A new footbridge with lifts at a railway station has opened as part of a £4.8 million upgrade to improve access.

The crossing, which has lifts either side, means Canterbury East has step-free access for the first time.

Work has been carried out this year, with the bridge being lowered into place in March.

The aim of the multi-million pound project was to make the Canterbury station - which has links to Dover Priory and London Victoria - more accessible for passengers with mobility issues, as well as elderly people and parents with young children.

It was hoped the scheme would be fully completed by July, but the project was delayed.

The bridge has finally been opened today.

Tactiles have been installed along both platforms to help passengers with visual impairment.

It is 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 were first 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."

Access from Platform One to Platform Two was previously via a subway. Passengers with mobility issues and young children previously had to use a secondary entrance to go on Platform One.

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