As part of plans to transform gateways to the City Centre, an international gateway has been created at Southampton Central Station in partnership with South Western Railway, providing ease of access to the Port, cruise terminals and into the City Centre.
Benefits of the improvements include:
- New bus facilities – including dedicated bus stops and improved bus accessibility
- Passenger waiting lounge – high quality waiting area for passengers using buses, taxis and for those travelling to the cruise terminals. Its style will complement the art deco style of the station building
- Provision of e-scooter and e-bike for onward journeys into the City Centre and beyond
- Dedicated taxi facilities – a taxi rank for up to five vehicles within the forecourt with a taxi waiting area on Western Esplanade for up to 10 vehicles;
- Improved pedestrian access - dedicated crossing points within the forecourt with improved disabled parking and access
- High quality public realm – forecourt to be re-surfaced with high quality materials.
Project detail
Funded jointly by South Western Railway and the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, the area will benefit from a new multi-modal interchange that will enable improved pedestrian access, include safer crossing points, additional bus stop provision, disabled parking, along with better access into and out of the station for all vehicles. A dedicated drop off/pick up point will also be included in the upgrade. The high-quality public realm hard landscaping design will draw on the original art deco influences that currently benefit the station.
These transformations will enhance onward transport links with improved outside passenger shelters that will include real time information detailed on them, a new taxi rank with improved waiting facilities along with availability of sustainable travel options such as e-bike and e-scooters.
Commuters will also see changes within the station forecourt, as South Western Railway build a new waiting lounge with up-to-date travel information.
Latest News
Early 2024
This major upgrade has now been completed.
Autumn/Winter 2023
Works in these phases include:
- Resurfacing of Western Esplanade
- Mobilisation of the new pedestrian crossing points
- Installation of bollards on the forecourt
Summer/Autumn 2023
Works in these phases included:
- Work on the taxi facilities on Western Esplanade
- Continuation of works to the entrance/exit of the forecourt
- Pedestrian improvements along the footpath of Western Esplanade
Spring/Summer 2023
Works in these phases included:
- Widening of the southern station entrance
- Improvements to the taxi rank layby
- Station side site clearance of the footway
- Installation of new ducting for lamp columns, ducting and feeder pillar for True
- Station side high-quality public realm footway construction.
Winter/Spring 2023
Works in these phases included:
- Site clearance of station side kerb line and island kerbs and lamp columns (by others)
- Installation of new ducting for lamp columns
- Install new Drainage
- Construction of kerb lines and new central islands
- Civils associated with installation of occupancy detectors
Central Station Interchange, now completed.