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A 21 year old university student working for Network Rail has been given the job of designing a major refurbishment of Whaley Bridge station on the Manchester to Buxton line.

Sam Holmes, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, is studying Building Surveying at Leeds Metropolitan University and chose to spend the year-in-industry part of his four year course working within Network Rail’s building engineering team in Manchester.

He has been working with the company since last September and the project is now at the stage where it is going out to selected contractors to tender for the work.

Using computer aided design programmes, Sam has been working with the Railway Heritage Trust, the Friends of Whaley Bridge Station, Northern Rail and the parish council to put together a complete set of drawings that will transform the station.

Mr Holmes said: “My year in industry with Network Rail has been a brilliant learning experience for me, giving me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Whaley Bridge station is a fine example of Victorian architecture. Being involved in its restoration, working alongside the other stakeholders, has been a fascinating task and a privilege.”

Malcolm Wood, company secretary of the Railway Heritage Trust, added: "The Trust has followed the proposals for Whaley Bridge station with great interest. Sam has produced an excellent scheme which will help to conserve the building through regeneration, and which aligns with our own aspirations for historic railway structures. We look forward to continuing our support to the completion of the works."

The station building is the original 1850s structure and the work is designed to reflect the heritage aspects. It will include reinstating the chimneys to their original height and renewing the gutters and down-pipes in cast iron. There will be new sliding sash windows to match the original and new Victorian style internal and external doors.

The platform will boast a new Victorian style clock.

Ornamental cast iron airbricks will provide under floor ventilation and the original stone and slate fireplace in the waiting room will be refurbished and fitted with a new cast iron fireback. New benches, dado rails and cladding in the waiting room will match the originals.

Whilst protecting and enhancing the heritage elements of the station, it will also be modernised to incorporate a new unisex accessible toilet and a variable height ticket office counter that can be lowered to suit anyone in a wheelchair.

The ticket office will be refurbished and a new kitchen cum store room will be provided for use by the train operator Northern and the local rail user group the Friends of Whaley Bridge Station. Heating and hot water for the station will come from a new boiler system.

Brian Allerton, chairman of the Friends regeneration group, said: “The restored station will provide a valuable facility for travellers to and from Whaley Bridge. It will help the Friends Group in its aim to promote rail travel and to attract visitors to the town and the surrounding area of the Derbyshire Peak District.”