Southeastern have introduced a one-way system at busy Lewisham Station during rush hour, in an attempt to ease passenger flow through the station.

The new system, in place on weekdays from 6.30am to 9am, and 4.30pm to 7.30pm, is expected to increase passenger safety, according to a Southeastern spokeswoman.

She said: “We introduced a one-way system at Lewisham during peak hours, to improve passenger flow through the station, thereby increasing the safety of our passengers.

“The new system does mean some gate-lines will be exit or entry only, so we are advising our passengers to leave a little extra time for their journey, as it may take slightly longer for them to reach their platform.”

Gate lines will revert to being both entry and exit out of rush-hour times.

In a letter to the Lewisham Station User Group, Southeastern area manager Daniel Morrison said the new scheme should only add an extra minute and a half to people moving through the station to their platform.

He said new signage would be installed to better manage movements of passengers, with safety the main priority.

“I feel it’s important to stress that our motive behind the introduction of the one-way system is to ensure the personal safety of our passengers,” Mr Morrison wrote.

“While I fully appreciate that there is a wider discussion to be had over the long-term suitability of infrastructure at Lewisham station, to handle current and future capacity requirements, our motivation in moving towards a one-way system is to mitigate the impact of crowding at the station with the infrastructure and resources we have at our disposal,” he said.

This comes after Transport for London’s announcement it is considering extending the Bakerloo line to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate – with Lewisham Station an interchange between national rail and Underground services.

According to Lewisham Council documents, it is estimated that TfL will submit an application to construct the extension in 2019 – with the line expected to be open in 2028/29.