Media centre

Tuesday 20 Sep 2011

GRAND DESIGNS AT EXETER STATIONS BEGIN

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Work to improve Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids into bright, accessible and secure stations has started. Nearly 4m passengers are set to benefit from better journey experiences at both stations from the £7m refurbishment.

It will provide passengers with better facilities including, new waiting shelters, toilets and real-time digital customer information system. Led by First Great Western and Network Rail, the major refurbishment programme is part of the National Station Improvement Programme (NSIP), which is backed by the Department for Transport.

Network Rail has also launched today a new redevelopment opportunity that could further improve the station area of Exeter St Davids. By unlocking the untapped potential of the railway assets outside the station, there are opportunities for developers to transform the land into a mixed-use development and an integrated transport hub.

Patrick Hallgate, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “Exeter is forecast to be among the biggest growth cities within South West of England by 2026. It is vital that we provide a robust railway to support this growth and most importantly, the city’s economy.

“By improving Exeter stations, we are sprucing up the railways’ shop-front and revitalising the city’s environment. We are also paving the way for a vision to turn Exeter St Davids into an impressive city gateway, building on its growing importance as a strategic railway interchange. We will need to find a suitable developer to help us turn this idea into a reality.”

First Great Western Retail Manager West Lee Edworthy said: “Exeter is a key destination on our network and with more and more customers choosing to take the train, it’s right that we make sure the city has the facilities it deserves. This million pound investment in both stations will mean we can provide the level of service our customers expect and we are delighted to see work start at both stations."

NSIP improvements at Exeter Central
- Revamped Queen Street entrance with two new shops
- Bigger ticket hall and ticket office facilities
- New waiting room and help desk area on platform 2
- New waiting room on platform 3
- Strengthened footbridge
- New real-time customer service information system with new telephone help points

NSIP improvements at Exeter St. David
- Improved ticket hall
- Refurbished toilets on all platforms
- Refurbished waiting area/rooms Platform 1, 2 and 3
- New waiting shelter on Platform 5/6
- New real-time customer service information system with new telephone help points
- A brighter station with refurbished canopies
- Better drainage system
- Strengthened footbridge

Proposed blueprint for Exeter St. David station area redevelopment
- Mixed-use development with residences and offices
- Bigger station carpark with more spaces
- Integrated transport hub with interchange facilities with drop-off points for buses and taxis
- A more convenient and accessible pedestrian route linking to city centre
- A cycling path linking to River Exe cycle route
- A piazza area to improve the station environment