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Friday 14 Oct 2005

NEWS RELEASE, INTERVIEW AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

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PHOTOCALL:        LORD ROOKER, MINISTER OF STATE FOR REGENERATION OFFICIALLY OPENS THE NEW STATION AT HASTINGS Date:                          Thursday 14 October 2004 Time:                         10.15 - musical reception                                     10.30 - unveiling ceremony                                     10.45 – photos, refreshments and station tour Location:                   Hastings station booking hall Event:                        Lord Rooker, Minister of State for Regeneration,will officially open                      the new station at Hastings. Media contacts:           Network Rail, Jenny Sacre 020 7557 8107  jenny.sacre@networkrail.co.uk South Eastern Trains: Anita Ballantyne 0207 983 6090 anita.ballantyne@setrains.co.uk Journalists and photographers are invited to the official opening of the new railway station at Hastings which will be attended by: Jeff Rooker, Minister of State for Regeneration; Michael J Foster MP; Ian McAllister, Chairman Network Rail; Michael Holden, Managing Director, South Eastern Trains and Jim Brathwaite, Chairman, South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). The Minister will unveil a plaque to celebrate the occasion. Jeff Rooker said: “Hastings is a major centre within Sussex, but like many other coastal towns its economy needs a boost. The new train station will make travel by rail more attractive by local residents but also encourage visitors to the town. This, together with proposed public transport improvements elsewhere in the area, will help put Hastings on the map as a business location and encourage the regeneration of the town.” - more - Hastings – 2 Ian McAllister Chairman, Network Rail added:  “The old station was in a poor condition and the architectural brief was to create a welcoming gateway to Hastings, with a commanding presence to establish itself as a local landmark.  Network Rail, in liaison with Hastings Borough Council and South Eastern Trains, is proud of this achievement and hopes that tourists and the local community will enjoy the station for many years to come.” Network Rail’s redevelopment of the station cost £9 million, which included a £750,000 contribution from SEEDA for work to the forecourt and bus interchange and £100,000 from South Eastern Trains for the ticket office. The contemporary, blue-glass, open-plan station was built to the east of the old station building.  A bright and clean, open space welcomes passengers to the station, creating a friendly, whilst utilitarian environment.  With large automatic doors and a prominent white canopy, the station forms a seamless transition to the historic town of Hastings. Once the new station opened the old station was demolished and a car park constructed in its place. The facilities at the station have been designed for disabled access and include: ·        Baby changing room ·        Café and seating area ·        Family waiting area ·        Toilets (including disabled facilities) ·        Ticket windows ·        New bus terminal ·        Taxi rank ·        New lifts to all platforms ·        Covered walkway to platforms ·        Station employees and train crew members have fully furbished offices             - more - Hastings –3 Michael Holden, MD South Eastern Trains said: “We are very excited by our new station at Hastings. It enables us to offer a greatly improved gateway to our trains and to provide a facility more in keeping with the importance of the station to the wider community in Hastings. It fits well with our ambition to improve the everyday standards passengers encounter on our railway.”