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Wednesday 29 Jul 2009

ORMSKIRK’S ECO-FRIENDLY STATION OFFICIALLY OPENED

Region & Route:

Ormskirk’s eco-friendly station has been officially opened by The Hon Sir William McAlpine, chairman of the Railway Heritage Trust, following a comprehensive £1.8m refurbishment.

The Grade II listed station, which is owned by Network Rail and managed by Merseyrail, was refurbished in a project led by Lancashire County Council that also involved the Trust, Merseytravel, West Lancashire Borough Council, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). Merseyrail project managed the refurbishment on behalf of Network Rail and delivered it on time and to budget.

Ormskirk is the first station in the country to be completed with funding from the DfT's National Stations Improvement Programme.

Keeping as close as possible to its original architecture, the station gets its green credentials by using a system that harvests rainwater. This is used in the staff toilet and in the two new public toilets, one of which is fully accessible to people with disabilities. The station also saves energy by using LED lighting, having improved levels of thermal insulation and utilising under floor heating. Existing materials have been reused or repaired where possible, including the environmentally friendly insulation boarding, with new materials specified from the 'Green Guide to Specification' produced by the Building Research Establishment.

As well as its ‘green’ features the station also has a combined booking hall and waiting room, with new seating, signs and passenger information systems. The station features the 'cactus maps' being used across the Merseytravel network. There are also improved cycle parking facilities along with a new commercial facility that could be used as a retail outlet or office accommodation.

The canopy over the platform has been completely refurbished and there is a brand new canopy over the station entrance.

Security at the station has also been upgraded with an enhanced CCTV system that covers the entire station.

County Councillor Malcolm Barron said "The new station is very impressive and I'm proud that the county council has led such a forward thinking project. The new station really is a facility fit for the 21st century and shows what can be done when organisations work proactively in partnership to achieve a shared vision. The enhanced passenger facilities will, I am sure, be welcomed by the thousands who use them. Ormskirk now boasts a station that is among the best of its kind in the UK. I am also delighted that a voluntary Friends of Ormskirk Station group has been established that will work under the umbrella of the West of Lancashire Community Rail Partnership to maintain flower-beds and notice boards and keeps the station looking its best."

Jim Cornell, executive director, Railway Heritage Trust, said "The Railway Heritage Trust is delighted to have had the opportunity to be involved in a partnership to restore and refurbish this historic railway station building which dates from 1870. The Trust is particularly pleased that 21st century eco-friendly design techniques have been embraced within the refurbishment whilst retaining the 19th century built architecture. This important balance has been fully achieved within this project.”

Jo Kaye, Network Rail’s route director, added: “I am pleased that Ormskirk leads the way by being the first station in the UK to be completed as part of the DfT’s National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP). Several other stations in the north west are set to benefit under the NSIP banner, all of which will provide a better environment for passengers using those stations and encourage even greater use of the railway network.”