Refurbishment complete at Southend East station

A £425,000 refurbishment programme has been completed at Southend East station, providing level access to the London-bound platform, as well as new toilets, baby changing facilities, a redecorated waiting room with CCTV and self service ticket machine. There is also provision for a retail unit, for which expressions of interest have already been received.

Last year, to give the station a higher profile, it was renamed "c2c Rail Southend East for Southchurch Village". With the new facilities the station is accessible to and ready to meet the needs of an even larger number of customers.

To mark the completion of the work Route Director Leila Frances was joined at the station by Rochford & Southend East MP James Duddridge and Councillor Murray Foster - Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Future Southend, for a photo call.

Leila Frances is very pleased with the work. Southend East is an important commuter station which, with the same level of service to/from London as Southend Central, means that customers do not need to go to the latter to catch the train to London , she said. Most people are able to walk to the station which relieves traffic congestion in the area. With the new facilities the station will be open to many more people, both for short hops to Southend Central and for longer trips towards London.

With our peak punctuality at 96.4% and all day punctuality at 92.8%, and with some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the country, the improvements at Southend East demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvements in the whole travel experience on c2c.

Councillor Foster commented: "Southend Borough Council is pleased that c2c share the same objectives in improving facilities at railway stations within the Borough, to make the stations safer and more pleasant, to encourage increased use of the train for journeys in and out of the town. The Council is particularly pleased that a new level access to the London bound platform will help with improved accessibility in order that it may assist the disabled, elderly and parents/carers with young children."

James Duddridge MP was also pleased with the improvements, saying It is great to see these new facilities. Southend East Train Station is important for local people as many rely on the service on a daily basis. I am sure local residents will continue to take pride in their train station .