FAQs

This scheme will upgrade the front of Worthing Railway Station and Railway Approach. This includes accessibility enhancements, greening, the promotion of walking and cycling through improved pedestrian access and new bicycle racks, and improved safety through better lighting and new CCTV.  

The works being delivered also encompass the Active Travel Funded Cross Street scheme which includes; the introduction of a contraflow cycle lane along Railway Approach and Cross Street serving westbound cyclists and the implementation of a priority raised crossing and raised table at the junction with Railway Approach.

Improvements to Worthing Station, Railway Approach and Cross Street offer railway users an attractive and safe first impression of Worthing and is a key section in local plans to improve the pedestrian and cycle route from the Station to the Town Centre and on to the Seafront.

These works are being delivered by WSCC, in partnership with WBC. WSP are providing project management support and the contractor for the works is Landbuild Ltd.

The Railway Approach scheme is part of the wider Worthing Growth Programme and Cross Street is part of the Active Travel Programme, both of which are governed by its standard governance routes. 

Railway Approach is a £3 million regeneration scheme and is the second phase of the wider WPRI programme.

A total of £2.2 million has been allocated to Active Travel Funded Phase Two, of which approximately £165k is allocated for delivery of the Cross Street works.  

Funding for the scheme is by contributions from WSCC, WBC, the Local Enterprise Partnership (Coast2Capital) and Department for Transport (DfT) via the Active Travel Fund.

Railway Approach sits within the context of the Worthing Growth Programme (opens in a new tab). Within this Programme, Worthing Borough Council (WBC) and West Sussex County Council (WSCC) collaboratively deliver projects, identified by Adur and Worthing Growth Deal, to regenerate the district and attract investment. Within the Worthing Growth Programme, eight projects have been identified as key to enhancing the look and feel of Worthing; these are called the Worthing Public Realm Improvements (WPRI) projects. Railway Approach is one of the most substantial projects within the Programme and follows on from the completion of Portland Road. This project will accomplish part of the proposed connections from the Railway Station to the Seafront as highlighted in the Worthing Investment Prospectus (opens in a new tab) and Seafront Investment Plan (opens in a new tab).

The scheme forms part of West Sussex County Council's Phase Two Active Travel Fund (ATF) programme of works. For more information on the aims and benefits of the programme, please click the link (opens in a new tab).

The Railway Approach scheme was the subject of an extensive engagement process in the spring of 2021. There was general support for the investment in the local area and the design considered any concerns addressed in the responses.

The provision of wider footways to and from the railway and around the front of the station will help people circulation and provide more space.  A route has been made ‘clear’ for the visually impaired with street furniture and signs kept away from this corridor.  A new route to access the cycle hub has been provided (from Cross Street) with the addition of demarcation markings in the open space to warn the visually impaired where they are walking.

The area in front of the station has been traffic calmed with the raised table and the contra-flow cycle lane makes it easier and safer for cyclists who currently use the route with additional warnings to approaching drivers.  

New, upgraded, street lighting and CCTV are also being provided to discourage anti-social behaviour and also, to assist the Police with Crime Prevention.

The changes to the road layouts in front of the station and along Railway Approach and widening of the footways are, in themselves road improvement.  It is important for the authorities to encourage sustainable access to and from the railway station and also, to improve the environment in these busy areas.  Repairs such as potholes are being funded by both Central and Local Government at an increasing rate, as well as other improvements in maintenance to local roads, but a vital part of the County Council’s duties is to encourage non-motorised access to major transport hubs and Town Centres to support the local economy.

Several positive items should come from the scheme including:

• Widened footways, new footway surfaces and new crossing facilities to improve pedestrian access
• Additional seating to improve accessibility
• Way-finding information
• Improved green spaces using trees and planting
• New street lighting and CCTV to improve personal safety
• Introduction of contraflow cycling along Cross Street and a section of Railway Approach
• New raised table at the Cross Street/Victoria Road/Railway Approach junction.

The Worthing Railway Approach is predominantly a highway and public realm improvement and seeks to “green” the area around the railway station and along Railway Approach. It is not believed that this will have any negative effects on users of the railway, businesses or residents.

We are aware that during works like this traffic delays can take place, and this has an impact on the environment over the scheme delivery period. However, this scheme aims to improve environmental conditions for the town by promoting public transport and creating improved walking and cycling routes to encourage the shift to more sustainable modes of transport. 

Additionally, the proposals will introduce new trees and improved verges to the area and provide some surface water storage for highway runoff and initial cleaning of the water through its soakage in the planted areas.

Improved footway access to the station; wider footpaths; additional seating and waiting areas will have a positive effect for various groups of people. Additionally, improved lighting and new CCTV will improve accessibility and safety in these areas.  Greater activity in the area will also provide more natural oversight in the area.

Other than the plans for the newly paved ‘out of hours’ entrance, improvements to the station are the network provider’s responsibility.  However, the rail teams have already redecorated the windows on the front of the station, replaced the canopy glass and new lighting units have been fitted to the canopy and external walls which are in keeping with those on the new scheme.   The handrails for the steps and accessibility ramp will be re-painted as part of the WSCC / WBC scheme.

Architectural lighting will be used to enhance the illumination of public spaces and create clear routes to the station from the surrounding areas and developments.

Overall, there will be a net reduction of three parking spaces from the current layout; five will be removed from outside the shops on Railway Approach, one removed from Cross Street and three pay and display bays will be introduced opposite the HMRC building. The reduction of parking on Railway Approach is required to provide the Cross Street cycleway scheme which is promoting sustainable transport methods. Three alternative spaces are being provided on Railway Approach to fulfil some of this demand. Details on the conditions of the bays can be seen below.

There will be some changes to the current parking restrictions in Railway Approach and Victoria Road, these were advertised as part of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process in September 2023.  Victoria Road bays will now be ‘1 hour no return 1 hour’ for the say time and day periods and the proposed parking bay on Railway Approach will become a maximum stay of two hours with a pay and display machine.  Parking outside the shops on Railway Approach will be removed as part of the Cross Street Contra-flow cycle scheme.  These measures will be implemented in line with the TRO Decision Report on 10^th July 2023 which is available to view here: Decision - Implementation of Cycle Contraflow, Cross Street & Railway Approach, Worthing HT02 (23/24) (moderngov.co.uk) (opens in a new tab).

Yes, these two spaces will remain.  The layout of these two spaces is required to be retained as existing to satisfy station operation requirements.  The existing disabled bay by The Railway Hotel is also being retained and improved.

The plans will maintain the amount of cycle parking spaces in conjunction with the existing Railway Station cycle hub.  

Any charging points would be in the cycle hub within the station. There is currently a private bike hire scheme operating in Worthing, please click the link (opens in a new tab) for more information.

The existing taxi rank will be retained on the northern side of Railway Approach but reduced to three vehicles. The remaining waiting area for taxis will be relocated to the south side of the Railway Approach opposite the HMRC building and in direct view of the station exit.

There will be an addition of 15 new trees alongside those that are currently there, subject to being able to install these within the existing roadways without interfering with the Station Canopy and underground utilities.

The existing wayfinding and signage outside of the station will be enhanced, to assist the visitor experience when arriving at Worthing Station. As part of the scheme, we will be investigating the potential for digital wayfinding, information boards and other modern technology provisions. 

As part of the wider WPRI programme, Railway Approach is an early phase and further developments will be happening around Worthing. In the interim, people will route via a temporary combined footway / cycleway across the old Teville Gate site towards the town centre. Once the Station Square development is completed then the main route will be along Railway Approach and through that development and along the A259 into Worthing. 

More information about the Public Realm Improvements Package, please click the link (opens in a new tab).

The outdoor seating will provide a pleasant place for station users to rest while awaiting pick-up or for the arrival of their train. The canopy of the station will provide some shelter as well as the building itself.

No, the Northern side of the station is outside the scope of the Railway Approach Scheme.

Landbuild Ltd have been instructed to investigate areas of the scheme currently susceptible to flooding. Any recommended improvements coming out of these investigations will be included within these works; subject to costs and approvals.

Construction is anticipated to commence in February 2024 and complete before Christmas 2024.   As with any construction projects, there are some risks and uncertainties which may require slightly longer to complete the scheme, but these risks are actively managed during the project’s delivery.

The Cross Street cycleway will open when signage and lining is completed at the end of the project.

A phased approach to construction is being taken to safely deliver the project and minimise disruption to residents, businesses and passengers.  The proposed raised table at Cross Street/Railway Approach and the road markings for the cycle lane will be one of the last construction activities in the programme.  As a result, it is anticipated the cycle lane will be open for use once the scheme is fully constructed in November 2024.

All images show how the project will look in 2035, once all the trees and planters have matured. While the images reflect how the rest of the scheme will look immediately upon completion, the images show 2035 as the contractors will plant young trees and plants so this element of the scheme will not reflect the images until 2035.

Yes, the Station will remain open throughout construction.  Access routes to, and from, the station will require temporary adjustment to allow new construction work to take place and refurbishment of the existing forecourt stone.  Our Contractor will be working closely with Southern Rail during the construction period.

Access will be maintained along Victoria Road, Oxford Road and Railway Approach but lane restrictions and pedestrian and cycle re-routing will be required to allow the phased construction of the works.  Where closures may be necessary to ease and speed construction (such as road resurfacing) these will be notified in advance.

Yes, access to all businesses will be retained throughout.  It may require some local adjustment to the usual route to access building/ business whilst highway works take place immediately outside the individual sites, but this will be communicated ahead of the works taking place.  

All bus stops on Railway Approach will remain in their current locations following completion of this scheme. During construction, there will be occasions when the bus stops need to be temporarily relocated to allow the construction team to work. However, there will be advanced warning signs for any temporary relocations and the temporary locations will be within close proximity to where they are currently.

Construction works will carried out between the typical working hours of 7:30am-17:30pm, while maintaining flexibility to ensure the best possible productivity. For example, works may end later to complete laying a section of paving. However, it is not anticipated that there will be a general requirement for night-time working. If a requirement arises, such as road resurfacing may be best undertaken at night, local businesses and residents will be notified and our contractors will seek to undertake the noisier operations (such as surface planing) before 23:00pm.

The local Environmental Health Officer will be notified of the works and how these are to be managed through a Construction Environmental Management Plan and Construction Method Statements. These would set out how the contractor will manage noise (from equipment and operations), how they would notify and manage communications and also, what mitigation approaches are being used to reduce noisy operations or when they take place.

Our contractor will work under guidelines from WSCC and other bodies (such as Southern Rail) which will manage the hours of work and noise levels as appropriate. However, some disruption/noise will be unavoidable to complete the works. Adjacent businesses/residents will be kept informed of works and there will be points of contact with WSCC and the contractor should any issues occur.