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Friday 2 Oct 2009

£5M ST ALBANS STATION UPGRADE GETS OFFICIAL WELCOME

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Network Rail and First Capital Connect have been joined by the Mayor for St Albans, local councillors and other stakeholders to mark the official opening of St Albans City Station following a £5 million upgrade.

Serving more than six million passengers every year, St Albans is First Capital Connect’s busiest, connecting customers to London, Brighton, Bedford, Luton and Gatwick airports as well as St Pancras International. 

The station has been significantly upgraded over the past 18 months through investment by Network Rail with works including:

 

• Three new passenger lifts providing access to all platforms
• A larger station entrance and ticket office to reduce congestion
• 813 space multi-storey car park, with 13 spaces for blue badge holders
• Additional facilities for cycles and motorbikes
• More CCTV and lighting to increase customer safety and security
• A new low-level ticket counter for wheelchair users
• Additional retail units

 

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail route director, said: “The investment made at this station will benefit millions of passengers each year and helps make rail an even more attractive option for people in St Albans. This is yet another example of Network Rail working with train operators to deliver long-lasting improvements at stations across the country.”

Jim Morgan, Managing Director of First Capital Connect, said: “The improvements make this station one of the best in terms of integration with other forms of transport and accessibility. Further investment will follow as part of the Thameslink Programme with new, longer trains arriving at extended platforms and departing and arriving more frequently to and from new destinations.”