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Monday 24 Aug 2009

MORE CAR PARKING SPACES AT CARLISLE STATION FROM 1 SEPTEMBER

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The expanded car park at Carlisle station will open on Tuesday 1 September. The car park will provide an additional 46 parking spaces, making a total of 194 spaces available at the Cumbria station. For the safety and security of users, the car park also has CCTV throughout with 24 hour recording.

A new charging structure is also being introduced, offering substantial discounts over the full day rate for off peak and weekend users.

From September all-day parking at Carlisle will cost £8, and is the first increase in parking charges at the station for nearly five years. New reduced off-peak parking charges will be available from 10:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends costing £4 a day. Monthly, quarterly, six monthly and annual season tickets are also available for regular peak time users, which have also been increased to align them pro-rata with the new daily rate. The new monthly ticket costs £98 effectively offering daily parking, based on 20 days use a month at just £4.90 a day. The annual ticket is prices at £980 and if used for just 45 weeks a year offers an equivalent daily parking rate of just £4.36 a day.

Virgin Trains Station Manager at Carlisle Ann Turner said: “The limited parking facilities at Carlisle station have caused problems for rail travellers for many years. Now with 46 extra spaces more passengers should be able to find a parking space, and the special off-peak rates should appeal to shoppers and weekend travellers.”

The car park has a new ‘Pay on Foot’ payment system, where a ticket is issued on entry to the car park. Payment must then be made at the machine prior to customers returning to their car to leave the car park.

The work at Carlisle is part of a joint project between Virgin Trains and Network Rail to improve car parking at all 17 stations on the West Coast route which are managed by Virgin Trains. The other stations involved are: Lancaster, Penrith, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Oxenholme, Runcorn, Crewe, Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham International, Coventry and Rugby.

David Golding, Network Rail's Route Enhancements Manager said: "More passengers are travelling by train than ever before and the demand for rail travel is set to continue to rise. We predict that a large proportion of these extra passengers will drive to the station, putting even more strain on the car park.”