Connecting Kidbrooke: Interim station opens ahead of construction of permanent facility

An interim station has opened at Kidbrooke, east of the previous permanent location, in preparation for the construction of a larger, improved station due to open in 2018. The temporary facility, which is operated by Southeastern, has been provided in collaboration with Berkeley Homes.

Opposite the doctors' surgery and Sainsbury's Local based on Tudway Road, the interim station includes a fully accessible temporary station building and a new platform entrance. This will be used for routes via Lewisham into central London and to Bexleyheath, Dartford and Slade Green.

As of Monday 27 October, Station Approach and the existing station car park will close.  Pedestrian access will still be available from the north side via Henley Cross. Car users wishing to drop off or pick up station passengers will be able to do so on Tudway Road.

Construction on the permanent railway station will begin in March 2015 as part of Berkeley Homes' proposals for the Village Centre at Kidbrooke. There will be no disruption to the service while work takes place.

Once completed, the fully accessible, step-free station will have modern facilities for customers and will better accommodate passenger demand, providing an improved journey experience at Kidbrooke.  Southeastern are also investigating an increase in train length to 12 carriages in order to increase passenger capacity.

When all six phases of Kidbrooke Village are complete, Berkeley Homes will have invested over £5 million in local transport facilities in the borough.  In addition to the interim and permanent, new train station, Berkeley will have delivered an improved bus interchange and created new pedestrian routes and cycle ways across the site.

Karl Whiteman, divisional managing director of Berkeley Homes, said:  "As connectivity is a crucial part of where anyone chooses to live, we have invested significantly in maximising the transport facilities available to the growing community in Kidbrooke. A new railway station, an improved bus interchange, reinstated bus routes and better pedestrian connections mean travelling to neighbouring areas like Blackheath as well as Central London couldn't be easier."

Kidbrooke Village has been designed to be a modern, sustainable community in a new village for London. It will comprise 4,000 new homes in 35 hectares of beautifully landscaped green open space, shops and squares, schools and children's play areas. The homes include a mix of tenures, both private and affordable, in a variety of sizes for a whole range of people - young and old, professionals and families.

Over 950 new homes have been delivered to date, including 518 affordable homes and 170 senior living homes, alongside an interim village centre, the brand new Cator Park and other landscaped areas.

A permanent Village Centre, complete with a crèche, coffee shops, restaurants, bar, supermarket and doctors' surgery will be built as part of the next phases.12,400 employment opportunities have already been created by Kidbrooke Village and over 18,000 jobs are set to be created for local people in the final phases. A third of these jobs will be in construction.

Kidbrooke Village is being delivered through a partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Mayor of London.