Berrylands station reopens this morning, having been closed since May – with replacement buses shuttling passengers between Surbiton and New Malden.

New concrete platforms replace the warped century-old wooden originals, with both north and south sides renewed using 138m stretches built on site and craned into place.

Lighting columns, which had started to adopt jaunty angles as the old platforms buckled, have been replaced too, and there are rebuilt shelters, improved passenger information and security CCTV.

However, the old steps up to the platforms have now been deemed so rotten that they are unsafe, and have been temporarily swapped for scaffolding stairs at the side.

There is still no step-free access to the new platforms as it isn’t part of the maintenance budget. “We don’t control what enhancement projects are approved or funded,” said Network Rail.

More info at: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-work/our-routes/wessex/berrylands-station-upgrade/