Major improvements to improve accessibility at Surrey Quays station
- Station to have step-free access to both platforms for the first time
- The new entrance will provide easier and more direct access to new housing development and Surrey Quays Shopping Centre
- Improvements to the Windrush line will boost capacity to meet growing demand along the route
Work to deliver step-free access to both platforms at Surrey Quays station is progressing well and remains on track for completion in summer 2026, improving accessibility and transforming journeys for thousands of customers.
In a major milestone last month, a prefabricated footbridge was safely lifted into position during a weekend closure of the Windrush line. When completed, this new footbridge with stairs leading to all platforms will provide relief to the existing narrow staircases, which can often suffer from congestion at peak times.
Work on the new second station entrance and ticket hall on platform 2 is also progressing well, with a timber roof and the external roof system now installed. Work continues on installing the two new lifts that will provide step-free access for the first-time to both platforms, helping those who have mobility impairments and parents with pushchairs.
Once the work is completed at Surrey Quays station, customers will have easier and more direct access to Canada Water, British Land and AustralianSuper's 53-acre masterplan that will see thousands of new homes, leisure and retail amenity and new workspaces being developed over the next decade. This brand-new entrance on the opposite side of Lower Road, will feature a new spacious ticket hall, along with a new gateline that is expected to welcome 60 per cent of customers using the station. This will ease congestion at the busiest times at the existing entrance located on the south side of Lower Road.
Scott Haxton, Director of Capital Delivery - Infrastructure, said: "Major improvements at Surrey Quays station remain on track to be delivered in summer 2026, transforming the journeys for thousands of customers who use the station every day. New lifts will make it more accessible for everyone, and the new entrance will provide better connections with the local area. These station improvements will support the new homes and jobs being created in Canada Water area."
Miles Price, Planning Director at British Land, said: "The new entrance at Surrey Quays station is one of a number of significant upgrades to local transport infrastructure that British Land is facilitating to support delivery of the Canada Water Masterplan.
"We're delighted that our development has enabled TfL's work, with upfront funding supporting its delivery early in our 10-year masterplan. The new entrance, which features an impressive new ticket hall and provides step-free access at the station for the first time, will improve the journey experience for existing local residents and visitors to Canada Water alike."
The development of Surrey Quays station is part of a wider programme of improvements for this London Overground route, which will help unlock 14,000 new homes. This project is funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of its Housing Infrastructure Programme with a contribution from British Land.
The Windrush line, which serves Surrey Quays station, is also currently being upgraded to enable more trains to operate on the route and boost capacity to meet growing demand. TfL has completed several power upgrades and train signalling enhancements have been completed that will allow an increased frequency of 18 trains per hour between Surrey Quays and Dalston Junction from late 2026. These proposals support the provision of 7,000 new homes in the boroughs of Southwark and Lewisham.
Rory O'Neill, General Manager for London Overground, said: "There are still future proposals for a new station called Surrey Canal between Surrey Quays and Queens Road Peckham on the Windrush line. Subject to funding, this new station would serve a brand-new major housing scheme called New Bermondsey, boosting the number of new homes from an initial 7,000 to 14,000. This second phase would also enable a further capacity increase on the Windrush line to 20 trains per hour."
Notes to editors
- Carbon reduction has been a focal point throughout the design process for Surrey Quays, with a number of carbon reduction opportunities identified. Features include: using temporary propping to reduce pile depth, hollowcore slab or metal deck in the ticket hall instead of post-tensioned slab, cross-laminated timber roof instead of metal deck slab, steel wall panels, with the steel sourced from UK and European Union.
About Canada Water:
The Canada Water Masterplan is a 50:50 joint venture between British Land and AustralianSuper, working in partnership with Southwark Council to create a new town centre for London.
The Masterplan is a 53-acre, mixed-use scheme that will deliver around two million sq ft of workspace, one million sq ft of retail, leisure, entertainment, education and community space, and between 2,000-4,000 new homes.
With wellbeing embedded and buildings to support low carbon living, the project will also create 12 acres of new open space, including a 3.5-acre park, 16 new streets, a new Town Square and the first new high street in London for 100 years.
The Masterplan was granted permission in late 2019. In March 2022 British Land entered into a 50:50 joint venture with AustralianSuper, Australia's biggest profit-to-member pension fund, providing additional funding to accelerate the major regeneration scheme, with Phase 1 expected to complete in 2025.