Govia Thameslink Railway has introduced a short-stay parking trail at Kenley Station following the suggestion by Councillor Gayle Gander.

Councillor Gander put forward the new charging structure on behalf of local residents and businesses in a bid to deal with the insufficient convenient parking in the locality other than for commuters.

The new scheme will be run for two months by Govia Thameslink Railway and will see parking rates introduced for one-hour, two-hour and four-hourly parking rates. Should the scheme prove popular, the rail operator’s commercial team will introduce the changes permanently.

Until the introduction of the trial scheme, full-day parking has only been available at the railway station in order to provide commuters using Southern train services with necessary parking.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for parking from station customers has remained lower during the week and therefore the idea of making use of the station parking makes great sense for the local community.

Councillor Gander could easily demonstrate the potential for demand for shorter parking periods because of the lack of parking options available for customers visiting Kenley’s shops, restaurants and other facilities.

The pilot scheme will see customers provided with an option to stay for up to one hour for £1.00, two hours for £2.00 and four hours for only £4.00. This new tariff is instead of the full weekday charge of £5.70. At present, weekend prices will remain the same at £2.40 for the full day.

A weekly season ticket is still available and costs £24.40.

Govia Thameslink Railway has also introduced similar pilot schemes introducing short-stay parking rates at three railway stations in Sussex this month. 

GTR’s Commercial Director David Gornall said:

“We hope these more flexible choices prove popular as we expect the new charging structure to be a win-win – good value and convenience for the local community and more revenue for the railway.”

Councillor Gander said:

“I am pleased that GTR has taken this proactive step to addressing local residents’ needs by diversifying the tariff structure at Kenley station for at least a trial period. The new options are likely to be made permanent if they prove popular, so I encourage people to take advantage of the convenient new parking provision.”