Five new shops announced for Eastbourne station

The former ticket office, mess room and rotunda will be transformed as part of the £700,000 scheme – and the shiny new shops are set to open their doors in spring.

The railway operator says the renovation will return some of the station’s original architecture, but has not confirmed exactly which retailers will be joining the station.

This comes after the first part of the station’s £1.5m improvements were completed at the weekend – with the new ticket office opening next to the taxi rank entrance on Saturday (November 17).

New ticket office opens in Eastbourne station

Graham Thrower, Southern’s area station manager, said, “I’m really pleased our new ticket office is open, marking the completion of this first, major part of our scheme to improve Eastbourne station.

“Passengers, I hope, will really notice the difference and enjoy the better facilities and more pleasing environment.

“We can now look forward to the next phase with the remodelling of the retail units which we hope will be complete by next spring.”

Sneak peek inside new retail unit in Eastbourne station

The improvements have also seen the waiting room remodelled with extra seats and a new passenger information desk, new station toilets behind the barriers, and the accessible toilet has been refurbished.

A wider step-free entrance to the station, situated by the cycle racks and car park, was also unveiled in August.

Mixed reactions to new Eastbourne station entrance

These improvements paid for using funds awarded by the Department for Transport (DfT) to Network Rail and the Southern under the National Stations Improvements Programme (NSIP).

Meanwhile for the new retail units, Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR), which owns Southern, is contributing £360,000 match funding to an NSIP contribution.

What would you like to see in the new units?