Saxmundham railway station upgrade scheme complete

The completion of a £1.3 million upgrade for Saxmundham station in Suffolk will be marked with a ceremony at the station today (24 September).

Local MP and government minister Dr Therese Coffey MP will join representatives from Greater Anglia, local authorities, the East Suffolk Lines community rail partnership and the East Suffolk Travellers Association to herald the conclusion of the major project to improve the station with a range of enhancements.

The most significant initiative is the remodelling of the station building with a new waiting room for passengers, with seating and air conditioning, plus wi-fi access, and laptop and phone charging points. There is also a new area for self-service ticket machines, the platform canopy has been refurbished and the station area is now covered by CCTV.

The substantial investment in better customer facilities follows a devastating fire in 2018 which caused such severe damage to the original building that the roof and first floor had collapsed into the building itself.

In addition to the revamp and remodelling of the station building, a new northbound platform 2 has been installed, with a new shelter and seating (replacing the old platform). In addition, the access ramp was refurbished and the fence to the rear of the platform was replaced.

The car park has also been upgraded and extended, with 48 parking bays, two blue badge parking bays and motorcycle parking, all covered by improved CCTV, and new landscaped areas. The car park  benefits from new lighting and new access to the southbound platform.

Meanwhile a new wildlife garden is being created by the station adopters, Sally Ford and Deborah Dann, which has been kindly funded by East Suffolk District Council and Saxmundham Town Council.

Sally and Deborah are creating a number of wildflower areas at the station, including a large area at the bottom of the car park. They plan to install a hedgehog house and use recycled wood to create refuges for insects and other small invertebrates, as well as putting up bird boxes.

They will also receive help from award winning garden designer, Frederic Whyte, who has been commissioned by the Town Council to design a planting scheme for the borders at the front of the station.

The extensive improvements at the station provide a much better interchange for customers and compliment the benefits provided by the high-quality new trains on the East Suffolk line, as well as creating a really positive gateway to the town.

Greater Anglia’s Asset Management Director, Simone Bailey, said: “Seeing the lovely old building ravaged by fire was devastating. We initially thought that the entire building would have to be demolished.

“We’re pleased to have worked closely with the community, listening to their views to come up with an upgrade programme which, although it does not reinstate the entire building, keeps its character and improves the facilities.

“We have worked with several contractors throughout this project and would like to thank them all for their hard work. We would also like to thank customers for their patience while the work was carried out. We are so pleased with the finished result and we hope customers and the local community enjoy the benefits.”

Photo credit: Greater Anglia

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