THE restoration of Richmond station in South West London has won a prestigious National Railway Heritage Award.
South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail celebrated their success at the 46th iteration of the awards, held at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in the City of London today.
The Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, presented the Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award to SWR colleagues and project leads Chris Gregory and Bryan Robilliard.
They collected the award alongside Cllr Chris Varley and Nick O'Donnell from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Anna Jipps and Andy Savage MBE from the Railway Heritage Trust.
The project, which began in 2023, has transformed Richmond’s exterior facade and canopy and interior booking hall, bringing the station back to its former Art Deco glory, following decades of alterations and weathering.
The transformation, supported by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the Railway Heritage Trust, was officially completed in September this year.
Now, the station provides a fitting gateway to Richmond, with 1930s-style features such as bronze fascia panels and a “Glasscrete” effect for the canopy, and timber frieze and green glass signage and Art Deco-inspired chandeliers for the booking hall.
Despite the extensive work by a range of skilled contractors and craftspeople, the station remained fully operational throughout, with almost 8.9m entries and exits in 2023-24.
Chris Gregory, SWR’s Asset Enhancement Manager, said:
“It’s an honour to receive this award for the restoration of Richmond station. The station is one of the architectural jewels of our network and the project to bring it back to life has been a labour of love by SWR and Network Rail, our partners Richmond Council and the Railway Heritage Trust, as well as many talented contractors and craftspeople.
“The greatest reward, however, has been providing Richmond with the gateway it truly deserves; one that will make our customers, colleagues, and the local community proud. If you haven’t been to see the station yet, hop on a train and pay it a visit!”
The Richmond station building was opened in 1937, designed by Southern Railway’s lead architect, James Robb Scott, and his team. Scott also worked on other SWR stations, including Surbiton, Woking, Malden Manor, Chessington North and Chessington South.
In October, the restoration also won a Richmond Society Award for a distinguished contribution to Richmond.
The full story of the restoration project can be found on the SWR website here.
