Public/private sector partnership delivers £6m revamp of Crawley Station

The rail station in Crawley, West Sussex, has been given a makeover as part of a £6m public/private sector partnership involving Network Rail, Southern, Crawley Borough Council and Arora Group. The revamped station features an upgraded concourse and more bike parking.

Over the past year, Network Rail has been working with Southern, Crawley Borough Council and Arora Group to improve the station, built in the 1960s.

Part of the work included extending the concourse, re-glazing the ticket hall, improving signage and installing additional ticket gates that have been widened to improve accessibility.

Two-tier, lift and lock cycle storage facilities have been extended, with an additional 44 bike spaces.

As part of a wider scheme planned for the area around the station – a new public footbridge over the railway will be built.

The station refurbishments form part of a wider programme led by Crawley Borough Council and aims to redevelop Crawley town centre.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s interim Sussex route director, said: “It’s great to see that Crawley station has been given a new lease of life – this was the first major upgrade to facilities in over 40 years.

“The key focus of this project was to improve the overall passenger experience and make the surrounding environment feel more welcoming to the wider community.

“The teams prioritised developing spaces for passengers to relax before and after making their journeys which is why a larger waiting area was created, along with a new café and retail units with direct access to the concourse.”

Sanjay Arora, Arora Group’s chief operating officer, said: “Arora Group acquired Overline House and the land adjacent to Crawley station as part of a transformative project to bring forward over 300 residential units through a series of new developments and converting Overline House from office use to residential.

“With the intent of promoting wider area regeneration, Arora Group have invested significant funding into the station improvements and have project managed the successful delivery of the station upgrade through their construction division, Grove Developments, and their onward supply chain partners. This marks the completion of the first phase of the overall redevelopment.”

Find out more at Rail Stations + Property 2023