Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston is set to reopen this weekend, after being closed for 15 months after several delays.
The station closed in August 2023 after Transport for London (TfL) announced they would be refurbishing the site.
Upgrades promised by TfL included improved accessibility, safety and customer experience as well as being ‘greener’ and more energy efficient.
Local people and passengers have welcomed the news after over a year of commuter disruption.
Kingston resident Laura Robertson said the extended closure had not only affected her commute but also her sense of safety. She told The Kingston Courier:
“Having to stand at a stop where it is quite dark and not many people around has been awful. I’m glad it’s finally opening.”
The station closed on 28 August 2023 and work was supposed to be completed by summer 2024, but was delayed by several months after a steel subcontractor involved in the project went into administration.
Work was further stalled when a high-pressure water pipe not represented on the area plans was found. Thames Water had to be called in to reroute the pipe. TfL issued an apology for the delays, but also said the setbacks were “outside of TfL’s control.”
The new site is set to open on Saturday 16 November (via TfL)
The new station has a rusted steel facade surrounding most of the site. Other improvements include a fully accessible customer information office, improved live information screens, fully accessible toilets, two new retail spaces and improved safety features – such as LED lighting and better CCTV.
The station also has a green canopy edge around the bus station to act as a natural decoration and solar panels have been installed to decrease the bus station’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Paul Thompson, another Kingston resident and bus user, did not seem impressed. He said:
“Frankly, it’s been a waste of money and a wasted opportunity. The facilities for customers/passengers are not improved – there’s still nowhere to shelter from the cold in the winter. Very poor management on TfL’s part to select a ‘sub’ contractor that wasn’t financially stable.”
Rhoda Grove, who lives nearby and suffered from mobility issues throughout the station’s closure, said she was “very glad” to see the station reopen but that the extended closure had been an ordeal for her and her partner.
“It has greatly affected us, it’s our local bus stop. We have had to go to Eden Street, a further five minutes walk for 15 months. I have had mobility issues during that whole time and this has impacted me greatly.”
