THE first phase of upgrade work at Redhill Station could be completed by summer 2016 according to the man leading the project for Southern Rail.
A new lift was unveiled at the station this week – the first piece of more than £50million of development planned at the site.
Under plans from Southern Rail and developers Solum Regeneration, the site will eventually be completely redeveloped to feature a new entrance with a car park and taxi rank on Redstone Hill, new ticket offices and a revamped front entrance.
A Waitrose, a 150-home apartment block and a 450-space multistorey car park will then be built on the town centre side of the station
All plans have been approved by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.
According to Southern's head of project delivery Pieter Wilke, work to redesign the station's Redstone Hill entrance and build a new car park there could be completed within two years. The Waitrose store and apartment block will then be developed.
For the moment, Mr Wilke said he was thrilled to see the first piece of the puzzle completed.
"It's extremely exciting," he said. "Redhill Station has been at a standstill for a very long time and to get it to where we want it to be will be great.
"Once we get our upgrades and the Solum scheme done it will be quite a transformation."
The £1 million lift project was a response by Southern to calls from passengers and stakeholders for improved step-free access at the station.
Plans for a new platform – called Platform 0 – are also in the pipeline to allow for longer and additional trains at Redhill, though Mr Wilke admitted he was not sure when it would be up and running.
Michael Fife, from Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users' Association, said: "It will be very good when the work is finished. Once Platform 0 is eventually completed that will make the operation of the station much smoother."
Reigate and Banstead borough councillors Natalie Bramhall and Allen Kay welcomed the start of the work as evidence to residents the long-mooted plans are going ahead.
With work on the old Liquid and Envy site and Lombard Roundabout also going on in Redhill this autumn, Cllr Bramhall promised it will be a "busy" but "exciting" time for the town.
