Commuters have been warned of disruption at a south Essex station as a lift is set to be out of use for seven months.

Work is about to begin to upgrade the passenger lift on platform 1 at Billericay train station to improve facilities for customers.

As a result, passengers have been warned the lift will be out of use from 1 October 2023 until the end of April 2024.

Greater Anglia says the lift needs to be urgently upgraded due to its age and the scarcity of replacement parts. It is carrying out this work to improve reliability and the travel experience for passengers.

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For passengers who cannot use the stairs, Greater Anglia is putting in place a number of measures to enable people with accessibility needs to continue to travel. These include the provision of an accessible minibus and accessible taxis to take people to the closest step-free station so they can continue their journeys, and extra staff on hand to help passengers.

Those who cannot use the stairs at Billericay station are advised to plan in advance, allowing extra time for their journeys, and to contact Greater Anglia’s Passenger Assist service to discuss their journey in advance.

Greater Anglia’s asset management director, Simone Bailey, said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience while we renew the lift at Billericay.

“This work is essential to maintain the function and reliability of the lift and will improve passenger facilities at the station.

“We will do everything we can to ensure people can still make their journeys with as little inconvenience as possible while this work is being carried out, and we look forward to getting the lift back open as quickly as possible. The project is expected to be completed by the end of April 2024.”