A new footbridge has been lowered into Canterbury East train station as part of a £4.8 million upgrade.

Crossing both platforms, the structure will house lifts either side - making access at the station step-free for the very first time.

Work has been carried over the past few weekends, and now the bridge is lowered into place along with a set of staircases.

The scheme hopes to make the station more accessible to passengers with mobility issues, as well as elderly people and parents with young children.

The project is planned to be fully complete by this July.

Tactiles are also be installed along both platforms to help passengers with visual impairment.

It is being delivered as part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme, which will see accessibility improvements worth £300m rolled out at stations over the next five years.

Speaking when the upgrades got announced, Kyle Miller, station manager for Southeastern, said: “The new footbridge and lifts will not just make getting around the station easier for people with accessibility issues, but will also be of great benefit to people with luggage, as well as providing an additional route to cross between the platforms."

While the station is getting a long-awaited upgrade, the rail bridge immediately after Canterbury East has had a facelift.

Engineers have removed decades of grime, rust and graffiti from the ageing structure - and it now sports a fresh lick of pale green paint.

Read more: All the latest news from Canterbury