THE end may be in sight for a campaign to have lifts installed at Pokesdown station.

At a public meeting of the Boscombe Forum, representatives from Network Rail and South Western Railway confirmed that progress was being made on the project.

As reported by the Daily Echo, campaigns to get lifts installed at the station began in 2011.

Petitions, protests and even a campaign song from residents have focused on the ongoing issue.

But at Thursday's meeting, officials confirmed the end of the line could be in sight for the saga.

Design work is currently being carried out, with additional upgrade works already underway at the station.

Bournemouth Echo:

These designs, for new lift shafts next to the bridge, are set to be finished in October, with the cost for the project to be confirmed in November.

If this cost is within the £5.7million budget that has been allocated by SWR, Network Rail and BCP Council, work will progress, with final designs to be completed between March and October of 2024.

Work will then commence, with planned completion in mid-2025.

Bournemouth Echo:

Boscombe Forum vice-chair, Andy Jones, has helped to spearhead the campaign.

He said there was disappointment that the project isn’t further along than it is, but that the mood of the meeting was ‘cautious optimism’ that an end may be in sight.

“We’ve had numerous conversations with our MP about it, successive rail ministers know about it, myself and Cllr Kelly presented a petition to the DFT back in 2014, outlining the situation at the station and the urgency in remedying it,” Mr Jones said.

“I would hope if the scheme does come in over budget in November, that the DfT would make up the difference.

“I would hope that with the campaign being as long running as it is, and with all the interactions we’ve had with the DfT that we’d be pretty high up, if not at the top of the list for future funding.”

Bournemouth Echo:

He added: “We all just want to get to November now and find out where we are.

“I’m really hoping that the design briefing is going to come in within the budget we’ve got set aside otherwise it’s going to mean a lot more delay.”

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood has supported the campaign throughout.

He told the Daily Echo that he will campaign ‘very hard’ to make sure the project gets finished.

“It’s been a long journey and a painful journey,” he said.

“I met South Western Railway and Network Rail on Monday, [there were] long conversations with them to say how critical it was that we keep this going.”

He added: “We’ve made so much progress now, I got the impression that South Western Railway and Network Rail are very keen to conclude this.

“I also spoke to the rails minister as well and briefed him on what’s happening.

“If necessary, I will raise this in parliament again to keep the pressure up.”