A “first of its kind” agreement has been sought to improve accessibility to rail stations in Hampshire including Petersfield.
The Hampshire Rail Station Interchange Plan is a plan that identifies current issues at rail interchanges and aims to address them.
It was developed in collaboration between Hampshire County Council and South Western Railway. With input from various stakeholder organisations, including Hampshire’s other train operators.
Under the plan, all 48 stations have been assessed and categorised based on usage. Recommendations for improvements aim to make stations more accessible and attractive and provide better interchange between trains and other forms of transportation.
According to council documents, Petersfield Station is the 10th busiest in Hampshire, with 1,037,738 entries recorded in 2022/2023.
Some of the recommendations for the station include:
- Creating a more even surface on the level crossing
- Exploring potential for improved bus frequency
- Develop proposals and secure funding for the complete redesign of the station rail and forecourt
- Reassess and re-contour the gradients of the pedestrian ramps to platform 1 from the car park and from Station Road
Russell Oppenheimer, county councillor for Petersfield Hangers, said: “As a local councillor, I know that we need to reduce car usage and increase active travel for the sake of the environment and our own health.
“This new policy will enable Petersfield to do that and I am optimistic that the policy will also help us to deliver improvements to the station forecourt, which are a part of the work programme of the joint Petersfield Strategy Group.”