones and work while they wait with a specially-made wall-mountedwork top with plug sockets and three bar stools.
The waiting room and platforms are alsobenefiting from new wooden style benches which replace the older style metalbenches. The new seating, supplied by Macemain and Amstad, will improve theappearance of the platforms and is compliant with the requirements of theDisability Discrimination Act to ensure ease of use by those with mobilityissues.
A new ticket vending machine will also beinstalled at the station and means that passengers will be able to purchasetheir train tickets before they travel and even collect tickets which they havebought online.
The station entrance will be repaintedalong with the footbridge and all timber, steel work and lighting columnsaround the station. The existing lighting in the station will also be upgradedwhere required.
Neil Grabham, Head of Customer Service -East, said, “This is a really exciting project for the station which willdeliver a much-improved, more comfortable waiting environment for ourpassengers and will restore the station to its former glory. Investing in upgrades to stations across thenetwork is extremely important to Abellio Greater Anglia, demonstrating ourcommitment to providing excellent facilities and service to our customers. Iwould like to thank customers for their patience while the work is beingcarried out.”