Biggleswade Lifts Update – 23rd July 2025

Earlier today, we attended a site visit to the lift works at Biggleswade railway station. This site visit was hosted by Network Rail and apart from members of the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network team, was attended by local Town Councillors, Central Bedfordshire Councillors, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) representatives and our local MP Richard Fuller. Below is a Q&A on the main questions asked during the site visit.

Q. When will the lifts come into service?

Work is progressing well. The lifts are likely to come into service by Christmas 2025. There is a best-case scenario of late November and a contractual date of 31st December.

Q. Will the lifts be open from first train until last?

We have been asking this question from the start of the campaign – and asked it again today! We were told the expectation is that the station will be staffed from the first until last trains and GTR has put in a funding request for the extra staff required. This request is currently sitting with the Department for Transport. Bearing in mind that we are now within 5 months of the lifts opening, we really need a decision quickly.

There was a mention of ‘mobile assistance teams’ if the funding for full-time staff is not forthcoming. We will be asking for more details on this if it ends up being the option chosen, as we have received mixed reports on their effectiveness.

Q. What work is still left to do?

The necessary cables have now been installed to provide power to the lifts – this was previously a potential pinch-point for the progress of the project. Lighting, handrails and CCTV still need to be installed on the ramp leading up to the new bridge and work continues on the lifts themselves.

Q. When will the hoardings be removed?

The majority of the hoarding will probably be removed in September, with the hoarding directly around the lifts being removed during October. Testing of the lifts before they enter passenger service will take place during November. We have requested that the Bedfordshire Rail Access Network Team ‘road test’ the ramps/lifts before they open.

Q. Will I still be able to access the platforms from the current bridge?

Yes, the current access points will remain open. From the outset, we have made clear that the current stairs should remain open and that the stairs to the new bridge are an addition rather than a replacement. The principle behind this is to ‘future-proof’ the station for increased passenger numbers and enable the station to be used safely during peak times. Those who get off trains in the rush hour will be fully aware of the congestion at the bottom of the stairs.

So, after many years of campaigning, Biggleswade will soon have a railway station that is accessible to everyone. This is long overdue, but very welcome news. However, there is still much work to do to improve accessibility across the UK rail network, much of which is a no-go area for wheelchair users, those with restricted mobility and parents with young children.

We also need to fix the issue of train and bus companies not being required to speak to each other to co-ordinate their timetables to provide maximum benefit to passengers, to ensure that public transport is a viable alternative to the car.

Thank you to all who have helped throughout the campaign. We will not rest until the lifts are actually open! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at the address below.

Julian Vaughan

Chair Bedfordshire Rail Access Network

email: bedsrailaccessnetwork@gmail.com