Station gets country's first AVA bridge with lifts

A Suffolk railway station will be the first in the country to have an accessible "AVA" bridge which will include fully-operational lifts at the site where there are currently none.

The new £5.5m footbridge with inbuilt lifts will be constructed at Stowmarket.

The only way to cross the platform without using stairs at present is via a level crossing.

Greater Anglia said funding for accessibility improvements at the station has been provided by the government's Access for All scheme.

The AVA footbridge is a modular design that includes large sections manufactured off-site, that can be put together on-site in relatively shorter timeframes, the rail firm said.

The existing concrete bridge will be removed and a temporary one installed over the weekend of 11-12 January, said Greater Anglia.

Built of stainless steel, it has been designed to be long-lasting and does not require painting.

Marek Dowejko, Greater Anglia's asset programme manager, said: "Thanks to this revolutionary new style of bridge the scheme was affordable, and we have been able to use the Access for All funding efficiently and to the best outcome for passengers.

"The plans are going to make a big difference to people using the station."

The bridge was designed by ARX, the company behind the retractable roofs at the two main tennis courts at Wimbledon.

"A footbridge with lifts is vital for persons of reduced mobility, but only any good while the lifts are working," said Darren Falkingham from ARX.

"We applied our knowledge of safe and reliable moving structures to engineer a lift with a strong, curved stainless steel door and two drive motors per lift."

Chris Wise, lead designer and structural engineer for the AVA footbridge, said it demonstrated "through its lean design, low carbon form, how the industry can evolve, not just in bridges and lifts".

The new bridge is expected to be completed by summer 2025.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.