Media centre

Friday 19 Mar 2010

£30M INVESTMENT FOR VICTORIA STATION

Region & Route:

Network Rail has announced a £30m package of work to make Manchester’s Victoria station fit for the 21^st century. The work is being jointly funded by Network Rail, Manchester City Council/NWDA and GMITA, working alongside Northern Rail who manage the station. It will include a new roof, a better, brighter and more open concourse and improved facilities for passengers.

Network Rail route director Jo Kaye said: “This is another good example of how we are giving passengers in the north the facilities they want. With more and more people choosing to travel in and out of Manchester by train every day, and the Northern Hub set to bring more trains through Victoria, it is vital that we give the people of Manchester and its many visitors a 21^st century station they can be proud of.”

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, said: “We are delighted to contribute to the refurbishment of Victoria, which will transform it into a brighter, smarter, more passenger-friendly station and make journeys to and from it more enjoyable.

“Victoria is an important part of Manchester’s railway heritage and an impressive building that deserves investment. This project will help ensure that it can continue to serve the city well into the 21^st century, and pave the way for it taking a bigger role as part of the Northern Hub proposals. The plans are also consistent with the electrification of some lines into Victoria, making train services cleaner and greener.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council said: "The restoration of Victoria Station will contribute greatly to the continued regeneration of this area of the city, delivering both economic and environmental benefits.  The much needed transformation will bring the faded glory of the station into the 21st century and ensure that passengers have the modern facilities expected of one of the city's key transport hubs."

Network Rail will liaise closely with the city council to progress all the necessary building consents and get permissions in place for the work to go ahead as soon as possible.

The renovation could be completed as early as the end of 2014.

Steve Butcher, deputy managing director, Northern Rail said:  “This major investment will transform Manchester Victoria into a bright, welcoming station fit for the city and the increasing number of passengers using the station every day.  Working closely with Network Rail, Manchester City Council and GMITA is a perfect example of how we can work in partnership to deliver much improved facilities for our passengers and employees."

In addition to the roof work, there will be a new ticket office, information booth, waiting room and toilets. There will also be improvements to the concourse as well as the restoration and enhancement of some of the station’s key period features, including the glazed canopy at the front of the building.

Work is already progressing well on a £3.6m scheme to completely rebuild platforms one and two and renew their railway tracks, and a further £1.7m is being invested over the next 18 months as part of the Department for Transport’s National Stations Improvement Programme initiative designed to bring about a noticeable and lasting improvement in the environment at stations.