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09 April 2013
Residents and Councillors have welcomed TfL's decision to keep the footbridge at Kensington Olympia Station open for pedestrians who, for many years, have used it as a shortcut.TfL had been looking at ways to reduce the number of people travelling without a ticket and to improve security by installing ticket gates at both station entrances. When the plans were announced last year local residents, the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham expressed concerns that the gates would block the walking route used by the local community across the station via the bridge between Russell Road and Olympia Way. After working closely with both boroughs TfL has confirmed that it has found a way to install ticket gates while retaining the station as a shortcut. This will be achieved by dividing the station and bridge to a paying side and a free side. A fence will segregate the pedestrian route and an additional fourth staircase will be constructed to avoid congestion on the existing single staircase at the Olympia Way side of the station. This measure will keep the free and paying sides completely separate and the platforms will be inaccessible from this segregated pedestrian route.Cllr Nick Paget-Brown, Deputy Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said: "This is very good news. TfL has listened to our concerns and its decision to preserve pedestrian access over the footbridge at Olympia is to be welcomed. Residents and Councillors from both sides of the bridge have campaigned hard to preserve the status quo and will be delighted that this long- established route will not be blocked by ticket gates."