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Tuesday 20 Dec 2022

Knaresborough station’s historic canopy given new lease of life

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: North & East

The 132-year-old canopy at the main entrance of Knaresborough station has been repaired and restored to keep it looking its best for future generations. 

Network Rail has carefully repaired the Grade II listed canopy to preserve the station’s rich heritage for years to come. The structure has seen a complete roof renewal and redecoration throughout, including a fresh lick of paint in its traditional white and green colours. 

Before refurbishment began, scaffolding was temporarily installed to reinforce the station canopy, protecting passengers and the local community.  

With the refurbishment now complete, the structure matches the platform canopies which were also restored back in 2016. The scaffolding has also now been safely removed, allowing the people of the town to enjoy their local station once again. 

The station, which was awarded the Urban Heritage award at the National Heritage Awards last year, has benefitted from other major improvements over the last few years, including a £150,000 upgrade to the station roof in 2019: Network Rail completes major upgrade to roof at Knaresborough station (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk) 

Robert Ellams, Route Engineer for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said: “The revamped entrance has made a real difference to the station, giving it a vital upgrade whilst retaining its historic look. The crucial repair work will not only improve passenger experience, but it will also help to protect the Grade II listed building for future generations. 

“I’d like to thank passengers, our partners and the community for their patience and hope they continue to enjoy the station’s connections to York, Harrogate and Leeds for years to come.”  

Andrew Jones, Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: "This is great work from Network Rail and is part of a greater programme of investment in our stations and railways. It is also an investment in our heritage as this is a Grade 2 listed structure.  

“The Network Rail team were really responsive when the Friends of Knaresborough Station approached me wanting the work completed quickly. They prioritised it and now we have a fantastic looking station with brilliant businesses on the platform to go with more and better rail services." 

ENDS