Step-Free Access Moves Forward at High Brooms and Marden Stations

In a recent statement published on GOV.UK, the Department for Transport confirmed that a new group of stations across Britain are progressing to the detailed design stage under the Access for All programme.

Both High Brooms and Marden are named among the stations advancing beyond early feasibility work. Reaching detailed design means engineers are now developing specific plans, layouts and costings for accessibility features such as lifts, ramps or new footbridges.

While this does not yet confirm construction start dates, it marks a clear step beyond earlier assessments and keeps both stations within the national delivery pipeline.

Further confirmation comes from Southeastern Railway, which publishes a list of its major programmes and commitments.

According to Southeastern, these projects are part of a wider effort to address long-standing accessibility gaps across the network, particularly at commuter stations where step-free access remains incomplete.

At present:

• High Brooms does not offer full step-free access between platforms
• Marden has step-free access to only one platform, with stairs required to reach the other

The planned upgrades are intended to remove these barriers, improving everyday travel for disabled passengers, older residents, parents with pushchairs and others who currently face difficulties using the stations.

Neither the Government nor Southeastern has confirmed construction timelines, and no planning applications have yet been published locally. However, inclusion in the detailed design phase is widely seen as a necessary step before works can be funded and delivered.

For communities that have been campaigning for improvements for years, the latest announcements provide tangible evidence that the projects are moving forward - even if patience is still required.