Media centre

Friday 6 Dec 2019

Bedford station car park reopens early for customers

Region & Route:

Eastern

Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) are pleased to announce that Bedford station car park has fully reopened today (Friday, 6 December), over two weeks earlier than planned.

Since Monday, 21 October, car parking at the station has been significantly reduced to allow two cranes to work from the car park. The cranes have been used to demolish and reconstruct Bromham Road bridge ahead of it being rebuilt at a raised height. This work is part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade and is vital to provide a safe distance between the structure and new overhead line equipment, as the line between London and Kettering/Corby via Bedford is electrified.

During this time, alternative car parks have been signposted and season ticket holders have been able to use the premium car parks at Bedford and Flitwick stations. Parking for disabled passengers was unaffected.

Work on the project has progressed well, meaning the cranes have been removed from the car park, allowing all of the spaces to be used once more.

Whilst work continues on Bromham Road bridge into 2020, the compound located on Ford End Road is now a zero-carbon site that runs solely on electricity from renewable sources. Like an electrified railway, this is better for the environment and quieter, as it removes the need for diesel generators.

Gavin Crook, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “The early full reopening of Bedford station car park is fantastic news for passengers.

“Progress on this vital project has progressed incredibly well, which is testament to the hard work of our teams. This good progress means we have been able to reduce the impact of the work for station users.

“However, we do understand that this work has had an impact over the last month and we do apologise for this. We would like to thank all passengers for their patience during this time.”

Karl McCormack, Lead Facilities and Development Manager at GTR, said: “The early reopening of the station car park is great news for our customers and has been achieved through close collaboration between GTR and Network Rail. 

“I appreciate that the work affected many people, which is why we did our best to advertise it widely, in plenty of time and to offer as many alternatives as possible.

“Thank you to all our customers for their support and understanding.”

ENDS