Chafford Hundred/Lakeside footbridge access

[90sWereBetter]

I was just wondering, is the footbridge which links the Lakeside Shopping Centre to Chafford Hundred station open early in the morning (around 0630 to 0800 time)? I'm planning a bus and rail bash around Basildon and Southend towards the end of February (staying in Romford), and my first planned move is TfL route 370 between Romford and Lakeside, hoping to connect with C2C for further moves.

I was looking at Google Maps and there doesn't appear to be any access from Lakeside Bus Station to Chafford Hundred without using the footbridge, but as Lakeside doesn't open until 0900 according to their website, presumably there's no way to access the footbridge? The other option is for me to walk from Pilgrims Roundabout to the station, but it doesn't seem a particularly nice walk, plus the completionist in me will be raging all day that I didn't complete the 370 when there was only one more stop to go

 

[CyrusWuff]

If memory serves, the footbridge doesn't go all the way into Lakeside. Rather it ends in a tower at the corner of one of the car parks, with lifts and stairs down to a walkway into House of Fraser at first floor level. As such, I can't see any reason for it not being accessible throughout the (railway) operating day.

As an aside, before said footbridge opened there was a bus link between the railway station and Lakeside, but that's long since been withdrawn.

 

[Alfie1014]

If memory serves, the footbridge doesn't go all the way into Lakeside. Rather it ends in a tower at the corner of one of the car parks, with lifts and stairs down to a walkway into House of Fraser at first floor level. As such, I can't see any reason for it not being accessible throughout the (railway) operating day.

As an aside, before said footbridge opened there was a bus link between the railway station and Lakeside, but that's long since been withdrawn.

Correct pre COVID Lakeside were marketing the car park as handy for the commuters at the station! The bus station was planned to be moved to near the rail station where the footbridge is when intu were still in change of the shopping centre as part of a redevelopment of the centre near the Debenhams adjacent to the current bus station, but it seems to have gone quiet on that and of course Debenhams store is disused and to access the bus station you have to walk outside the shopping centre at all times now.