Harlington Station Footbridge Installation Closes Car Park Over Christmas

Work is set to progress on key railway projects across the East Midlands this Christmas, with Network Rail focusing on a series of upgrades designed to improve safety and reliability. Much of the work is scheduled during times when trains are not running, but passengers are being urged to check their journeys carefully before travelling.

At Harlington station in Bedfordshire, the car park is already partially closed as a worksite and will be fully shut from 23 to 27 December while a new footbridge is installed. A 500ft crane will lower the structure into place on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The £7.9 million project will replace the ageing footbridge with a new design expected to last 120 years, offering improved safety and easier maintenance for the future.

Other East Midlands projects set to see progress over the festive period include platform strengthening at Chesterfield, demolition of a bridge at Sutton Bonington, and developments at the Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange. In total, these works form part of the £160 million of railway investment taking place nationally this holiday season.

Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director for the East Midlands route, said:

"This Christmas, we’re making major strides on projects across the East Midlands route as part of the national £130 million of investment to improve reliability and safety for passengers. These upgrades will help deliver a more resilient railway for the future. We’d like to thank passengers for their patience and encourage everyone to check before they travel."

Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Thameslink, added:

"Harlington station car park is already partially closed off as a worksite but it will be shut completely from 23 to 27 December for the new footbridge to be lowered in by crane. Passengers are advised to plan how they will travel to Harlington, whether that's walking or cycling, getting dropped off or parking at Luton or Leagrave – car park season ticket holders will be able to leave their cars at these neighbouring stations at no extra charge."

Rail services between St Pancras and Bedford will not be affected by the works, allowing passengers to continue travelling through the festive period with minimal disruption, aside from the temporary car park closure.

Image: Thameslink