Sub-way to go! South Western Railway completes revamp of Salisbury station subway

South Western Railway (SWR) has completed the latest stage of its upgrades to Salisbury station in Wiltshire, with the official opening of the revamped subway today.  

To provide a more pleasant customer experience, specialists have faithfully cleaned the original Victorian subway tiles on the ramps and in the subway, the floor has been resurfaced, the concrete plinths have been repaired and repainted, the handrails have been repainted and new and improved navigation signage has been added.  

The subway tiles date back to 1859, when the London & South Western Railway opened a station to the south of the original Great Western Railway's station built in 1856.  

While the subway has been restored in line with its nineteenth century heritage, enhancing accessibility for today's customers has been a key concern. The resurfaced floor has anti-slip properties for customers with wheelchairs or buggies, and the repainted surfaces, such as the newly black handrails, increase the visual contrast for customers with sight loss. 

The walls of the subway have also been decorated with new murals depicting famous local sites and historic scenes, kindly supplied by English Heritage, to promote travel to Salisbury and locations nearby.  

The area has some of the South West's most magnificent attractions: Salisbury Cathedral, the masterpiece of Early English Gothic architecture housing Magna Carta; Old Sarum, the Iron Age hillfort turned notorious rotten borough; and the neolithic monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Stonehenge and Avebury.   

SWR has been working closely with local partners such as Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership, the Railway Heritage Trust, Wiltshire Council, Salisbury City Council, English Heritage and Salisbury Cathedral to provide a suitable gateway to the city - one which celebrates what Salisbury has to offer and promotes travelling sustainably by train. 

The investment to revamp the subway was provided by SWR, including with a grant from the operator's Customer and Communities Improvement Fund awarded to Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership; the Department for Transport 'Access for All' Mid-Tier programme; Network Rail; and the Railway Heritage Trust.  

The subway revamp is part of a wider programme of improvements at the station, which includes the ongoing works to enhance the forecourt, due to be completed next summer.  

During the works, engineers have discovered a hitherto unknown tunnel, which is entirely separate from the revamped station subway. While its origin and purpose are uncertain, SWR will be working with Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust to investigate, and is inviting anyone who might know more to get in touch.  

Cllr Tamara Reay, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, said:   

"We are delighted that South Western Railway is continuing to invest in Salisbury station, enhancing its facilities and significantly improving the customer experience.  

"These improvements align perfectly with the multi-million-pound station forecourt scheme, funded by the Future High Streets Fund, and set to be completed next summer. 

"Together, these improvements demonstrate the Council and SWR's commitment to providing a safer, more efficient and greatly enhanced experience for all station users at this key gateway into the city."