Improvements to West Croydon Station were discussed at the Croydon Advisory Forum on Active, Sustainable and Accessible Transport meeting on Tuesday, 9 December 2025. The agenda for the meeting is available online.
The forum addressed accessibility concerns and potential upgrades to the station, with a focus on ensuring any short-term improvements do not hinder long-term expansion plans, particularly those related to the Brighton Mainline scheme. Councillor Scott Roche, Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment and Chair of the Forum, led the discussion.
Tom Sweeney from the Strategic Transport Team at Croydon, highlighted that funding is available from Section 106 contributions to conduct feasibility studies and develop designs for improvements to railway stations, including West Croydon. While the exact amount allocated specifically for West Croydon was not specified, it is part of a larger allocation for station improvements. The council is looking at lifts, particularly down to the overground platforms. Anyone who's used the station will know that the existing ramp to get you off the overground platforms is not very sort of functional and isn't manned,
Mr. Sweeney said. He also noted the difficulty passengers face in getting assistance from staff during peak hours.
Yusuf Osman, representing Resident Voice and Blind and Visually Impaired Residents in Croydon, urged the council to be imaginative about solving the accessibility issues there
and to avoid short-term fixes that may impede future expansion. He suggested lifts to all platforms to avoid passengers having to exit and re-enter the station.
Charles King, chair of his salary of Transport, noted that step-free access to London platforms prior to Covid required walking through the car park and pressing a buzzer. He also mentioned signage issues, specifically that the signage says to platform four and the other one says to platform one and three, which is confusing for passengers. Councillor Roche responded that he would address the signage issues at West Croydon and follow up with Zoe Murphy on the matter.
Mr. Sweeney confirmed that the feasibility studies and design development for work on West Croydon Station are expected to commence in the new financial year, pending cabinet approval. Early engagement with the forum and other groups is planned to maximize benefits. A specific timeline for public review of the designs is not yet available. He stressed the importance of ensuring that improvements are sited in a way that does not prejudice the longer-term growth needed to support central Croydon.
The West Croydon Station improvements are part of the mayor's growth plan for Croydon, with both East and West Croydon stations identified as key components of the town centre growth plan. The stations operate as the front door to Croydon, and there is work around the stations with antisocial behavior and opportunities around new development sites.