POD Point rolls out charge points at Southern Rail stations

POD Point rolls out charge points at Southern Rail stations

By
Zapmap
Published

POD Point has worked with Southern Rail to upgrade and install new EV charge points at 23 of the stations served by the rail network.

With 48 devices installed, the free-to-use units are on POD Point’s Open Charge network, and provide rail users with EV charging facilities at key points.

The first phase of the project is now completed, with work starting at the beginning of October. Existing charge points were replaced by POD Point’s 7kW dual-socket Open Charge devices, which can be accessed via the EV charging network’s app.

The EV charging units are located in London and across the South. They can be found in car parks at the following stations: Arundel, Ashtead, Barnham, Brighton, Chichester, Crawley, Coulsdon South, Crowborough, Dorking, East Grinstead, Eastbourne, Ham Street, Hassocks, Horsham, Hove, Norbury, Sutton, Lingfield, Purley, Redhill, South Croydon, Streatham and Whyteleafe.

Colin Morris, Head of Safety and Environment at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “This project is a key part of our environmental strategy for Southern, and demonstrates to our passengers that we are seriously committed to sustainable travel.

“Among a raft of improvements, the upgrade project will see the power supply upgraded, meaning quicker charging, as well as the addition of a simpler interface to improve the customer experience.

“The data from the past year’s trial has not only told us that people are regularly using the charge points, but also that EV is a technology that is growing in demand and it is important for us to be able to offer facilities that cater to all of our passenger needs.

“Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common and we need to support those drivers, as well as encourage motorists to swap to ultra-low emission vehicles, which will benefit the environment.”

James McKemey, Head of Insights at POD Point, said: “This is a perfect example of blending the way people travel today, with the way we expect people to travel in years to come.

“Southern Rail is one of the UK’s busiest lines so understands the business of travel. Its decision to provide charging points is not only the right one in the short-term to provide facilities for the growing number of EV drivers on the road, but one that will have positive long-term implications for our transport infrastructure.”

The initial units are the first phase of a wider roll-out for Southern Rail. The uptake of each charging unit will be closely monitored, with a view to extending the network to other car parks connected with the franchise in the future.

You can find these new charge points – and other POD Point devices – by using the network filter on the Zap-Map desktop and app.